Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ABUDHABI2688
2006-06-28 10:29:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

IMPROVING THE UAE COUNTERPROLIFERATION RECORD

Tags:  PARM PREL ETTC IR PK AF AE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3094
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHAD #2688/01 1791029
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 281029Z JUN 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5914
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1518
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0301
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 6271
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002688 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR T, ISN/CPI, PM/FO, NEA/ARP
USDOC FOR BIS DMCCORMICK, DJACKSON, WWYSONG
NSC FOR FTOWNSEND, DSTEPHENS, EABRAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IR PK AF AE
SUBJECT: IMPROVING THE UAE COUNTERPROLIFERATION RECORD

REF: A. STATE 102501 (NOTAL)


B. ABU DHABI 2422

C. ABU DHABI 2358

ABU DHABI 00002688 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 b and d.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002688

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR T, ISN/CPI, PM/FO, NEA/ARP
USDOC FOR BIS DMCCORMICK, DJACKSON, WWYSONG
NSC FOR FTOWNSEND, DSTEPHENS, EABRAMS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2016
TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC IR PK AF AE
SUBJECT: IMPROVING THE UAE COUNTERPROLIFERATION RECORD

REF: A. STATE 102501 (NOTAL)


B. ABU DHABI 2422

C. ABU DHABI 2358

ABU DHABI 00002688 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (S) SUMMARY. Ambassador met June 26 evening with Foreign
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ) to discuss the USG's
plans to take a number of immediate steps to address the
continuing problem of diversion of goods from the UAE to
Iran's WMD and missile programs (ref A). AbZ listened
carefully, accepting the non-paper and posing several
questions on the impact of the new policies on UAEG entities
and private businesses. He complained once again about lack
of P-5 plus one consultation with the GCC on the regional
security aspects of the EU offer to Iran (refs B, C),saying
that he was "pissed off" with EU foreign policy chief Solana,
in particular. In response to Ambassador's question, AbZ
also confirmed that he would travel to Tehran in July. END
SUMMARY.

Improving the UAE Counterproliferation Record
--------------


2. (S) Ambassador opened the meeting with Sheikh Abdullah,
who had just returned from a trip to East and Central Asia,
by noting that APHSCT Fran Townsend's June 19 visit to Abu
Dhabi had focused on both counterproliferation and
counter-terror concerns, as had her earlier April trip. AbZ
recalled the April discussion of the low percentage of
"favorable" U.S. Department of Commerce post-shipment
verifications between Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed
and Townsend (ref D). He took note of Ambassador's
description of the poor results documented by the recent
Sentinel trip (only one third of the 106 checks of U.S. goods
exported to the UAE were favorable with verified end-users).


3. (U) Ambassador briefed AbZ on USDOC export control officer
duties and responsibilities, noting that the ECO's role was

to promote legal trade between the U.S. and the UAE and to
ensure that U.S. dual-use goods entering the UAE were used in
accordance with U.S. export control laws and regulations.
She also described the Sentinel program, noting that USDOC's
Office of Export Enforcement sends personnel abroad to visit
the end-users of sensitive controlled commodities and
determines whether these items are being used in accordance
with license conditions. Ambassador added that she had also
provided this information on USDOC export controls programs
to General Director of State Security Dubai Brig. Mohamed al
Qemzi on June 21 after he had expressed concerns about one of
the recent Sentinel calls on a Dubai company (al Qemzi is the
UAE chair of the Joint US-UAE Counterproliferation Task
Force).


4. (S) AbZ remarked upon the continued U.S. focus on the
urgency of the passage of a UAE export controls law, but
offered no view as to whether the law would be enacted before
the July 15 UAE Cabinet recess (which runs through September
1). He noted that there would be two UAE Cabinet meetings
before the recess, on July 3 and July 10. He undertook to
pass the non-paper to Mohammed al Qemzi in Dubai.


5. (S) The Foreign Minister studied the three additional
actions described in the non-paper carefully (required
pre-license checks for all unknown non-government end users,
adding two UAE entities to the Unverified List, and imposing
license requirements for certain UAE entities). The FM asked
whether this would affect both public sector and private
sector entities; Ambassador replied that these three steps
would affect non-UAEG entities. AbZ then studied the list
of possible additional actions and noted, with some alarm,
that one or more of these could well impact a broader range
of UAE businesses. Ambassador confirmed that this would
likely be the case. She reiterated the USG's hope that USG
would not have to take these subsequent steps given the
U.S.-UAE record of working cooperatively, but pointed out
again the need for export control-transshipment legislation,
an export control enforcement regime, and continued
cooperation on specific USG action requests.


6. (C) The Ambassador noted the USG's disappointment that Abu

ABU DHABI 00002688 002.2 OF 002


Dhabi had not sent a representative to the recent Warsaw PSI
meeting. AbZ offered no comment, but changed the subject and
asked instead about the Ambassador's World Cup favorites.

AbZ Ire over Iran Package
--------------

7. (S) AbZ stated flatly that he was "pissed off" at the P-5
plus one's failure to consult with the GCC on the regional
security aspects of the Iran package. (This was the fourth
time AbZ has complained to Ambassador regarding this issue).
The UAEG's information was that this aspect of the package
had been an EU initiative, "not an American idea," said AbZ.
Nonetheless, the UAE and the GCC were upset at the lack of
information-sharing. A security incentive for Iran could
only be devised "by someone who doesn't know this area at
all," complained Abdullah. The newly-launched Gulf Security
Dialog should truly be a dialog, he emphasized. Ambassador
noted that U.S. and UAE teams were working to coordinate an
end-July date for a follow-on GSD round.

Afghanistan-Pakistan
--------------


8. (S) AbZ expressed satisfaction with his meetings with
Presidents Musharraf and Karzai at the Shanghai SCO, and
noted that Karzai's recent appearance on CNN with Wolf
Blitzer had happily not included any Pakistan-bashing. The
Pakistani and Afghan intel chiefs were set to meet in Abu
Dhabi July 10-11 under UAEG auspices, he confirmed.

AbZ Plans to Visit Tehran
--------------


9. (S) Ambassador asked AbZ whether press speculation
regarding planned travel to Tehran were accurate. He
confirmed that a July trip to Tehran was under discussion,
but said that the dates had not yet been worked out with the
Iranian side. He confirmed that the nuclear issue, three
disputed islands, and continuing fishermen's issues would be
on the agenda (Iran continues to harass UAE fishermen, taking
them into custody for allegedly having entered Iranian
waters).

SISON