EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: STREIT MIDDLE EAST FZCO;

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000897 STATE FOR PM/DTCC FOR BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR USDOC FOR 532/BIS/OEA/TWILLIS/EHOLLAND/LHINES/RJERSEKI DHS FOR ICE/STRATEGIC SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP ETRD ETTC AE SUBJECT: EXTRANCHECK: PRE-LICENSE CHECK: STREIT MIDDLE EAST FZCO; STREIT GROUP FZE, DUBAI, UAE. REF: USDOC OEA Email dated 9/05/09 ¶1. Ref email requested that post conduct four pre-license checks to determine the disposition of numerous armored vehicles shipped by Streit USA Armoring, North Charleston, SC to its middle east subsidiary, Streit Middle East FZCO/Streit Group FZE located in the Jebal Ali Freezone, Dubai, UAE. These vehicles are controlled under ECCN 9A018. ¶2. On September 7, 2009, BIS Export Control Officer (ECO) Nasir Khan and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Henry Casillas met with the Ms. Natalya Kalashnikova, Logistics Manager and Mr. Dmitri Khazanski, Director of Sales and Marketing for Streit Middle East FZCO/Streit Group FZE at their Jebel Ali offices. All on-site observations were consistent with an armored vehicle sales and retrofitting company (www.armored-cars.com). ¶3. Initially, Kalashnikova was unable to understand the purpose behind ECO's visit and asked several times what the U.S. Embassy's "relationship is with these vehicles". ECO explained (multiple times) that these vehicles required U.S. export licenses and end use checks were conducted by the USG to determine the end user and destinations of controlled items. Kalashnikova said the Streit USA was responsible for the export license and that as Logistics Manager she was only aware of destinations to which vehicles would be shipped based on specific vehicle VIN numbers. She had little knowledge of the U.S. export control process or specific export license numbers for these transactions. (Note: Based on information on PLC form it appears that Streit USA Armoring ships vehicles to Streit Middle East under License D385766.) ¶4. Kalashnikova asked Dmitri Khazanski, Streit Middle East, Sales and Marketing Director to join the meeting since she knew little about the end users. Regarding the vehicle shipments in question Kalashnikova and Khazanski provided the following information: a. License D418478: 5 Toyota Land Cruisers - Khazanski stated that they did not receive Toyota Land Cruisers from the U.S. since they actually purchased and armored -retrofitted Land Cruisers in the UAE themselves. He explained that the only vehicles coming from the U.S. would be Chevrolet Suburbans. Khazanski advised that U.S. origin armor from Streit USA was being used in the locally retrofitted Land Cruisers. ECO stated that use of US origin armor technology may be the reason why it required a license. Khazanski stated that these particular vehicles are most likely for maintaining a stock for resale to the local market. Kalashnikova advised without vehicle VINs the status of these vehicles could not be provided. b. License D422471: 8 Chevrolet Suburbans - Khazanski stated that these are destined for the Office of the Secretary General of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan located in Baghdad, Iraq. He explained the original order was for 10 but was recently changed to 8 vehicles. Again, without the specific VINs she was unable to track status of these vehicles. c. License D422409: 2 Chevrolet Suburbans - (VINs 3GNGK26KX8G307221 AND 3GNGK26K58G307952). Kalashnikova advised that these vehicles were received in the UAE and have already been shipped to Capitol Oil and Gas Industries located in Lagos, Nigeria. d. License D422293: 1 Chevrolet Suburban - (VIN 1GNGK26K98G307470). Kalashnikova advised that this vehicle was also shipped to Nigeria but she was unable to provide an end user. (Note: An internet search for the end user listed on the PLC form for this shipment: IMUS Car Center, Aguinaldo Hwy, Imus Cavite revealed that that Imus is a City in the Cavite Province of the Philippines just south of Manila.) ¶5. ECO requested documentation relating to all four license transactions that would help determine the ultimate end users for these shipments. Kalashnikova advised that she would not be able to release any documents without the approval of the Streit Group Management and as such she requested ECO provided an official email detailing our request and upon approval she would provide all relevant documents. ECO has submitted a request to Kalashnikova and will forward all documents to OEE WAFO when obtained. GREENE