SLOW MOVEMENT ON NATIONAL-LEVEL CRISIS MANAGEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000229 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2017 TAGS: PGOV PTER KCIP ASEC AE SUBJECT: SLOW MOVEMENT ON NATIONAL-LEVEL CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLANNING IN UAE REF: A. 06 ABU DHABI 3370 ¶B. 06 ABU DHABI 2445 ¶C. 05 ABU DHABI 3243 Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) During a February 8 call on Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Ambassador inquired about the UAE's national crisis management system -- the planning for which began in early 2005 but which has not seen any progress other than the establishment of a National Security Council in June ¶2006. Saif responded vaguely saying that even though physical security concerns often dominate planners' focus these are only a small part of a comprehensive national plan to deal with crises. He explained that the UAE leadership believes the path to security begins with education of the younger generation, and in avoiding crises to begin with. ¶2. (C) Sheikh Saif then stated that the UAEG is still in the early stages of gathering information on what capabilities the government already has in place in order to compare that data with known threats and to identify what is needed in terms of infrastructure and organization. Only when this process is complete will the government be ready to move forward in developing plans and training programs. Ambassador offered to assist any way possible, noting the good relations the Ministry enjoys with Embassy's RSO(State), DHS, and Legatt(FBI). ¶3. (C) The UAEG contracted with Raytheon to develop a plan for the creation of a national crisis management center (NCMC),and on January 11, Raytheon presented its plan to the Embassy. The proposal calls for the creation of a National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),presents a three-year staffing plan for that agency identifying which positions need to be filled initially, and provides a hiring schedule (in six-month increments) to bring the staff to its full complement. The initial staffing needed to implement the plan consists of a NEMA director and deputy director; chiefs of operations, planning, and logistics; and a GIS mapper. The proposal also includes plans for an NCMC command facility, as well as an emergency response center to be located in Abu Dhabi. Final design of these facilities will be provided after sites have been identified. Although the Ministry of Interior will be involved in the NCMC, the new center will fall under National Security Advisor Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Sheikh Saif's brother. ¶4. (C) Comment: Sheikh Saif's comments indicate that senior UAE leadership continues to equate crisis/emergency management with counter-terrorism response. This may partially explain the very slow pace in developing a comprehensive national crisis management plan. The UAEG agencies involved in counter-terrorism planning (police, military, and state security) each have their own crisis management centers and already feel equipped to deal with localized events (such as a single terrorist action). Inter-agency responsibility for planning for other types of crises -- avian flu or an earthquake -- is less clear cut. However, as each agency pursues its own plan individually -- along with its own infrastructure, communications systems, etc.-- it is becoming increasingly unlikely that they will be able to provide a coordinated response unless a national plan -- such as that proposed by Raytheon -- is implemented fairly quickly. End Comment. SISON