DEMARCHE ON POSSIBLE AL-QAIDA AVIATION THREAT

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 004133 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL:09/08/12 TAGS: PTER ASEC TC SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON POSSIBLE AL-QAIDA AVIATION THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES (S/EC 200322654) REFS: A) STATE 258046, B) STATE 255099, C) STATE 244711, D) CIA WASHINGTON DC CIR 316/07421-03 ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MARCELLE M. WAHBA FOR REASON 1.5(B & D). ¶2. (S) Econchief delivered ref a demarche to Mohammed Al-Ghaith, Director General of the UAE Civil Aviation Authority, which sets airport security policy. The Director General called in his chief of security policy and regulation to pass on USG concerns immediately. ¶3. (S/NF) ORCA had previously passed on the threat information (Ref D) to UAE State Security for use in briefing aviation security entities. ¶4. (S) Al-Ghaith assured econchief that, as the busiest airspace in the region, the UAE takes the security and safety of the aviation sector very seriously adding that the UAE is in direct contact with TSA aviation security officials. Al-Ghaith noted that there are no regularly scheduled direct passenger flights from the UAE to Canada or Latin America (i.e., flying near U.S. airspace.) There is only one flight that currently flies non-stop to the U.S.: a thrice- weekly Malaysia Airlines flight, which transits Dubai The passengers disembark in Dubai and embark when the aircraft is ready to fly to New York. WAHBA