Cablegate: Latvia: 2009 Country Reports On Terrorism

VZCZCXYZ0007
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRA #0588 3450813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110813Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY RIGA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6181
INFO RUEILB/NCTC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS RIGA 000588

SIPDIS
DEPT PASS TO RHONDA SHORE (S/CT)
DEPT ALSO PASS TO NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC LG

SUBJECT: LATVIA: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

1. (U) Below is Embassy Riga's draft of the 2009 Latvia Country
Reports on Terrorism. Embassy POC is Matt Stokes
(StokesMR@state.gov).

Begin Report:

In May, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an action plan for
responding to terrorist threats and attacks on people or objects in
Latvia's territory. In September, Latvia established a working
group to develop an action plan for terrorist or pirate attacks
against Latvian ships anywhere in the world. The Transportation
Ministry is currently developing legislation to control hazardous
cargo and is developing an action plan to respond to emergency
situations related to hazardous cargo. Latvia regularly
participates in the European Union's Terrorism Working Group.

In October, the Counterterrorism Center of the Latvian Security
Police and the Riga International Airport organized a
counterterrorism exercise that simulated a plane high jacking and
hostage situation. Representatives from the Security Police, Riga
International Airport, Civil Aviation Agency, State Border Guards,
State Police, State Fire and Rescue Service, Center of Emergency and
Disaster Medicine, and the Prosecutor General's Office participated.

As of December, Latvia was contributing 170 soldiers to support the
International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, including an
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT). As a country
participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), Latvia continued to
comply with requirements in the VWP law related to information
sharing and other law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation.
This cooperation was further enhanced by the Implementing
Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.

Latvia's Financial Intelligence Unit maintained a terrorist
financing database that it shared with local banks. Since the May
2005 U.S. Treasury designation of two Latvian banks as institutions
of "primary money laundering concern" under Section 311 of the
Patriot Act, Latvian government and regulatory agencies have worked
very closely with the United States to enhance their legislative and
regulatory framework. There have been no further sanctions on
Latvian banks. In 2006, Treasury lifted the proposed sanction
against one bank. In the case of the second institution, the issue
is specific to the bank and its ownership structure, and does not
reflect Latvian regulatory efforts.

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