KELLOGG, BROWN AND ROOT ACCUSES DUBAI POLICE OF RACIAL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBAI 004123 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA - BILL HURST, DS/DSS/OSAC, DS/DSS/ITA, NEA/ARP, NEA/I E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC ASEC SNAR AE IZ ETRD SUBJECT: KELLOGG, BROWN AND ROOT ACCUSES DUBAI POLICE OF RACIAL PROFILING 1.(SBU) Summary. Post met with KBR regional senior management for a follow-up discussion on the increase in arrests of KBR employees transiting Dubai International Airport. During the meeting, KBR Iraq-based representatives accused Dubai Airport Police of "racial profiling" and harassing African-American KBR employees. In June 2006, eight KBR employees, all African-American, were arrested while transiting Dubai Airport. Seven of the eight arrestees subsequently were charged with possession of illegal narcotics, and one was released. Dubai authorities informally told their consulate contacts of their fatigue in dealing with drug, public drunkenness, and disorderly conduct cases involving KBR employees, prompting the first meeting (reftel). Post immediately passed this information to KBR offices in Dubai who agreed to increase discipline policies. Subsequent to the second meeting, Post met again with Dubai Police to pass on recent steps taken by KBR to increase employee discipline and to convey their concerns about profiling. End Summary. 2.(SBU) On Sunday, June 25, Consulate General Dubai met with Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) regional representatives at their request to follow-up on arrests of KBR contractors in Dubai and to discuss KBR concerns of profiling at Dubai International Airport. In attendance were KBR LOGCAP III Iraq representatives Remo Butler, Deputy Program Manager, and Daniel Maguire, Theater Security Director. Attending from KBR's Dubai Operations Center were Kelly Beaver, Project Manager, Art Lange, Deputy Project Manager, Eugene Hart, Security Manager, and Kay Williams, Deputy Project Manager. Consulate staff present included the American Citizens Services Chief, Acting Regional Security Officer, and post's Naval Criminal Investigative Services and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers. KBR Dubai gave ConGen a copy of their new "Zero Tolerance" policy for employees transiting Dubai. The new policy document was dated June 9, 2006, four days after an initial meeting on KBR arrests requested by the Consulate with KBR Dubai. KBR indicated that the policy was a response to the warning received by Consulate officers that Dubai Police were cracking down on KBR employees in Dubai. Key parts of the new policy included a 100% sobriety rule to board KBR charter flights, immediate termination of employment for solicitation or possession of illegal substances, possible termination for unexplained complaints from Dubai Police or the U.S. Consulate General about an employee's behavior, and a new dress code while in transit. KBR Believes Dubai Police Targeting African-Americans -------------- -------------- 3.(SBU) At the meeting, KBR's Iraq representatives complained about perceived profiling and harassment by Dubai Airport Police of African-American KBR employees and demanded action by the Consulate to rectify the situation. Incidences of harassment reported to Butler's office included strip-searches, baggage searches, and aggressive questioning. In an earlier email to the Consular Chief, Butler expressed his belief that the Consulate was not doing enough to gain from Dubai Police "assurances that KBR employees are no longer going to be singled out, especially because of skin color." In an email sent after the meeting to KBR and cc'd to Consulate staff, Butler stated, "My recommendation is that we raise this into the political environment and get the Halliburton congressional liaison involved quickly and start querying the State Department as to what action is being taken." 4.(U) Currently seven KBR employees are in Dubai police custody for drug charges, including marijuana and/or cocaine possession. Only one so far has gone to trial and received four years in prison. We anticipate sentencing to be similar for the remaining detainees. An eighth KBR employee was detained last week at Dubai Airport for possible drug possession, but the charges were later dropped after laboratory tests proved he was only carrying Benadryl capsules. Consular followed this case closely, including confirming the drug testing procedure step by step, and fought to secure the detainee's release as soon as possible after test results were conclusive. KBR Dubai's Security Manager emailed the Consular Section to thank us for our assistance in quickly securing their falsely-accused employee's release. 5.(SBU) As reported reftel, approximately 500 KBR contractors transit Dubai each day. The new "Zero Tolerance" policy is a welcome addition to KBR's employee management plan. Post will continue to work KBR arrests and detentions as primarily an ACS issue and hopes the company's new policy will decrease KBR related cases. DUBAI 00004123 002 OF 002 Follow-Up -------------- 6.(SBU) Due to the involvement of drugs in a number cases involving "American military types," all of whom turned out to be KBR contractors, Brigadier General Khamis Al Muzeina, General Director of Dubai's Criminal Investigation Department (CID),had originally contacted post's DEA agent in late May to express his concern. DEA and NCIS agents met again with the Brigadier on June 27 on behalf of the Consulate to follow-up on their original meeting. During the follow-up, they conveyed KBR's profiling concerns and informed CID of steps KBR has taken to improve employee discipline, including sharing a copy of the new "Zero Tolerance" policy. Muzeina stated that all travelers to Dubai with illegal narcotics, regardless of nationality, would be arrested and processed under UAE law, while assuring ConGen representatives that CID would keep the Consulate appraised of all US citizens arrested for drug charges in the UAE. 7.(SBU) Comment: Worth noting is the fact that more than 80,000 U.S. servicemen transit or visit Dubai on liberty each year. Post is unaware of any reports of racial profiling or harassment of servicemen transiting Dubai, and there have been few instances of arrests. Post's NCIS attributes this record to strong discipline and punishments for offending servicemen by the U.S. Military. Separately, KBR's Government and Infrastructure division is pursuing a number of projects in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Mission's Foreign Commercial Service actively assists KBR by providing them support and advocacy with local government officials. KBR currently acts as Palm Island project manager for Dubai Government-owned Nakheel development company and is bidding on the new multi-billion dollar Khalifa Port development project with Abu Dhabi Government. In addition, FCS Abu Dhabi recently assisted KBR on conducting due diligence on potential partners, and provided project information on a number of new developments in Abu Dhabi. Post believes that continued incidents involving KBR employees could cause serious damage to KBR's reputation in the UAE and limit our ability to advocate on KBR's behalf in country. BURNS