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