1. (S) On September 9 Poloff delivered ref A points regarding
the pending sale of A9910 data acquisition systems
manufactured by the Belgian firm Thales Alenia Space to the
Malaysian firm Evertop, known to be operating as a front for
an Iranian end-user. Poloff met with Walter Bauwens,
Director of the Non-Proliferation and Export Controls Office
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Bauwens said that export
licenses in Belgium are issued by officials of the country's
three regional governments (in Wallonia, Flanders and
Brussels). The MFA's role is advisory. Thales, he said, is
an extremely large Belgian firm with administrative offices
in several Belgian cities in different regions. The region
where the headquarters of the Thales subsidiary involved in
the Evertop transaction is located has authority over the
export license. Bauwens assured Poloff that the MFA would
transmit the information on the Thales/Evertop transaction to
the right office for appropriate action.



2. (S) After the meeting, Poloff spoke to Bauwens' staff
member, Filip de Clercq, who had received the original
demarche on this subject (refs B and C). De Clercq said that
he had originally sent the information to the Wallonia
regional government, but that he now believes Thales Alenia
Space is headquartered in Flanders and intends to follow up
with the Flanders regional government.



3. (S) Post will seek confirmation from ISN/MTR of the
location of the headquarters of Thales Alania Space. We will
then deliver the demarche to the appropriate regional
official to complement the approach to the MFA.
.