OMAN: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000865

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP AND S/CT (R.SHORE)
STATE PASS TO NCTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC MU
SUBJECT: OMAN: 2008 COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM

REF: A. STATE 124815

B. STATE 120019


1. The following is the proposed text for the 2008 Country
Report on Terrorism for Oman per ref A and B guidance:

Oman continued to be proactive in implementing
counterterrorism strategies and cooperating with neighboring
countries to prevent terrorists from entering or moving
freely throughout the Arabian Peninsula. The Omani
government opposed the spread of extremist ideology by
promoting religious moderation and tolerance. To better
coordinate efforts to prevent terrorist-related activities,
the government began formation of a national terrorism
operations and analysis center. Oman is not a major
financial center and did not have a significant money
laundering problem, although its financial system remained
vulnerable to criminal activity. The government established
a Financial Intelligence Unit attached to the Directorate of
Financial Crimes of the Royal Oman Police and continued work
towards finalizing a draft anti-terrorist financing law. A
Ministerial Decree released in September 2008 strengthened
the Oman Program for Anti-Money Laundering (OPFAM) by
requiring certain non-banking establishments and companies to
verify the identity of their clients and document financial
transactions.

Oman's long coastline and relatively porous borders remained
vulnerable to illegal transit by migrant workers, smugglers,
human trafficking victims, terrorists, and individuals
involved in the traffic and sale of illegal drugs. The
government was concerned about the steady flow of illegal
immigrants throughout the year attempting to enter Oman,
often in transit to other destinations in the Arabian
Peninsula, particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The
majority of the illegal immigrants apprehended were from
Pakistan and Afghanistan. Somalis continued to illegally
attempt to cross the border into Oman from Yemen. The Omani
government actively sought training and equipment through the
U.S. and British military to support its efforts to control
its land and maritime borders. United States military
assistance was used to bolster coastal patrol operations and
make Oman's remote inland borders with Yemen, Saudi Arabia,
and the UAE less porous and easier to observe.


2. EMBASSY Muscat POC for this report is Pol-Econ Chief Eric

J. Carlson; carlsone2@state.gov.
GRAPPO