date:2006-12-08T02:53:00
source:Embassy Wellington
origin:06WELLINGTON970
destination: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 McBurney,
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. McBurney 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 McBurney predicted,
the O-Desk met and approved funding on the 6th).

3. (C) McBurney 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. McBurney
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