ABU DHABI CROWN PRINCE PRESSES SOCOM COMMANDER FOR

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 000304 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR PM.RSAT AND NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2017 TAGS: PREL PARM AF AE SUBJECT: ABU DHABI CROWN PRINCE PRESSES SOCOM COMMANDER FOR ASSISTANCE REF: A. ABU DHABI 97 ¶B. ABU DHABI 145 ¶C. ABU DHABI 187 Classified By: Ambassador Michele Sison, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (S) Summary. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan(MbZ) reviewed defense cooperation and training issues and ongoing operations in Afghanistan with U.S. SOCOM Commander General Bryan "Doug" Brown February 6 in Abu Dhabi. MbZ told Brown that the UAE is interested in acquiring Black Hawk helicopters and requested both technical and training assistance from the US. MbZ further inquired about SOCOM-sponsored training for UAE pilots and possible joint operations involving pilots from both countries. Brown offered SOCOM assistance to help the UAE develop a training program of its own, and eventually plan joint aviation operations. MbZ warned of the growing threat of Islamic radicals in Afghanistan, the susceptibility of some UAE young men to their appeal, and the need to get Pakistan more involved in confronting radicalism and jihadis. Brown agreed and urged the UAE to join the US in helping Pakistan build the capacity to fight the threat in the region. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Also present were Ambassador, U.S Naval Special Warfare Commander Rear Admiral Joseph Maguire, SOCOM Commander PolAd Amb. Joseph LeBaron, International Advisor to the Crown Prince's Court Yousef Al-Otaiba, and MbZ's personal pilot, retired US special operations aviator Gary Fuller. Defense Cooperation -------------- ¶3. (C) MbZ told Brown that the UAE is working to acquire its own fleet of Sikorsky UH-60 "Black Hawk" helicopters to replace its French-built Pumas. Fuller detailed the UAE desire for an adaptable platform that could be used for everything from transportation to chasing down Iranian smuggling vessels and general border security. He stated that the UAE is currently working with private US military contractor Blackwater to acquire the Black Hawks, but that they are running into several problems -- including some with the manufacturer Sikorsky -- and requested technical assistance from the US. Brown responded by offering to look into the matter in order to see what kind of assistance the USG might provide. ¶4. (S) MbZ inquired if the USG could provide training for UAE military pilots and flight technicians, specifically asking if UAE helicopter pilots could participate in SOCOM training. Brown offered to allow the UAE to send a group of their best pilots to survey the SOCOM training course in order to develop one of their own. MbZ followed on, asking whether SOCOM pilots could come to the UAE and fly with UAE pilots here. Brown noted that although he is willing to consider that, troop levels are tight right now and he will have to reconsider once his pilot capacity had increased. (Comment: The fact that MbZ couched his request in a precisely reasonable time frame of three years -- neither too short to be possible, nor too far off not to be considered serious -- indicates that he is getting and following advice from experienced advisors. This indicates an understanding of US as well as UAE military operations, capabilities, and limitations. End Comment.) MbZ expressed a desire to work more closely with SOCOM adding that he hoped to conduct joint aviation operations in Afghanistan (USG pilots in UAE helos and vice versa) sometime in the future. Afghanistan/Pakistan -------------- ¶5. (S) MbZ said that his forces in Afghanistan are gaining experience that is "incredibly important" to the UAE and expressed a wish that they could do even more. Asking Brown for "just one favor", MbZ asked that his forces be kept busy in the field: "The jihadists are working together -- we should as well." MbZ told Brown that the UAE has already "lost" some of its own young men in the UAE to Islamists saying that they were recruited for jihad in Afghanistan "without their even knowing what was happening." This recruitment is a "greater threat than most people think," MbZ said. There are "smart, intelligent, and well-spoken mullahs and Imams who are successfully recruiting everywhere." Warning of the growing threat, MbZ said that Guantanamo is ABU DHABI 00000304 002 OF 002 the USG's biggest mistake in the war on terror: "Eventually most of them (the prisoners) will go home -- each one a newly-created little bin Laden -- and each one will instantly have his own followers." ¶6. (S) Addressing ongoing efforts in Afghanistan, MbZ cautioned the US to remember that whatever plans are adopted, and whatever investments are made, they need to be in place for at least 10-20 years before significant and lasting progress can be assured. He also said that the focus of non-military actions needs to be "the Imam in the mosque, and the teacher in the madrassa," adding that "someone like Karzai is perfect for this" because a secular leader can see and understand things that religious leaders and "anyone with a ribbon on his head" simply cannot. Responding to MbZ's statement that Pakistan needs to play a larger role in the Afghan peace process, Brown said that there is a disconnect between intent and capabilities in Pakistan, and urged the UAE to join the US in helping Pakistan become more capable in dealing with Islamic radicalism. MbZ offered that the insurgents have been preparing all winter and will be ready to mount a renewed attack this spring. ¶7. (U) PolAd, SOCOM Commander, Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron has approved this message. SISON