U.S./UK/LIBYA TSCC BIO SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, AUGUST 8-10,

S E C R E T TRIPOLI 00498 SIPDIS CXCAIRO: ACTION: POL INFO: CONS RSO AMB AID PA ORA OMC LEGAT IPS ECON DEA DCM DAO DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG VZCZCCRO880 PP RUEHEG DE RUEHTRO #0498/01 2571301 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 141301Z SEP 06 FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1206 INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0418 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0440 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 0018 RUEHVT/AMEMBASSY VALLETTA 0102 RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0304 RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 0546 RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 1366 S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 TRIPOLI 000498 SIPDIS STATE NEA/MAG FOR GAVITO, CRITTENBERGER, VCI/BIO HAYESLIP; CAIRO FOR DR. MARIE RICCIARDONE, NAMRUY FOR DR. BRUCE BOYNTON E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/14/2016 TAGS: CW PARM PREL AF LY SUBJECT: U.S./UK/LIBYA TSCC BIO SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, AUGUST 8-10, 2006 CLASSIFIED BY: Ethan Goldrich, CDA, Embassy Tripoli, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (U) Summary. The TSCC Biological Subcommittee met in Tripoli August 8-10, 2006. The two and one half day meeting included: a general discussion of progress made to date in implementing the "Roadmap for the Way Forward in Cooperative Engagement in the Life Sciences;" an update of the Roadmap; presentations on, and discussion of, BWC national implementation and pathogen security legislation; a visit to a military facility in Tajura; a visit to the Disease Surveillance Center based in Zliten City; a meeting with the Libyan delegation planning to visit London in September 2006; and a presentation by NAMRU-3 Director Dr. Bruce Boynton. The Libyans provided, under instructions, a copy of the inventory of the GHL equipment that has been moved and stored at the BTRC. U.S. and UK Reps expressed the hope that delays encountered to date in implementing the roadmap were of the past. The oft-postponed Disease Surveillance Workshop was tentatively scheduled for January 21, 2007 in conjuntion with a meeting of the SubCommittee, with venue and participation still to be determined. U.S. and UK members found the meeting productive and their Libyan counterparts enthusiastic and cooperative. End Summary. -------------- August 8 / Opening of SubCommittee Meeting/Agreement on Agenda: -------------- ¶2. (U) After initial pleasantries, Dr. Mohamed M. Sharif, head of the Libyan National Committee on Bioetchics and Biosafety (LNCBB),provided, under instructions, a copy of the inventory of the GHL equipment that has been moved and stored at the BTRC, which had originally been requested during the January 2006 TSCC Bio Subcommittee meeting. U.S. and UK teams welcomed receipt of the long-delayed list. The U.S. side also expressed the hope that recent problems encountered, such as the Libyan's postponement of the London visit, were now behind us. UK expressed its satisfaction with arrangements for the meeting, and plans for the now-upcoming visit to London rescheduled for September 2006. -------------- Review of Progress to Date: -------------- ¶3. (U) The SubCommittee reviewed progress in implementing the Roadmap and updated it (see para 12). Libya also reported on establishing institutional review boards (IRBs) at three Universities (Al Fatah, Garyounis, and Sabha),noting that they may wish to consult U.S. and UK experts on their implementation; U.S. and UK indicated their availability and interest. Collaborative progress to date has included the following: --Two workshops in October 2004 and January 2005 (bioethics and biosafety); --Submission by Libya of BWC CBMs in 2005 and again in 2006 (comment: although we understand Libya did provide CBMs to the UN for 2006 (the Libyans and UN contacts confirm this),we were unable to obtain a copy. Libyan counterparts said they would provide to us via the Embassy); --Development and updating a draft roadmap for cooperative engagement in the life sciences; --NAMRU-3 initiated (and is expanding) engagement with Libya, together with the World Health Organization; --Participation by Libyan experts in two Conferences held in Cairo in February 2006 (one by FAO-ICARDA Conference on biotechnology and genetic engineering and one on HIV/AIDs); --Participation by Libyan experts in a biosecurity workshop in Amman, Jordan in April 2006, coupled with a trip to the Field Epidemiology Training Program in Amman; --An invitation from the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) for six Libyan experts to participate in their annual meeting in Boston in October 2006 was forwarded to Dr. Sharif for the invitees in June 2006; --A renewed invitation by the UK for Libyan experts to visit London for a visit focusing on cooperation in the life sciences in September 2006. ¶4. (U) August 9: Discussion of BWC National Implementation and Pathogen Security Legislation: The U.S. initiated discussion on legislation with a presentation on pathogen security covering definitions, the need to build a pathogen security program, how to develop risk assessment and management processes, and types of information that are required for implementation. A second U.S. presentation focused on national implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and related pathogen security legislation. U.S.-developed model legislation was used to discuss the differences between the U.S. approach and two draft Libyan laws provided earlier to U.S. experts on "Concerning the Manifestation and Handling of Extremely Dangerous Live Organisms in the Libyan Jamahiriyya and "Establishment of a Mechanism to Provide Early Warning Against the Spread of Diseases in the Libyan Jamahiriyya." A professor of international law from Al-Fatah University joined the Libyan side, which already included a lawyer from the Ministry of Justice, to participate in these discsussions. The UK commented that each national legislation differed slightly with respect to their respective national legal frameworks. The UK also highlighted and handed over information on the UK-based NGO Verficiation, Research, training, and Information Center (VERTIC) study that was examining national implementation and legislation related to the BWC and various nuclear treaties. U.S. agreed to provide an Arabic translation of the model legislation at the request of Libyan experts, who expressed the hope that it could be drawn upon it in their legislative drafting. -------------- August 9: Visit to Military Facility in Tajura: -------------- ¶5. (S) SubCommittee members visited General El-Ghadi's defensive training facility in Tajura. (Comment. U.S. and UK experts visited El-Ghadi's facility and toured an NBC Defense School run by Col. Othmann, El-Gahdi's deputy, on February 16, ¶2004. This appears to be the same facility. See Ref: LTAG 014-2004, 031446Z MAR 04, DTRA-OSE 031446Z, para 4. End Comment.) They were met by Col. Othmann, the Head of the Libyan Nuclear and Chemical Defense School. After providing a tour of some of the facilities on the compound and answering questions, Othmann stated that the school trained military personnel only on nuclear and chemical defense and explained that they have no provision for training for biological defense, nor do they have plans to do so in the future at this facility. Rather, the military will rely on the Libyan public health service to provide medical aid if there was a disease outbreak. He also took the SubCommittee to a CW defensive lab under construction, which he explained may take another year to complete. Equipment has been purchased for the lab and was on site. The classrooms and laboratory facility appear to comprise a fairly small portion of the military compound, and the U.S. and UK did not have the opportunity to view any buildings on the remainder of the compound. Of note, this occasion was the first time Libyan NCBB members had visited this facility. ¶6. (S) Comment. In his September 2005 meeting with the SubCommittee General El-Ghadi focused more on the chemical vice the biological defensive activities planned for his facility; however, he certainly implied that biological weapons defense would be a part of its mission. UK team notes, however, that Col. Othmann's comments were fully consistent with what they had heard before and that they had always understood the facility to focus on chemical and radiological defense. U.S. and UK experts were both told that a lab under construction at the facility wold be for chemical weapons defensive purposes; U.S. and UK explained that Libya might have to declare it to the OPCW. The lab U.S. and UK experts were taken to on August 9 is still under construction (old classroom section being refitted),includes an air handling system, an almost fully tiled "preparation room," and what appeared to be a "cold storage" room, all of which are consistent with a lab that could be used for work with chemical and/or biological agents. Although the lab could easily be completed in a short time, Col Othmann and his staff estimated that it could take up to a year to finish construction. SubCommittee members did not ask to see the on-site equipment, but suggests that a future visit by CW experts might be useful to help determine the capabilities and purpose of the completed laboratory. End Comment.) -------------- August 10: Visit to Disease Surveillance Center in Zliten City: -------------- ¶7. (U) SubCommittee members visited the National Center for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (NCIDC). Dr. Smeo, the hospitable and talkative head of the Center, provided a presentation on the activities of the Center and a tour of the Center. Visitors were taken to one small lab space capable of biosafety level 2 work, and to a number of stations where computers were being used to enter data. The Center seemed to be well equipped and efficiently functioning. This occasion was the first visit to the Center by the Libyan NCBB members; in a private aside, Dr. Sharif mentioned to a U.S. colleague that he had expected "more" from the Center. -------------- August 10: Meeting with Libyan Delegation to London Meeting: -------------- ¶8. (U) The UK provided an outline agenda for the visit, scheduled for September 7-15, 2006. They also provided suitable web sites for the delegation to obtain further information about each of the facilities they would be visiting. -------------- August 10: Presentation by NAMRU-3 Director on Cooperation with Libya -------------- ¶9. (U) Dr. Bruce Boynton, Director of NAMRU-3, outlined the NAMRU-3 Mission and its relationship with the World Health Organization. He described recently initiated collaborative scientific exchanges with Libyan experts. The question and answer session proved to be useful in obtaining more information on endemic disease in Libya, which will be helpful to NAMRU-3 in tailoring its collaborative efforts with Libya. -------------- Participants in the Meeting: -------------- ¶10. (U) Libyan Participants: Dr. Mohamed M. Sharif Chairman of the National Committee for Bioethics and Biosafety, Head of the BTRC Dr. Abdurahman Tawil Member of LNCBB Faculty of Science, Al Fatah University Dr. Abdulaziz M. El-Buni Member of LNCBB Faculty of Science, Al Fatah University Dr. Mohamed A. Abaugalia Member of LNCBB Member of Military Ministry Mr. Muftah Al-Hemali A. Ali Member of the LNCBB The General Administration for International Organizations at the General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation Dr. AbdulKader A. El-Maleh Member of the LNCBB Faculty of Agriculture Omar al-Mukhtar University Dr. Abdalgader Saleh Ali Member of LNCBB Faculty of Science Sabha University Dr. Abdussalam A. Masaud Amara Member of LNCBB Pharmacy School Al Fatah University Mr. Abdulaker Mohamed Alioah Member of the LNCBB The General Administration for Law at the General People's Committee for Justice Dr. Milud A. Amru Professor of International, Investment and Trade Law, Al-Fatah University Observer Member, UN Commission of International Law ¶11. (U) UK Participants --Dr. Peter Biggins, UK TSCC Bio-Subcommittee CoChair --Dr. Lorna Miller, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down ¶12. (U) U.S. Participants --U.S. CoChair Katharine C. Crittenberger, U.S. Department of State --Ms. Michelle Baker, U.S. Department of State --Dr. Bruce Boynton, Director, NAMRU-3, Cairo, Egypt --Mr. Marshall Brown, Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. Department of State --Mr. Christopher Eaves, Science and Technology Officer, Embassy Tripoli --Mr. Shaun Hayeslip, U.S. Department of State --Dr. Marie Ricciardone, Coordinator for the Libya Scientist Engagement Program, U.S. Department of State, Embassy Cairo (Egypt) --Dr. Gregory Stewart, Senior Microbiologist, U.S. Department of State -------------- Updated Draft Roadmap -------------- ¶13. (U) Updated Draft Roadmap for Way Forward in Cooperative Engagement in the Life Sciences (revised August 10, 2006) August 2006 UK/Libya --UK to provide information to facilitate Libyan Participation in a Workshop on "Approaches to National Legislation for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons Agreements", 29-30 August. September 2006 U.S./UK/Libya --Visit to UK, Video Conference --Finalize plans for Human Infectious Disease Surveillance Workshop, including decisions on timing, venue, format, and participation --Possible consultations on upcoming BWC Review Conference --Additional consultations on legal issues U.S./Libya --Continue cooperative engagement with NAMRU-3 October 2006 Libya --Attend annual meeting of American Biological Safety Association (Boston, MA) November 2006 U.S./UK/Libya --Attend Sixth Review of BWC (Nov 20-Dec 8) January 2007 U.S./UK/Libya --Meeting of TSCC Bio SubCommittee --Disease Surveillance Workshop (Jan 21?) --Identify Workshop follow up activities, i.e.: --Animal Disease Surveillance Workshop --Plant Disease Surveillance Workshop/GM Foods --Training Track --IRB Workshop GOLDRICH BERRY