UAEG SAYS ITWON'T TRANSFER UAV TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 00300 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR ISN/MTR AND NA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2017 TAGS: PARM MTCRE PREL ETTC IR AE SUBJECT: UAEG SAYS ITWON'T TRANSFER UAV TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN REF: A. STTE 18426 ¶B. ABU DHABI 0275 Classified By AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON FOR REASONS 1.4 B & D ¶1. (S/NF) On February 20, Econchief met with Mnistry of Interior Major Mohammed Al-Kitbie, Coodinator for the UAE's Counterproliferation Task frce, to discuss reftel demarche. Al-Kitbie askedrhetorically whether the USG really thought the AEG would transfer its sensitive military technoloy to Iran, given the security concerns that the AE had with that country. He added that Econchie could ask "any Emirati on the street, not even he people in the Ministry of Interior of Defense" whether they thought this was a likely scenario and that the universal answer would be no. He noed that the UAE shared our concerns about Iran an did not want to see the Iranians get WMD or senitive dual use goods. Al-Kitbie also stated tha the UAEG had signed a non-transfer and end-use ertificate and would not violate those terms. As matter of policy, he stated, the UAEG would not iolate any country's end-use agreement. In any ase, he said that he would ensure appropriate UAG officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ad the UAE military were also aware of the informtion. ¶2. (S/NF) Comment: Al-Kitbie's response cofirms our view that the UAEG is not likely to trnsfer its military technology to Iran, which it iews as its primary potential strategic threat. Although the UAE is a major transshipment point, the UAEG itself has been scrupulous about abiding by its end-use obligations. It has been the UAE's private sector -- rather than government-owned entities -- that has pose diversion risks. End Comment. ¶3. (C) Note: AlKitbie also works for BG Abdul Aziz Al-Sharify, he Director of Preventive Security for the Minisry of Interior, and the Vice Chair of the UAE's ne Commodity Control Committee, which will have ovesight responsibility for the UAE's export control procedures. BG Al-Sharafy deputized Al-Kitbie for the meeting. End Note. SISON