OMAN REAFFIRMS NO ISRAELI BOYCOTT, DENOUNCES

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000954

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/IPA, AND EB/TPP/MTA
STATE PASS USTR FOR J.BUNTIN
USDOC FOR ITA C.OBERG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD KBCT OPRC PREL IS MU
SUBJECT: OMAN REAFFIRMS NO ISRAELI BOYCOTT, DENOUNCES
ARTICLE

REF: A. MUSCAT 852

B. MUSCAT 397

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Summary
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1. (SBU) In separate meetings with Emboffs, Omani officials
denounced a Jerusalem Post article alleging the application
of the Arab League boycott in Oman. The government plans to
respond formally to a Congressional inquiry on the matter,
but will not comment publicly. End Summary.

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Reply to Congress Forthcoming
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2. (SBU) Following the June 8 publication of an article in
the Jerusalem Post allegedly quoting Omani customs officials
as saying Oman still applies the Arab League boycott of
Israel, Charge and Econoff called on Acting Foreign Minister
Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi on June 12 to discuss next steps.
Sayyid Badr, fully briefed on both the article and
Representative Wexler's letter to the Sultan, replied that
the Foreign Ministry is in the process of drafting a formal
response to the Congressman's office, which would be
transmitted via the Omani Embassy in Washington. This would
be Oman's only response to the article, Sayyid Badr said.


3. (SBU) Sayyid Badr agreed that the article appeared to be
the product of a journalistic ambush. Noting that he did not
recognize the names of the Omani customs officials quoted in
the article, Sayyid Badr discounted the alleged comments,
even if they did occur, as coming from a low level.
Furthermore, he found it strange that the Jerusalem Post
would publish such an article, given the fact that Israeli
government officials have never expressed dissatisfaction
with trade ties to Oman. As recently as the June 6 Middle
East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) executive council
meeting, visiting Israeli officials made no mention of
boycott or trade concerns to him. He further recalled
comments by Israeli Minister of Tourism on a recent
international television broadcast dismissing the Arab League
boycott as a thing of the past and completely irrelevant.

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No Boycott Here
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4. (SBU) Econoff separately raised the Jerusalem Post article
with the Ministry of Commerce's FTA point-person, Dr. Said
al-Riyami, on June 10. Al-Riyami appeared unaware of the
article, but quickly explained that the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry has done everything it could to notify each
Omani ministry about the non-applicability of the boycott.
Al-Riyami stated that he would raise this concern with
Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool bin Sultan, but that
the formal response would come from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.


5. (SBU) Poloff spoke to a contact in Royal Oman Police
Customs on June 10 who was well aware of the Jerusalem Post
article and angrily rejected it as a fabrication. The
contact knew that a journalist had called, but claimed the
only reply offered was a referral of the caller to the
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
STEWART