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Viewing cable 10HAVANA26, CUBA STILL IN THE DARK ABOUT PASSENGER SCREENING,

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
10HAVANA26 2010-01-11 19:29 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY US Interests Section Havana
VZCZCXRO5126
OO RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHGD RUEHHO RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHRD RUEHRS
RUEHTM
DE RUEHUB #0026/01 0111929
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 111929Z JAN 10
FM USINT HAVANA
TO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5092
RHEFHLC/HQ DHS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCOGCA/COMNAVBASE GUANTANAMO BAY CU PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCE/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HAVANA 000026 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CCA AND WHA/PD 
DHS FOR OIA/LMIZELL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAIR PGOV CU
SUBJECT: CUBA STILL IN THE DARK ABOUT PASSENGER SCREENING, 
ALL-OUT CAMPAIGN TO BE REMOVED FROM LIST 
 
REF: A. STATE 1187 ("ENGAGING ON NEW PASSENGER SCREENING 
        RULES") 
     B. HAVANA 8 (CUBA AGHAST AT LANDING ON LIST) 
 
1. (SBU) Chief of Mission and Pol-Econ Chief met on January 
11 with Cuban Foreign Ministry officials to deliver points 
per Reftel A on the new regulations on passenger screening. 
The officials, including North America Division Director 
Josefina Vidal, said that this was the first official 
information that they had received on the new procedures. 
The Cuban Government (GOC) has not been contacted by the 
private airlines that fly between Cuba and the United States 
or by other USG agencies. 
 
CUBA STILL IN THE DARK 
---------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) The Cuban officials noted that, despite the many 
official links between the U.S. civil aviation and security 
authorities (including, they added, the Transportation 
Security Administration, which conducted airport inspections 
in Cuba a few years ago) the GOC had not received any 
information on the new passenger screening rules.  They said 
that the private airlines that operate in Cuba, including the 
charter airlines that fly to the United States directly, had 
yet to share any information either.  "As of last Thursday 
(January 7), we had yet to receive anything on these 
regulations," and were going solely by news reports, Vidal 
stated.  The Foreign Ministry officials did not say whether 
the GOC intended to cooperate with the new regulations, a 
decision that would not seem forthcoming until they had 
information on what would be required of them. 
 
QUESTIONS ON NEXT STEPS 
----------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) The Cubans asked whether they could expect to 
receive further information on the regulations, to which the 
COM replied in the affirmative.  In particular, the GOC 
officials asked whether forthcoming information, including 
the details of the new procedures, would come through the 
private airlines or the USG, or both, and when they could 
expect to receive it.  We said that we would reply with 
further details as soon as this information is available to 
us. 
 
STILL INDIGNANT, SEEKING EXCLUSION FROM THE PASSENGER LIST 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
4. (SBU) The GOC continues to demand its removal from the 
passenger screening list in the strongest tones.  Vidal said 
that the GOC understood the United States' need to protect 
ourselves from terrorism and enact the necessary measures, 
and assured us that "Cuba would never tolerate an act of air 
terrorism" being hatched from the island.  At the same time, 
she complained that Cuba's inclusion did not advance U.S. 
safety concerns and that it was "clear" to them that the new 
passenger screening rules "had been taken without seriousness 
or reflection."  Note: Cuba's inclusion into the passenger 
screening list and the State Sponsors of Terrorism group of 
countries has been decried in the official media 
relentlessly, in an all-out GOC-orchestrated campaign against 
Cuba,s presence in both lists. 
 
SEEKING MODIFICIATION OF THE PASSENGER LIST 
------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Although the GOC understands (but does not accept) 
that removal from the State Sponsors list is not a simple 
issue, the Foreign Ministry officials seemed interested in 
the fact that the passenger screening list of countries was 
under review and would continue to be reviewed as 
circumstances merit.  Although skeptical ("we know very well 
that once you get in these lists, you never come out," Vidal 
countered), they asked what were the prospects of getting 
Cuba out of the passenger screening list. 
 
ACTION REQUEST: INFORMATION AND REVIEW 
 
HAVANA 00000026  002 OF 002 
 
 
-------------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) Post seeks further information about the new 
passenger screening rules and next steps between USG agencies 
and GOC counterparts, in order to maximize chances that the 
GOC will cooperate.  We would also urge the interagency 
community to review the impact that the new screening rules 
may have on direct flights between Cuba and the United 
States, and whether adjustments to the regulations or list of 
countries are warranted in light of existing circumstances. 
In the meantime, charter flights continue although the new 
regulations have not been implemented. 
FARRAR