2005 TIP REPORT DELIVERED TO OMAN

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000887 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARPI AND G/TIP DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USTR (JBUNTIN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KCRM KWMN PHUM PREL SMIG MU SUBJECT: 2005 TIP REPORT DELIVERED TO OMAN REF: A. STATE 98168 ¶B. STATE 100432 ¶1. (SBU) Given the Thursday-Friday local weekend (ref B), A/DCM conveyed the 2005 Trafficking in Persons report on Oman (ref A) to Humaid al-Maani, Political Advisor to the MFA Under Secretary, during a pre-arranged June 1 meeting to discuss Oman's critique of our Human Rights Report. Based on al-Maani's assurance of keeping the report in the government's strict confidence until its formal release on June 3, A/DCM explained the provenance of the report and the seriousness with which the USG views TIP concerns worldwide. While the Embassy will be open to any Omani feedback to the report, A/DCM suggested that our mutual energies would be best devoted to addressing ways to improve trafficking protections. ¶2. (SBU) Without studying the report in detail, al-Maani forecast that some people would assume that this critical report on Oman was related to our ongoing Free Trade Agreement negotiations. A/DCM reminded al-Maani that TIP reports date to 2000 (well before the start of our FTA talks),and that Oman will see some of America's FTA partners (and future partners) listed under every tier category. Al-Maani surmised that the lack of a specific anti-trafficking law in Oman may have harmed perceptions of the government's policies, and speculated that the celebrated abuses of camel jockeys in the UAE may have attracted added scrutiny to the Sultanate. ¶3. (U) A/DCM pointed out that a special State Department briefing on the report would be offered to missions in Washington, DC, and encouraged the Omani Embassy to send a representative. STEWART