Cablegate: Argentine Minister Open to Broader 3 + 1 Dialogue

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DE RUEHBU #1709 2412017
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 292017Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 6500
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 6357
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9074
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/USSOCOM SCSO J3 MACDILL AFB FL
RULSDMK/NSA US WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 001709

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

WHA FOR CHRIS MCMULLEN, DEBORAH MCCARTHY, CAROLINE CROFT,

BRUCE FRIENDMAN AND KENDALL MOSS

S/CT FOR VIRGINIA PALMER AND ARNOLD SIERRA

FBI FOR COUNTERTERROISM DIVISION AND OFFICE OF

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT FOR ICE/OIS H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2017

TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER KTFN AR BR PA

SUBJECT: ARGENTINE MINISTER OPEN TO BROADER 3 + 1 DIALOGUE

REF: BUENOS AIRES 1685

Classified By: AMBASSADOR E. ANTHONY WAYNE FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D)

1. (C) Ambassador asked Argentine Minister of the Interior

(MOI) Anibal Fernandez August 27 about his views on dealing

with terrorist threats and other serious problems in the

Tri-border area (TBA). He asked the Ministe his views on

the potential benefits of addressing a broader scope of

issues in the 3 1 Working Group. MOI Fernandez reacted

positively, indicating that the GOA was open to discussing

""any pertinent issues."" MOI Fernandez acknowledged that

problems of terrorism, narcotics, arms trafficking,

trafficking in persons, and money laundering are often

interrelated and that the same groups are often involved in

many of these activities at the same time.

2. (C) MOI Fernandez was also candid about the challenges

of working in the TBA. Argentina has a good working

relationship with Brazil on these issues and sees Brazil as a

valuable and serious partner. Paraguay, alternatively, is

not a reliable partner. MOI Fernandez referred to Paraguay

as a ""plastic"" country, with institutions that are much less

than what they seem, and fraudulent documents readily

available. He urged caution in dealing with Paraguayan

authorities. He also acknowledged, however, that Paraguay is

the source of many of the problems in the TBA region, so that

its role in regional TBA efforts, including the 3 1

mechanism, was critically important.

3. (C) The Ambasador also noted recent reports of numerous

unauthorized flights entering Argentine air space,

particularly in the TBA. MOI Fernandez acknowledged the

problem, particularly as it relates to the entry of narcotics

into the country, and the paucity of the GOA's response.

Dismissing Argentine radar as ""artisinal"" (""hand- made""), he

complained that Argentina does not have the contemporaty

radar technology needed to aggressively confront the issue.

He also noted that the corruption on both the Argentine and

Paraguayan sides of the border make this a particularly

difficult problem.

KELLY

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