MTAG: SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM SEEKING CNC

S E C R E T PRAGUE 000659 SIPDIS STATE FOR NP/CBM, EUR/PRA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2015 TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL MNUC SY EZ MTCR SUBJECT: MTAG: SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM SEEKING CNC MACHINING CENTERS (S) REF: SECSTATE 71707 Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4 (a) (b) and (c) ¶1. (S) Czech officials responsible for non-proliferation issues told poloff May 4th that the machine which is the subject of reftel was never exported to Syria. Poloff was shown a copy of the MTCR denial notification, MI-CZ-05-001, dated January 12, 2005. The notification was sent to appropriate MTCR officials in Paris, and to the EU in Brussels. ¶2. (S) Information from the MTCR notification reads, Vertical Machining Centre Model MCV 1000 Sprint 5 AX CNC, quantity 3 NAR, valued at EURO 775,362, was denied based on the Catch All classification. The consignee and end user is Handasieh General Organization for Engineering, Address: Abou Baker All Seddeq Street, Damsacus, Syria, Telefax 963-11-512 80 19. The reason for the denial is stated as, "Unacceptable risk of diversion to a missile program of concern." ¶3. (S) The export license for this machine was submitted to the MFA on 06 Aug 2004. That license was issued on 18 Aug ¶2004. However, after hearing from the Czech intel agency BIS, the MFA revoked the license on 23 Dec 2004, before any exports took place. CABANISS