UAE TELLS CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO RECALL SHIPMENT OF

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000755 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR T, ISN, NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2032 TAGS: PARM PREL ETTC MNUC IR CH AE SUBJECT: UAE TELLS CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO RECALL SHIPMENT OF PROLIFERATION CONCERN REF: A. ABU DHABI 743 ¶B. STATE 60894 ¶C. ABU DHABI 737 ¶D. ABU DHABI 734 ¶E. ABU DHABI 728 ¶F. STATE 58623 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b, c, & d). ¶1. (U) This is an urgent action request. Please see para 4. ¶2. (S) Econchief called MFA Director for International Organizations Yacoub Al-Hosani (a member of the UAE Counterproliferation Task Force) on May 9 to follow-up on the three containers that the UAE unloaded from the M/V Iran Tehran. Al-Hosani said that he had called in the Chinese Ambassador to the UAE, on May 8, to inform him about the shipment and to pass an MFA letter of instruction urging the Chinese to accept the return of the first container. He said that the shipment was an "unacceptable violation" of UNSCRs 1737 and 1747. Al-Hosani said that he told the Ambassador that the USG had already informed the Chinese authorities about the shipment, and that the UAE valued its cooperation with the GoC and did not want to "complain to the UN Security Council that a member was violating the Council's resolutions." Al-Hosani also said that the MFA would communicate with the UAE Embassy in Beijing today to have the Embassy follow-up. ¶3. (S) Econchief asked about the status of the second and third containers, noting that JAMCO had a history of facilitating transfers to UNSCR designated companies. Econchief also noted that the machine tools could make a contribution to Iran's missile program. Al-Hosani explained that the UAE's customs and security services investigation had determined that there was no indication that these containers were going to a designated entity. They had also determined that the items were not MTCR-controlled and appeared to be destined for civil, rather than proliferation, use. He added that the UAE intelligence services had investigated the company involved and had not uncovered "anything suspicious." Al-Hosani stressed that the UAE had no proof justifying holding the second and third containers and could not hold them much longer, absent any further compelling information that the containers were destined for a UNSCR controlled entity. ¶4. (S) Action Request: Please provide any additional information that post can share with the UAEG about the second and third containers indicating that they are violations of UNSCRs 1737 or 1747, and which would cause the UAEG to reopen its investigation. End Action Request. SISON