SANG CONTINUES TO PROTECT OIL FACILITIES;

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIYADH 000366

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR DAS GGRAY
DEPT OF ENERGY PASS TO A/S KKOLEVAR, A/S KHARBERT, AND
MWILLIAMSON
S/CT FOR GFEIERSTEIN AND BAVERILL
DS/ATA FOR KMALOY
DS/IP/NEA
TREASURY PASS TO A/S CLOWERY
DHS PASS TO TWARRICK AND DGRANT
CIA PASS TO TCOYNE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2018
TAGS: ASEC ENRG EPET KCIP PTER SA
SUBJECT: SANG CONTINUES TO PROTECT OIL FACILITIES;
TRANSITION TO MOI UNCLEAR

REF: 07 RIYADH 2467

Classified By: Consul General John Kincannon for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).


1. (C) On February 25, 2008, the Consul General, Political
Counselor, RSO, and PolOff met with Prince Mishari bin Saud
bin Abdul Aziz, commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard
(SANG) for the Eastern Province (EP),to discuss, inter alia,
SANG efforts to protect critical energy infrastructure in the
EP. When asked about a February 3 article in the Saudi
Gazette newspaper that claimed 5,000 National Guard soldiers
are currently protecting oil facilities and foreign
consulates in the Eastern Province, Prince Mishari said that
this number is not accurate. The SANG Commander explained
that the Saudi Gazette reporter had stated there are 7,000
Ministry of Interior (MOI) Facilities Protection
Administration (FPA) recruits already trained. The reporter
then asked the Prince how many SANG soldiers work in security
protection, to which Mishari replied 5,000. The Prince
admitted this was not a researched number and has little
meaning. (NOTE: Previous Post reporting indicates that as of
the end of 2007, the MOI Facilities Security Force, or FSF,
had recruited 10,000 members (Reftel A). It is unclear
whether the newspaper's report of 7,000 trained is accurate.
END NOTE).


2. (C) Prince Mishari confirmed that all interagency energy
security functions in the EP are coordinated at the Command
and Operations Room at the Emirate, a 24-hour command center
staffed by members of the MOI, SANG, and Ministry of Defense
and Aviation (MODA),and under the direction of Prince
Mohammad bin Fahd, Governor of the EP.


3. (C) Prince Mishari added that the current role of the SANG
is not in the organization's best interest, as he would
prefer to have his men training rather than stationed in
front of residential compounds checking identification cards.
According to Major Kenric Bourne of the Office of the
Program Manager-Saudi Arabian National Guard Modernization
Program (OPM-SANG),at any given time, approximately 75
percent of the SANG's manpower in the EP is being used for
facility protection at residential compounds, energy
installations and the U.S. Consulate. The other 25 percent
is occupied by administrative processes and other activities
such as weapons re-qualification and leave, leaving little
time for military training. While the Prince was clear that
the SANG is will stand down on protection of oil facilities,
he said that the SANG will continue to protect the Consulate
General compound in Dhahran.


4. (C) COMMENT: Though Prince Mishari confirmed that the SANG
would take a secondary role in energy facility protection as
soon as the FSF is functioning, he seemed to have little idea
as to what progress had been made in such efforts. Just as
he had seemingly guessed the number of 5,000 SANG members
protecting energy installations, the leader of the EP SANG
appeared unfamiliar with any timeline for the transition from
the status quo to an MOI FSF-led energy security force. This
lack of knowledge seems consistent with previous SAG efforts
on energy security matters, regularly hindered by the
stovepiping of information between government security
organizations. While MOI has the lead role in mounting up
and training a new FSF force, communication and coordination
difficulties with SANG forces currently carrying out these
duties continue. As a result, the SANG appears to be
uncertain when it will be asked to stand down from the role
of facilities protection. END COMMENT.

(APPROVED: KINCANNON)
FRAKER