OMAN COMMITS TO INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER SCANNING

UNCLAS MUSCAT 001658 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/TRA/OTP, ISN/WMD, S/CT DHS FOR BRIAN WHITE/LAUREN ZUCKER DOE FOR DAVID HUIZENGA/TRACY MUSTIN CBP FOR ALLEN GINA NSC FOR JEFF EGGERS/MARY ALICE HAYWARD HSC FOR CYNDI STOWE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL EWWT ASEC KHLS ECON MU SUBJECT: OMAN COMMITS TO INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER SCANNING NETWORK (ICSN) REF: STATE 194465 ¶1. (SBU) On December 3, Brigadier General Mahmood al-Kiyumi, Director General of Customs, Royal Oman Police (ROP),gave oral approval for Oman's public participation in the International Container Scanning Network (ICSN). Contacts at the ROP assured Post that the General's statement is sufficient to confirm the government of Oman's commitment to the program and for the Port of Salalah to be identified in Secretary Chertoff and Secretary Bodman's December 7 press SIPDIS conference. (Note: All customs issues are handled by the ROP, not the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and General Kiyumi is Post's primary senior interlocutor for both the Container Security Initiative and Megaports programs. End note.) ¶2. (SBU) Post concurrently submitted a diplomatic note through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) with the content of reftel demarche request. Post will follow up with the MFA to secure written confirmation of Oman's commitment. GRAPPO