UAE: SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING COOPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000138 SIPDIS STATE FOR IS, NEA/ARPI DOD FOR JCS, OSD/NII, AND NRO COMMERCE FOR NOAA E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2015 TAGS: ETTC KSTC PARM PREL AE SUBJECT: UAE: SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING COOPERATION REF: A. 04 STATE 136451 ¶B. 03 ABU DHABI 5312 Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: Two years after a USG interagency team visited the UAE to discuss an agreement on remote sensing, the UAE's chief proponent of acquiring a remote sensing system, UAE Chairman of Space Reconnaissance Programs Colonel Mahash al-Hameli, says there is still a strong desire to work with the USG to procure a satellite from a U.S. supplier. On January 15, al-Hameli told J. Christian Kessler, director of the Office of Conventional Arms Threat Reduction in the International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau, that he wants to be able to speak with U.S. suppliers about technical details of the satellite. He also cleared up a misunderstanding within the USG and among some U.S. vendors about the UAE's interest in remote sensing, stressing that the bilateral remote sensing program was entirely separate from the "Hudhud Remote Sensing System" involving the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. End Summary. Background -------------- ¶2. (C) On January 15, J. Christian Kessler, director of the Office of Conventional Arms Threat Reduction in the International Security and Nonproliferation Bureau, met with UAE Chairman of Space Reconnaissance Programs Colonel Mahash al-Hameli at the Space Reconnaissance Center located at al-Dhafra Air Base. Col. al-Hameli was accompanied by Major Sultan al-Ketbi, who was introduced as the head of Air Force intelligence. Kessler was accompanied by Embassy Abu Dhabi political officer and Deputy DATT. ¶3. (C) The meeting was the first between Col. al-Hameli and Kessler since November 18, 2003, when Kessler led a six-person USG interagency team to Abu Dhabi to discuss a draft Government*to-Government Agreement (GTGA) that the USG had presented to the UAE in May 2003 (ref A). At that meeting, the UAE provided a counter-draft to the original U.S. draft, dropping certain provisions from the U.S. text, and adding some provisions to address additional types of remote sensing technologies not included in the original U.S. proposal, and to establish an option for the UAE to lease rather than purchase a satellite or satellites. The USG developed a new draft text of the agreement which sought to address new UAE proposals (ref B). Embassy delivered the new U.S. draft on June 29, 2004 to the MFA, and on June 30, 2004 to Col. al-Hameli. For the next 18 months, al-Hameli did not respond to the USG's invitation to come to Washington to further discuss the text. In the meantime, the UAE began, as Col. Al-Hameli had privately informed Kessler would be necessary for political reasons, consulting with its Gulf Cooperation Council partners on a collective program pursuing a remote sensing system. This latter program became known as "Hudhud," and as it reached formal consultations with vendors, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman dropped out, leaving the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. As Hudhud was actively soliciting tenders from U.S. and other satellite vendors, while the UAE remained silent on the bilateral agreement, USG and some U.S. vendors interested in selling a remote sensing system to the UAE were under the impression that the Emiratis were only talking about one program. Bilateral Remote Sensing Agreement -------------- ¶4. (C) Col. al-Hameli stressed to Kessler that the U.S.-UAE bilateral remote sensing agreement was separate from the Hudhud program it was pursuing under the aegis of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Al-Hameli said the UAE has had a "strong desire" to proceed bilaterally on an agreement to procure a remote sensing system from the U.S. since 2002. When Kessler attempted to learn more about Hudhud, al-Hameli said he was not empowered to discuss it. "I cannot discuss it legally. You will have to discuss it with the GCC." Kessler explained his concern that if the Emiratis were partnering with the Saudis and Qataris on a remote sensing agreement involving U.S. satellite technology, then the U.S. would have to reach an agreement that included all three countries. The USG did not want to initiate discussions with Saudi Arabia and Qatar unless this was the course the USE desired for its remote sensing program. (Note: Raytheon Vice President in the Middle East Robert Lunday (PLEASE PROTECT) provided Embassy with a white paper for the "Hudhud Remote Sensing System for the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf ) UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar." To our knowledge, the Raytheon-led team is the only U.S. vendor to bid in the GCC Hudhud process. End note.) ¶5. (C) Col. al-Hameli said that as far as he was concerned, the draft GTGA required a single amendment before being signed. The UAE would like to add a clause under Article 3.1 of the agreement stating that the UAE could purchase an Electro Optical System with a 0.5-meter resolution. Col. al-Hameli seemed to interpret the absence of any specification of resolution in this Article as possibly implying that the USG would limit the UAE a system with a 1-meter resolution. Kessler emphasized to al-Hameli that such was not the case, and that in fact we were prepared to consider such a clause but wanted to ensure that doing so would not foreclose the UAE obtaining a higher resolution (such as 0.25-meter) in the future. Col. al-Hameli responded to the effect that for now they want a 0.5-meter system to start their program. ¶6. (C) Col. al-Hameli added that he was keen on meeting with U.S. vendors to discuss technical aspects of the satellite, but said the companies told him they could not talk about a system with a half-meter resolution until they obtained the necessary clearances from the State Department. Kessler said that if the UAE alone is planning to purchase a satellite, then there is a basis for an agreement, and U.S. vendors can then discuss the system's technical aspects. Kessler said that when he returned to the United States, he would convene all the interested vendors in one meeting to explain that the bilateral and Hudhud remote sensing programs were separate and that they could proceed with obtaining the necessary marketing licenses enabling them to hold technical discussions with the UAE. That process can take place before the GTGA is signed, Kessler added. The GTGA will need to be signed before any sales occur. Comment: -------------- ¶7. (C) Col. al-Hameli appeared to favor the bilateral agreement with the U.S, but some in the UAE leadership may be pursuing the Hudhud remote sensing program for GCC-related political reasons. Ambassador will discreetly raise this issue with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed upon his return from his trip abroad later this month. ¶8. (U) Towards the end of the discussion, Col. al-Hameli asked whether the U.S. might provide a "consultant" on export controls to help them develop an effective national system. Kessler responded that there were mechanisms by which the USG could provide assistance, and promised to have the Embassy pursue this matter separately. ¶9. (U) Kessler has cleared this cable. SISON