Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MUSCAT952
2006-06-12 11:26:00
SECRET
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

MILITARY'S ANTI-INFILTRATOR OPS END IN SOUTH

Tags:  PINS PREF SMIG MOPS KCRM SO MU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T MUSCAT 000952 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, PRM, AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2026
TAGS: PINS PREF SMIG MOPS KCRM SO MU
SUBJECT: MILITARY'S ANTI-INFILTRATOR OPS END IN SOUTH

REF: MUSCAT 792 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., William R. Stewart.
Reason: 1.4 (a, b, d).

S E C R E T MUSCAT 000952

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, PRM, AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2026
TAGS: PINS PREF SMIG MOPS KCRM SO MU
SUBJECT: MILITARY'S ANTI-INFILTRATOR OPS END IN SOUTH

REF: MUSCAT 792 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i., William R. Stewart.
Reason: 1.4 (a, b, d).


1. (S) According to senior military officials in the Royal
Oman Army and Sultan's Special Force, military operations in
Oman's southern Dhofar region to sweep up illegal Somali and
other infiltrators have ceased as of early June. When they
began in late April, the operations were primarily focused on
Somali migrants, thought to have come from refugee camps in
Yemen, who were increasingly accused of theft and sometimes
violent crime. Military contacts said it soon became
apparent that there were a large number of undocumented
foreigners of various nationalities, which led to the
expansion of operations.


2. (S) As a result of the intense security sweeps, Omani
forces apprehended more than 1500 persons, of whom 281 were
Somali. The bulk of the remainder are South Asians, many of
whom initially came to Oman on work visas but then overstayed
or fell out of status. The only weapons seized from
detainees were Kalashnikovs. The Foreign Ministry briefed
selected members of the diplomatic community recently (but
not the U.S., however) and cited similar statistics,
according to diplomatic contacts. Both military and
diplomatic sources allude to Oman's difficulty in expelling
the Somali detainees given the situation in their homeland.


3. (S) Military contacts note that the end of operations in
Dhofar marks only "Phase 1" of the program. Phase 2, focused
on the sparsely populated Wusta region along Oman's central
southern coast, is set to begin in July.
STEWART