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