UPDATE: PSI - GERMAN CRANE SHIPMENT

S E C R E T MUSCAT 000696 SIPDIS STATE FOR NP/CBM, EUR/PRA, NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2015 TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL IR MU SUBJECT: UPDATE: PSI - GERMAN CRANE SHIPMENT REF: A. MUSCAT 687 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. WICKES-DURHAM E-MAIL 4/27/05 ¶C. STATE 75880 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Richard L. Baltimore III. Reason: 1.4 (b, d, h). ¶1. (S) As forecast in ref A, the German Ambassador in Muscat received no instructions from Berlin overnight nor any during the working day on April 27 regarding the German crane shipment bound for Iran (ref C). The German Embassy duty officer informed Pol Chief that they will monitor communications over the local weekend (Thurs-Fri) for any instructions and keep us informed. (Note: Ref B suggests, however, that no instructions to take action are likely to emanate from Berlin. End note.) ¶2. (S) Per ref C, in the absence of German Embassy action, the Ambassador canceled a provisional appointment with the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs for April 27. ¶3. (S) Comment: The Omani government is now officially closed for business until April 30. It appears that the vessel transporting the German cranes will arrive and depart Muscat on April 28. Should any last-minute effort be made to interdict the delivery of the cranes, it is highly unlikely that the Omani government would be capable or willing to take decisive action given those circumstances and the fact that it has already rebuffed a previous German request. In our view, only direct intercession with the shipping company is likely to bear fruit at this late stage. BALTIMORE