NORWAY DELIBERATES U.S. FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS

UNCLAS OSLO 001372 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS BRUSSELS FOR TSA: KEVIN CAHILL, JESUS PRESAS AND PAUL ROGERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR PREL ASEC PTER NO SUBJECT: NORWAY DELIBERATES U.S. FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS REF: OSLO 1319 ¶1. (SBU) On November 3 we met with Ministry of Transportation Assistant Deputy Director Signe Moe and Division Chief Pierre Chauvin to learn the status of Norway's deliberations on allowing U.S. Federal Air Marshals (FAMs) on flights to and from OSL. (In 2004, Norway and the TSA came close, but never finalized an agreement on the FAM program.) Moe told us that Norwegians are discussing the issue, but a decision was not likely until 2007. Norway is waiting for the EU to finalize implementing regulations for ICAO Amendment 11, Annex 17 regarding in-flight security measures. According to Moe, once the EU and corresponding EEA implementing regulations are in place, Norway will likely finalize its deliberations on the FAM program. The Transportation Ministry is coordinating discussions with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ¶2. (SBU) NOTE: Whether FAMs were on board flights coming into Oslo (in contravention of Norway's strict gun control laws) was the subject of several press articles during the summer. The controversy died down after a few weeks, but has not gone away entirely as the Transportation Ministry recently replied to a private citizen's inquiry on the subject. END NOTE ¶3. (U) Post will continue to follow-up with Norwegian Ministries on the progress of their deliberations. Whitney