Cablegate: Poland: 2009 Country Reports On Terrorism

VZCZCXRO2949
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHWR #1231 3561448
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221448Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY WARSAW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9269
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEILB/NCTC WASH DC

UNCLAS WARSAW 001231

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/CT RHONDA SHORE
DEPT ALSO PLEASE PASS TO NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER ASEC PL
SUBJECT: POLAND: 2009 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

REF: STATE 109980

1. In response to reftel, post submits the following
narrative for Poland's 2009 Country Report on Terrorism.
Embassy POC is Amy Walla, Political Officer,
WallaAC@state.gov.

2. Begin Text:

Poland

The Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration
assesses the terrorist threat level in Poland as low.
However, the government devotes significant resources to
counterterrorism activities to ensure the threat does not
rise. During the reporting period, the Interior Ministry
noted increasing concern about right-wing extremists in
Poland. There have been no terrorist attacks in Poland in
recent history.

Poland continued to support international counterterrorism
efforts through its participation in the International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At the end
of 2009, Polish ISAF troops represented the seventh-largest
national contingent; 16 have been killed in action. Poland
has pledged to increase its contribution to ISAF to 2,600
troops in 2010. Poland deployed about 17 soldiers as part of
the NATO Training Mission in Iraq.

Through participation in initiatives including the
Proliferation Security Initiative and the Global Initiative
to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, Poland remained an active
participant in various international undertakings to combat
terrorist threats. Two years after integration into the
Schengen zone, Poland maintained a close and growing
collaboration with its European neighbors on
counterterrorism. Poland pursued a proactive and inclusive
approach to counterterrorism cooperation with Ukraine in
advance of the EURO 2012 Soccer Championship, to be jointly
hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

The bilateral Counterterrorism Working Group (CTWG), formed
in 2004 to further U.S.-Polish collaboration on
counterterrorism by synchronizing counterterrorism policy and
training counterterrorism specialists, continued to hold
regular meetings. The CTWG identified specific areas of
mutual interest, including critical infrastructure and
terrorist financing, and developed further plans for training
and cooperation. The Polish and U.S. militaries reached
consensus on a Bilateral Agreement on cooperation in
combating cyberterrorism. In 2008, the Illinois State
Partnership Program initiated a five-year program to expand
cooperation between the Illinois National Guard and various
Polish ministries on consequence management.

End Text.
FEINSTEIN

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