UPDATE ON UAE ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002750 SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, NEA/ARP, EB/IFD/ODF E.O. 12958: 8/11/2013 TAGS: EAID PREL IZ TC SUBJECT: UPDATE ON UAE ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ REF: A) ABU DHABI 2566, B) BERLIN 2597 (U) Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Richard Albright for reasons 1.5 (B & D). UAE Aircraft to Iraq -------------- ¶1. (C) On August 14, LtG Naseer Arkaan Al-Abadi, acting Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces, met with LtG Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Deputy Crown Prince and Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces to discuss the UAEG's offer to donate four reconnaissance aircraft to Iraq. The aircraft are less than two years old and reportedly in good condition. Their discussions focused on the terms and timing of the transfer as well as training for crew and maintenance personnel. The UAE is prepared to transfer the aircraft as soon as the Iraqis are prepared to receive them. UAE-German Training -------------- ¶2. (C) On August 5, the UAE English language newspaper "Gulf News" reported that the UAE and Germany had reached an agreement to train the Iraqi military. (also reported reftels) On August 8 and August 14, EconChief discussed the German-UAE training plans with German CDA, Christian Buck. Buck confirmed that the UAE, Germany, and Iraq had reached agreement to train the Iraqis and to provide them with equipment. He noted that the details of the training had not yet been worked out. He anticipated that the German military would send a "fact finding" mission to the UAE by the end of August/early September, so that the details could be worked out prior to September's NATO meeting. He said that he did not think that training could start before the end of Ramadan. ¶3. (C) Buck explained that the Germans were giving the Iraqis 100 trucks from their stock and that they would need to be modified for desert use. He said that he thought four weeks would be required to prepare the trucks and four weeks would be needed to ship them. The UAE would pay to ship the trucks to Iraq. Buck also said that he thought that about 90 of the trucks would go to Iraq and about 10 would go to the UAE so that the Iraqis would be able to use them for training here. ¶4. (C) On August 14, Buck told EconChief that a German team had just left the UAE after agreeing to start the next training session for Iraqi police in the end of September. The plan would be to have the German trainers stay for two back-to-back four-week sessions (about 100 Iraqis each)running through Ramadan. The UAE would cover the costs of the Iraqis attending the training. Sison