TSA LAYS OUT A PATH TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DOHA 000197 SIPDIS AMMAN FOR TSAR BRYANT CHEVALIER ABU DHABI FOR FAA REP ROY BARNETT AND ICE FRANKFURT FOR TSA OFFICE STATE FOR EEB/JOHN BYERLY AND BRIAN SILER STATE FOR DS, DSS, DS/T/ATA, AND DS/IP E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2019 TAGS: EAIR ASEC QA SUBJECT: TSA LAYS OUT A PATH TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE FOR QATAR,S FLIGHTS TO THE U.S. REF: A. DOHA 32 ¶B. 2008 DOHA 820 ¶C. 2008 DOHA 868 Classified By: Amb. Joseph LeBaron for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- (C) KEY POINTS -------------- -- A senior TSA delegation told the leaders of Qatar's aviation sector March 18 that the U.S. and Qatar are at a crossroads on aviation security. -- If the TSA inspection team arriving next week finds security standards are being met, TSA committed itself to return four times within twelve months to ensure these standards are sustained. If they are sustained, TSA will recommend to the Secretary of Homeland Security removal of the Doha-specific Emergency Amendment requirement for 100 percent screening of hand-carry baggage via x-ray and physical search. -- If the team finds security standards are not being met, TSA will recommend to the Secretay of Homeland Security public notification of Doha International Airport as an airport that does not meet minimum security standards and/or the suspension of flights to the U.S. (The Secretary of State must also concur with implementation of any sanction). -------------- (C) COMMENT -------------- -- The MOI clearly understands the importance of next week's assessment, and it is on that ministry that the most egregious deficiencies fall most square. Adequate screening (proper alarm resolution, female search, staffing, and supervision) will be key to success. -- Senior Qatari officials continue to assert in formal meetings that they are meeting International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards. It is possible that lower-level officials are preventing information flow to the principals, though we have told these officials multiple times their screening does not meet ICAO standards (as judged by TSA),a message they have also reportedly heard from ICAO itself, though perhaps in more diplomatic language. -- The TSA visit comes at an important time, as direct Qatar Airways flights to Houston (the airline's third U.S. destination) start March 30. -- Embassy strongly supports the TSA idea of establishing a �0A;TSAR position in Doha. This would cement positive cooperation in aviation security as Qatar Airways expands its U.S. routes and global connections. End Key Points and Comment. ¶1. (U) Four TSA officials visited Doha March 15-19 to follow-up on a joint action plan to improve Qatar's aviation security as agreed to by Qatari representatives during their mid-February visit to Washington. The TSA officials included the TSA HQ Middle East area director Carlos De La Torre, TSA regional representative Bryant Chevalier, the TSA HQ representative for foreign air carrier liaison Craig Lynes, and manager of assessment teams based at the Frankfurt regional office Anthony Monreal. ¶2. (U) The March 18 meeting included Minister of State for Internal Affairs (de facto Minister of Interior) Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority Abdulaziz Al-Noaimi, and Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Baker. Also attending were MOI Director of Airport Security Brigadier Nasser Al-Malki and QCAA Advisor Ian Gilchrist. (Note: Paras 4-13 cover that meeting). ¶3. (U) A separate March 19 meeting with the TSA team was attended by Sheikh Abdullah, Al-Malki, his deputy Colonel DOHA 00000197 002.3 OF 003 Essa Al-Rumaihi, and two officials from the State Security unit assigned to the airport. (See paras 14-18 for a readout of that meeting). Regional Position in Doha a Sign of USG Commitment -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) TSA presented the message noted in "key points" above in the context of the USG's objective to see flights to the U.S. succeed. Ambassador noted that the intent on both sides is to see strong aviation security. He added he was encouraged by the idea of putting a new regional TSA hub position in Doha and this will help support cooperation as Qatar's civil aviation sector expands. Al-Baker affirmed that his airline wants to expand in the U.S. Al-Noaimi noted that the Prime Minister supports the idea of a regional TSA office in Doha and thinks we should move forward. Qatar Outlines Recent Improvements -------------- ¶5. (C) The Qatari side did not/not respond specifically to the two paths presented by TSA. Rather, they outlined the areas where they have made improvements and affirmed their commitment to meeting security standards and working cooperatively with TSA. (Note: The Qataris also noted that no signal was intended by Al-Malki's last minute absence from the February Washington consultations - he was merely required to return to Doha for another commitment.) ¶6. (C) Al-Noaimi said that as an ICAO signatory, Qatar's goal is to meet ICAO standards and Qatar had adopted some good measures to achieve them. He added that the Qatari side would cooperate fully with the TSA team next week and any faults or findings will be corrected immediately. ¶7. (C) Gilchrist reviewed the improvement measures taken recently: redesign of checkpoints, enhanced training procedures, addition of personnel to the checkpoints, and the start of QCAA audits of airport security. Gilchrist acknowledged the results of the audits were "mixed" but assured the TSA inspection team will see a big change next week. ¶8. (C) Al-Baker said Qatar has been striving to make all changes necessary to meet TSA's concerns. He cited recent removal of the premium terminal screening bus (and replacement with a fixed checkpoint). Al-Baker added that the airport had recently revised its staff screening procedures in accordance with a QCAA directive so that staff and passengers will be screened and held separately. Screening the Key Deficiency -------------- ¶9. (C) Al-Malki repeated well-worn assertions that past TSA inspectors had seemed happy with Qatar's security measures and judged that Qatar was meeting the standards. ¶10. (C) In response, De La Torre acknowledged TSA had seen advances in training, checkpoints, and other areas, but reminded the Qatari side that TSA had consistently found deficiencies in implementation of ICAO standards. The Emergency Amendment is in place to address those deficiencies and removal of extra requirements will only happen when TSA is satisfied that ICAO standards are being met at all checkpoints. ¶11. (C) Chevalier added that the action plan agreed to by Qatar covers these deficiencies in detail and Qatar should be clear that ICAO standards are not being met at any of the checkpoints (primary, transfer, and the departure gate for flights to the U.S.). Gilchrist affirmed that Qatar's efforts are now focused on raising the level of screening at all areas. TSA Recommends Qatar Airways Work With Other Carriers to Stop Passengers Arriving in Doha with Prohibited Items -------------- -------------- DOHA 00000197 003.3 OF 003 ¶12. (C) At the end of the meeting, TSA passed a letter to Al-Noaimi outlining the agency's response to the QCAA's repeated letters expressing distress about passengers who have arrived in Doha with firearms and other prohibited items in their hold baggage. (Note: Such incidents are confusing to the Qataris because such checked firearms do not violate U.S. laws or TSA procedures, though they are a violation of Qatari customs laws prohibiting importation of firearms into Qatar. TSA is under no obligation in the U.S. to stop transport of such items). ¶13. (C) The TSA letter outlines two recommendations: -- Development of an interline baggage agreement between Qatar Airways and other passenger carriers. The agreement would allow Qatar Airways to ascertain from other air carriers, before accepting interline checked baggage, whether the baggage contains a firearm that was declared at the originating airport. -- Development of a Customs notification process by Qatar Airways for its flights from the U.S. to Qatar, through which a kiosk or customer service representative will ask each passenger if he or she has a firearm to declare. MOI Asks for Instant Feedback, Current Assessment Only -------------- -------------- ¶14. (C) In a March 19 meeting for the TSA team at the airport, pre-arranged with Al-Malki, Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah surprised the group with his attendance, underscoring the senior Qatari interest in addressing TSA's concerns. De La Torre reiterated the points made a day earlier: that the USG wants to see flights succeed but next week's assessment visit is crucial. A favorable assessment will result in further teams returning to ensure sustainability, while an unfavorable assessment will result in public notice and/or suspension of flights. ¶15. (C) De La Torre also explained TSA's use of joint action plans with countries of concern. Al-Malki confirmed he had a copy of the plan and was working on those areas under MOI's purview. De La Torre underscored that the two most significant items for MOI, as found by past inspection teams as deficient are: -- ICAO SARP 4.2.6 covering screening of staff and their accessible property. -- ICAO SARP 4.4.1 and 4.4.2 covering screening of originating and transfer passengers and their cabin baggage. ¶16. (C) De La Torre underscored that TSA's concern is not just at the boarding gate for U.S. flights but at all the primary screening checkpoints in the airport, including those for originating and transfer passengers. ¶17. (C) Al-Malki acknowledged these points and asked that the TSA inspectors give "good feedback, instantly" if they find problems during their assessment. He continued that he wants the team to tell the MOI right away if they are observing problems and not just put the observations in a report later. He also requested that the team assess only a current snapshot of the airport security operations without prejudice to what has been observed in the past. ¶18. (C) De La Torre and Monreal affirmed that this would continue to be the team's modus operandi. Chevalier added that the team is planning to conduct a full ICAO assessment and the final product will be a snapshot of the airport's aviation security posture as it stands next week. ¶19. (U) The TSA team has cleared this message. LeBaron