STATUS OF COUNTERTERRORISM CONVENTIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000035 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT, IO, NEA/ARPI LONDON FOR GOLDRICH E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2015 TAGS: PTER PREL ASEC MU SUBJECT: STATUS OF COUNTERTERRORISM CONVENTIONS REF: A. 04 MUSCAT 2269 ¶B. 04 STATE 269653 Classified By: Michael Snowden, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission. Reason: 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Following the Ambassador's December 27 conversation with the Foreign Minister (ref A),A/DCM reiterated the importance of Oman's ratifying the final two of twelve international counterterrorism conventions (ref B) in a January 5 meeting with MFA International Organizations Department Chief Ambassador Talib Miran al-Raisi. In a slight change to the usual MFA talking point that the two conventions would be ready "soon," Talib Miran reported that the MFA's technical studies of the two texts were finished and that they had been forwarded to the Ministry of Legal Affairs for review. "They are out of our hands," he said. ¶2. (C) A/DCM pointed out that the G-8 Counterterrorism Action Group (CTAG) was going to focus on the Middle East region in its April meeting (according to the local UK Embassy),and that the resident G-8 Ambassadors would be strongly encouraging Oman's bringing the two outstanding conventions into force as soon as possible. Noting that a collective G-8 demarche on the Legal Affairs Minister could be in order, A/DCM urged the MFA's support in concluding Omani government action on the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the Convention of the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings. ¶3. (SBU) The Embassy will report any further developments on these conventions, and share the substance of this conversation with interested G-8 embassies (particularly the UK as current CTAG chair). BALTIMORE