The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable discusses Building a South Asia counter-terrorism strategy. The cable is classified as “Secret” and written on September 17, 2007. The cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Robert O. Blake.

The ambassador wrote;Chiefs of Mission and other Embassy representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan met under the auspices of the Regional Security Initiative (RSI) in Colombo on September 7 to discuss regional counterterrorism strategy with the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Ambassador Dell Dailey, and interagency participants. The meeting sought to promote a coordinated regional counterterrorism strategy that would maximize the efforts of all USG agencies and forge partnerships with South Asian nations to enhance and institutionalize counterterrorism-related cooperation within the region. In line with the objectives of the U.S. National Strategy for Combating Terrorism, meeting participants provided a shared goal to deny terrorists physical and ideological safe haven by increasing operational capacities of host nations and assisting them in employing a range of soft methods to counter terrorist ideology. Chiefs of Mission and their representatives reached agreement that their top strategic objectives were: interdicting regional terrorist travel; using all elements of power, including development assistance, to combat violent extremism; and continuing efforts to staunch Lashkar-e Tayyiba action in the sub-continent. To accomplish this, our six priorities are: (a) urgently addressing the visa Security Advisory System that has the unintended effect of undermining outreach and consensus-building efforts; (b) utilizing new media, including internet, television and SMS, to disseminate counterterrorism and anti-extremism messages to host nation citizens; (c) funding an interagency Border Control Assessment Initiative similar to that done in Southeast Asia to address interdiction efforts between Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka; (d) instituting regional International Visitor (IV) programs and counterterrorism fellowship programs and strengthening follow-up with counterterrorism program alumni; (e) examining new ways to utilize NDAA section 1206 funds for non-lethal, “soft” counterterrorism efforts; and (f) evaluating the benefits of establishing a Regional Legal Advisor position. The next South Asian RSI, to be held in India in approximately six months, will measure progress and ensure continued focus on a common regional counterterrorism vision.”

proposing a two-pronged approach to provide guidelines for new and existing programs that seek to counter the regional terror threat, the ambassador wrote; “Creating regional efforts among host nations to address the need to deny both physical safe haven and counter extremist ideology will yield the greatest benefits but also represents the greatest challenges. Long-standing regional disputes between India and Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, and India and Sri Lanka make creating regional counterterrorism efforts daunting. There is little history of cooperation upon which to build regional counterterrorism efforts. We will use quiet diplomacy and behind-the scenes capacity building to encourage regional counterterrorism cooperation and support confidence building measures. Participation by counterterrorism practitioners in regional programs will help develop these links; including participants from Southeast Asia (or conducting training there) will facilitate information exchange and ease intra-regional conflicts.”

“Maritime Interdiction Capacity Building. The regional waters between Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka are poorly patrolled and provide safe haven to terrorists wishing to transport arms or recruits within the region and beyond. Through National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) section 1206 funds and other USG-funded programs, including 1207, FMF and NADR, we will help host nations build greater regional maritime interdiction capacity. We will encourage the governments of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to work together by providing interoperable maritime interdiction equipment. S/CT agreed to add the issue to the agenda of the November U.S.-India counterterrorism joint working group.” Blake further wrote.

Ambassador Blake wrote; “Vital exchanges and training could be made far more effective, however, if the Security Advisory System were modified to make it easier for program participants to obtain a visa. Currently, participants often wait for months while Security Advisor Opinions (SAOs) are pending, sometimes leading to the de facto cancellation of the plans when participants are not able to travel to previously scheduled events like military training or seminars. By streamlining or expediting the process embassies would be able to more effectively use the IV and counterterrorism fellowship programs. Long delays in visa issuance, even for prominent individuals and Embassy contacts, undermines our other outreach efforts and creates the sense that the U.S. is targeting Muslims.”