BAHRAIN: AGREEMENT ON CHALLENGE INSPECTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000186 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, AC E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/08/2015 TAGS: PARM MARR MASS MOPS BA SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: AGREEMENT ON CHALLENGE INSPECTIONS REF: A. STATE 10959 (NOTAL) ¶B. 04 MANAMA 1892 (NOTAL) ¶C. 04 STATE 231260 (NOTAL) Classified by DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) PolEcon chief February 8 delivered Ref A points regarding a bilateral agreement on challenge inspections related to the Chemical Weapons Convention to MFA Director for Bilateral Affairs Dhafer Al Umran. Al Umran said that, in response to the December 14, 2004 demarche (Ref B),he had forwarded our draft agreement to the legal affairs directorate at the MFA. That department is still reviewing our text. He was pleased to know that challenge inspections were not covered under any other international agreement. He wanted to know whether the United States was negotiating similar agreements with other countries, particularly GCC member states. He commented that gaining ministerial approval for the agreement would be easier if the United States was concluding similar agreements with other GCC countries. MONROE