BLUE LANTERN: DISCUSSIONS WITH EMBASSY AND

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 058327 NOFORN SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION AND REMOVING SENSITIVE (CLASSIFICATION) ABU DHABI FOR OLIVER JOHN ECON DUBAI FOR DANUSIA HUBAH E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2023 TAGS: ETTC KOMC OTRA PARM PREL AE SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN: DISCUSSIONS WITH EMBASSY AND EMIRATI OFFICIALS FEBRUARY 24-27 REF: ABU DHABI 325 STATE 00058327 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: David C. Trimble for reasons 1.4(a),(b),and (d) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Compliance Specialist Judd Stitziel from the Department's Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance (PM/DTCC) met February 24-27 with country team and Emirati officials to discuss implementation of the Blue Lantern end-use monitoring program and other defense trade issues in the United Arab Emirates. Internal discussions focused on the UAE as a hub of gray arms activity. In Abu Dhabi, Stitziel briefed the Blue Lantern program to senior MOD General Headquarters logistics officers and attendees of the US-UAE Counterproliferation Task Force Meeting. In Dubai, internal USG discussions with the Iran Regional Presence Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and others focused on the region as a major transshipment hub and the Emiratis, balance between promoting commerce and preventing gray arms trafficking. The visit helped to inform and improve communication about Blue Lantern and gray arms trafficking while solidifying host government understanding of and support for the program. ¶2. (S/NF) The UAE has long been a major nexus of illicit diversions of U.S.-origin defense articles. Contributing factors include the UAE's nascent export control laws, limited enforcement capacity, proximity to Iran, heavy trade volume with Iran, and the limited controls and accountability of Dubai's free trade zone. While USG agencies are aware of many Iranian front companies and illicit shipments of US-origin defense articles to Iran via the UAE, much less is known about how these items reach the UAE in the first place. UAEG cooperation with Blue Lantern checks has been generally good, if often slow, and USG officials have been able to conduct Blue Lantern site visits to private UAE companies without incident. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) Administered by PM/DDTC's Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance (PM/DTCC),Blue Lantern is a global program designed to verify the end-use, end-users, and disposition of commercially exported defense articles, technology, and services. This visit to the UAE was part of PM/DTCC's ongoing efforts to improve the effectiveness of Blue Lantern through outreach visits with posts and host governments. UAE MOD LOGISTICS DEPARTMENT ON BOARD WITH BLUE LANTERN ¶4. (U) Stitziel met with the head of the Logistics Department at the UAE MOD's General Headquarters, Col. Saeed Al-Dakhamdi, and several of his colleagues to discuss the Blue Lantern program on February 24. Since Col. Dakhamdi had responded to several Blue Lantern inquiries in the past, he was able to help explain the rationale and benefits of the program to his colleagues who were present and recently joined the Logistics Department. Discussion focused on how to make end-use checks run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Col. Dakhamdi explained the MOD's procurement and accounting procedures, including the following: The Logistics Department's Director General is the only person who is authorized to sign end-user statements and U.S. Department of State Nontransfer and Use Certificates (Form DSP-83); and all contracts, end-use statements, and purchase orders must contain a detailed itemized list of contents. Col. Dakhamdi commented that purchase order numbers greatly assist the MOD in responding to Blue Lantern inquiries as quickly as possible. Stitziel responded that the USG always provides as much specific information as possible, but in some cases purchase order numbers are not available, perhaps precisely because the MOD never placed the order in question. The meeting closed with both sides agreeing on the value of continuing to strengthen bilateral cooperation and communication through the Blue Lantern program. INTERNAL BLUE LANTERN BRIEFINGS WITH EMBASSY PERSONNEL STATE 00058327 002.2 OF 003 ¶5. (SBU) Stitziel briefed the Blue Lantern program to members of the country team, including Nasir Khan, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS),Department of Commerce (DOC); Ransom Avilla, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Attache; Lt. Col. Jeffrey Hancock, USMC, Deputy Chief, United States Liaison Office; Erika Wanamaker, Political-Military Officer; and Oliver John, Economic Officer. The Economic Section is responsible for coordinating Blue Lantern checks in the UAE. The program in the UAE is one of the most important in the world, with post conducting a significant number of checks (86 initiated since 2003),of which almost 60 percent have been pre-license checks. ¶6. (SBU) Participants discussed specific past challenges of the program in the UAE, including heavy caseloads, limited personnel resources on both the US and Emirati sides, and sometimes lengthy delays in responding to Blue Lantern requests. Given the Economic Section's limited resources and time, Stitziel encouraged post to draw on the full range of country team resources, including ICE, DOD's Liaison Office, and Foreign Commercial Service (FCS),when conducting checks. Post already has demonstrated good cooperation between DOS and DOC in sharing information gathered through the Blue Lantern program and DOC's Extrancheck end-use monitoring program. Although generally responsive to requests to confirm orders and to verify the bona fides of suppliers listed on license applications, Emirati MOD officers sometimes do not respond in a timely manner. ¶7. (SBU) After being briefed on the Blue Lantern program, Col. Bret Rider, U.S. Defense and Air Attache, commented that he has conducted several Blue Lantern checks but generally does not receive information about ultimate results. Stitziel explained that PM/DTCC is working to improve the feedback loop by regularly informing post of the licensing decisions made as a result of Blue Lantern checks. COUNTERPROLIFERATION TASK FORCE MEETING ¶8. (SBU) Stitziel briefed the Blue Lantern program to the US-UAE Counterproliferation Task Force Meeting on February ¶25. As reported reftel, Acting ISN Assistant Secretary Patricia McNerney led the interagency US delegation, while Brigadier General Mohammad bin Dhaen al Qemzi, Director of Dubai's General Department of State Security (GDSS),led an interagency UAE delegation of more than a dozen members. The Emirati officials expressed appreciation for the briefing and pledged continued cooperation with the program. DUBAI INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL MEETINGS ¶9. (SBU) As a member of the interagency delegation led by AA/S McNerney, Stitziel met with Dubai Customs officials at Port Rashid, led by Mohammed Matar Al Marri, Executive Director of Seaports, and Abbas Abdullah Makki, Director of International Relations. Formal discussions focused on shipments seized at the USG's request, the export control law enacted by the UAE in 2007, and the Emiratis' expressed desire for clearer, more consistent, and more detailed information and requests from US officials concerning interdictions. Al Marri claimed that the vast majority of goods imported into and transshipped through the UAE are consumer products, not "bad items," and that people come to the UAE to make money, not to commit crimes. In contrast to the intrusive and sometimes offensive searches conducted by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents, Al Marri claimed that Dubai Customs checks for and finds the same types of items, but does so in a "nice way." During informal sidebar discussions, Stitziel briefed several Dubai Customs officials on the Blue Lantern program. ¶10. (SBU) During a debriefing at Consulate General Dubai, USG officials explained that Dubai Customs is still a regulatory rather than a law enforcement agency, and that UAE officials are sensitive to the large number of delegations from the US which give a variety of sometimes competing and confusing messages and requests. ¶11. (S/NF) Jillian Burns, Director of ConGen Dubai's Iran Regional Presence Office (IRPO),briefed Stitziel and other USG officials on IRPO's responsibilities, products, and activities. The UAEG recently has started to make life a little more difficult for the approximately 450,000 Iranians in the UAE, according to Burns. This has included restrictions on Iranians' ability to come and go and to obtain residence permits and citizenship. United Nations STATE 00058327 003.2 OF 003 sanctions also have raised the cost of doing business for Iranians, many of whom view the UAE as equivalent to Hong Kong and Iran as equivalent to mainland China. ¶12. (SBU) Stitziel briefed the Blue Lantern program and discussed various technology protection issues with Douglas Einsel, Resident Agent in Charge, U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). In addition to sharing his knowledge and experiences in Dubai, Einsel put Stitziel in contact with an FBI agent in the US who is currently working a case involving United States Munitions List (USML) articles. ¶13. (SBU) Political officer Danusia Hubah arranged a meeting with Commander David Bancroft, Naval Co-operation & Guidance for Shipping, Maritime Trade Operations (Dubai),United Kingdom Royal Navy, on February 27. In addition to discussing the Blue Lantern program and illicit arms trafficking around the Arabian Peninsula and Horn of Africa, Bancroft gave Stitziel the names of several companies for inclusion on PM/DTCC's Watchlist and put Stitziel in contact with Juliana Ruhfus of the U.N. Somalia Monitoring Group, who provided additional information concerning illicit activities in the region. ¶14. (C) In order to gain a first-hand impression of the workings of the import/export business in Dubai, Hubah gave Stitziel an informal tour of Dubai's "Creek," an inlet of the Persian Gulf whose banks are stacked high with all kinds of goods that are loaded on and off dhows which ferry to and from Iran. Given the heavy volume and chaotic nature of trade and the limited resources of Dubai Customs, one can imagine the relative ease with which USML articles can be illicitly shipped to Iran. ¶15. (U) PM/DDTC would like to express its gratitude to Embassy Abu Dhabi and ConGen Dubai, and especially economic officer Oliver John and political officer Danusia Hubah for their work in helping to arrange and execute this visit. RICE