CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORITY DISCUSSES

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000846 NOFORN STATE FOR NEA/ARP, ISN/NESS AND ISN/RA DHS FOR NPPD AND PLCY E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2019 TAGS: PTER PGOV ENRG MNUC PREL AE SUBJECT: CRITICAL NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AUTHORITY DISCUSSES COOPERATION WITH DHS REF: ABU DHABI 765 CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE DOUGLAS C. GREENE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (S/NF) During an August 7, 2009 meeting with visiting DHS Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Rand Beers, Chairman of the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA) Staff Brigadier Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan (AbT) discussed CNIA's interest in expanding cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security. Following up on his letters to Ambassador Olson (reftel),Undersecretary Beers and U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Commandant Admiral Thad Allen, AbT discussed CNIA requests to 1) assign two USCG Officers to CNIA, 2) establish a Joint Working Group with the USCG, 3) discuss establishing a USCG base in Abu Dhabi, 4) assign a Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) Officer to CNIA and 5) discuss establishing an Immigration and Customs pre-clearance program at Abu Dhabi International Airport. U/S Beers acknowledged receiving CNIA's request and told Sheikh Ahmed that the USG would seriously consider these requests. U/S Beers said he would discuss them with appropriate Washington agencies and the U.S. Mission in the UAE. ¶2. (S/NF) The delegation was provided an overview of CNIA, which was established in May of 2007 to take over the responsibility for securing the UAE's infrastructure. Using a phased in approach, CNIA's initial efforts have focused on Abu Dhabi's oil and gas infrastructure protection, including pipelines, desalinization plants and coast guard / search and rescue. CNIA is also responsible for Abu Dhabi's nuclear power plants site security; the first plant is scheduled for completion in 2017. CNIA is currently working on the risk management phase using the consulting firm Good Harbor and taking tours of plants in France and the United States. They are also currently working on the vulnerability and threat assessment stages of risk management of the sites, which currently do not have fence enclosures or guards posted. CNIA expects to have the fence enclosure completed by the end of the year. ¶3. (S/NF) CNIA also expects to take responsibility for securing all five major airports in Abu Dhabi by 2013. Sheikh Ahmed said he requested pre-clearance in Abu Dhabi as it would be easier for travelers denied entry to the United States to be denied entry without having to travel to the United States. AbT said the UAE was willing to fund this initiative. U/S Beers explained the reasoning behind the other pre-clearance locations particularly for Canada, which facilitated general aviation and helped secure the United States. He noted it was not for facilitation for commercial purposes. U/S Beers told Sheikh Ahmed that this request requires more study and that he would check into it in Washington, in part to identify how many UAE residents have been refused entry. U/S Beers told Sheikh Ahmed that he would share these results with him and also with UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba. Sheikh Ahmed stated he was apprehensive sometimes when travelling to the United States and mentioned a recent experience in Atlanta that took him 45 minutes to clear Immigration and Customs. U/S Beers told him that DHS would try to make sure his future travels would be facilitated better. ¶4. (SBU) Participants: The Charge, DHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counter Terrorism Policy Thomas Warrick, DHS/ICE Attache David Thompson and LCDR Jeff Miller USLO accompanied U/S Beers. ¶5. (SBU) U/S Beers has cleared this cable. OLSON