Cablegate: New Zealand Agrees to Fund Homeland Security Presidential

VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWL #0970 3420253
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 080253Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3579
INFO RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/TSA HQ WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L WELLINGTON 000970

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

CA/VO/BIP, L/CA, EAP/ANP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2016
TAGS: CVIS PTER PINR PGOV PREL NZ
SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND AGREES TO FUND HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL
DIRECTIVE (HSPD)-6 TERRORIST LOOKOUT INITIATIVE

REF: STATE 19032

Classified By: Classified by DCM David J. Keegan, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

1. (C) Summary: GNZ has approved necessary funding needed to
implement an HSPD-6 agreement with the United States, and would like NZ's liaison in Washington to meet with CA to go over next steps.
End summary.

2. (C) PE Couns and Econoff met on December 1 with Mike XXXXXXXXXXXX manager of the counter-terrorism branch of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) and Ash Johnson, liaison at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington, to discuss GNZ's review of a possible HSPD-6 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the U.S. XXXXXXXXXXXX said that NZSIS remains GNZ's choice for a lead agency for this project, and the Ministries needed to approve funding of the project (i.e., the "O-Desk") would meet on December 6. (NB: As XXXXXXXXXXXX predicted, the O-Desk met and approved funding on the 6th).

3. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said there is high-level support for the project; PM Clark herself called it "a no-brainer." He also said NZSIS hoped to
review and complete comments on the U.S. draft agreement by December
8. To ensure that Washington is fully apprised of developments,
Johnson has requested a meeting with CA for the week of December 11
to go over specifics with the hope of starting negotiations soon
thereafter. Johnston will continue to be the main point of contact at
the New Zealand Embassy for the purpose of these negotiations, as
well as to liaise with USG agencies if there are any "hits" once the
system is up and running. (A main use for the funds needed to
implement the agreement will be to send a second NZ liaison to
Washington, to ensure that someone will always be on the ground there
if a hit is made.)

4. (C) PE Couns and Econoff also used the December 1 meeting to
deliver the questions raised in reftel asking for details on host
government efforts/ability to collect expanded biometric and
biographic data to bolster counter-terrorist efforts. XXXXXXXXXXXX
confirmed that while GNZ officials had discussed many of the
questions already in general terms with USG counterparts, they'd not
done so in much detail. He promised to convey any comments to
Emboffs.

McCormick

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