UAE INVESTIGATION OF SUPPLY OF MATERIALS TO IRAQI INSURGENTS

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000441 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2033 TAGS: ETTC PARM PREL IZ AE SUBJECT: UAE INVESTIGATION OF SUPPLY OF MATERIALS TO IRAQI INSURGENTS REF: A. STATE 30017 ¶B. 07 ABU DHABI 1803 (NOTAL) ¶C. 07 ABU DHABI 1726 (NOTAL) ¶D. 07 STATE 144977 Classified by: CDA Martin Quinn for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Econchief met with MFA International Organizations Director Yacub Al-Hosani on March 26 to request an update on the status of the investigation of Modern Plastics Industry (MPI) and the A&N group for possible involvement in the shipment of components to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) employed by Iraqi insurgents. Econchief passed photos of boxes of PVC pipes recovered in a raid on a house in Iraq in March 2008. Al-Hosani promised to follow up with the relevant offices in Dubai. ¶2. (S) On April 4, Al-Hosani provided Econchief with a status report on the UAEG's investigation. He said that MPI had denied selling its PVC pipes directly to Iraq. The company had 270 UAE-based customers but had no way of knowing whether its customers were exporting the pipes. The problem, Al-Hosani noted, was that the plastic pipes were not controlled as "dual-use" items needing a special export permit, but were purely civilian goods that "anyone could buy." This factor complicated the UAE's investigations immensely. Econchief stressed that the pipes were being used in IEDs in Iraq and that disrupting these shipments was critical. Al-Hosani expressed his willingness to follow up again with the organizations investigating the case. ¶3. (S) Comment and Action request: So far the UAE has not found the means by which MPI's PVC pipes wound up in an insurgent arms cache in Iraq. Post requests any additional information that can be provided to help the UAEG with its investigations, including any "lot numbers" or identification on the pipes themselves. Although Al-Hosani is willing to cooperate, it is not clear how successful the UAE will be without further information that it can use to determine how the pipes got to Iraq. End Comment and Action Request. Quinn