BAHRAIN: EXPANDING PSI PARTICIPATION IN THE

S E C R E T MANAMA 000559 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, T E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC KNNP BA BILAT CTR OFFICIALS SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: EXPANDING PSI PARTICIPATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST REF: STATE 50792 Classified by DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Pol/Econ Chief April 5 delivered reftel demarche concerning expanding participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) in the Middle East to MFA Director for Bilateral Affairs Dhafer Al Umran. Al Umran's response focused on two main issues - other regional countries' participation in PSI, and GOB legal authority to interdict shipments. He noted there were no GCC members among the countries that had joined PSI. He wondered if Bahrain, from a regional political perspective, would be able to seize a shipment and withstand the possible backlash if no other GCC countries had joined the initiative. He also questioned if Bahrain's domestic laws allowed for the interdiction of cargo, whether it was associated with weapons of mass destruction or not, if it was only transiting Bahraini territory. ¶2. (S) Al Umran pledged to summarize the demarche information in a memo for Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa so he is prepared to address the issue during his April 8 meeting with Under Secretary Joseph. MONROE