US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI5435

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 005435 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NP FOR KCROUCH, DOC/BIS FOR RCUPITT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC, PARM, PREL, TC 
SUBJECT: EXBS LEGAL AND TECHNICAL FORUM GOES VERY WELL 
 
REF: A) ABU DHABI 5160, B) STATE 331636, C) STATE 289173 
 
1. This is an action request.  Please see para 5. 
 
2. A State-Commerce team visited Abu Dhabi from December 
14th to 16th to hold a Legal/Technical Forum with the UAEG 
under the auspices of the State Department's Export Control 
and Related Border Security Program.  The forum was well 
attended by representatives of the UAE's MFA, MoJ, Federal 
Customs Authority, Dubai and Abu Dhabi Customs, MoI, the 
Armed Forces, the Environmental Research and Wildlife 
Development Agency, UAE Military, and various police 
departments.  According to Yacoub Al-Hossani, the MFA's 
Director of Organizations and International Affairs (and 
former head of the MFA's Legal Affairs Department), he had 
hand picked the attendees. 
 
3. The program was very successful, with a lively and frank 
exchange of questions and information between the U.S. 
delegation and the UAE participants.  Unlike in some 
previous meetings, there were no questions about "why does 
the UAE need this?"  The participants understood that it 
was in the UAE's national security interest to control 
exports and transshipments of WMD and components.  The 
participants wanted to know how to draft an export control 
law and how to fit USG suggestions to the UAE's legal and 
regulatory environment.  They also wanted to be sure that 
the UAEG fulfilled its international treaty commitments. 
 
4. The U.S. side presented a draft template that the UAEG 
could use in drafting its own export control law.  Based on 
discussion in the forum and information that the UAE 
provided on its existing legal and regulatory framework, 
the delegation committed to providing a revised draft 
framework by the end of January. 
 
5. In sidebar conversations between Econchief, delegation 
head Kathy Crouch, and Yacoub Al-Hossani, Al-Hossani 
discussed his views about next steps.  He said that he 
planned to pick a small interagency group of UAEG officials 
that would deal with export control legal issues.  They 
would be able to develop the expertise needed on the issue 
and the UAEG wouldn't need to "reinvent the wheel" every 
time there was a conference or training session.  He also 
solicited the USG's help with drafting legislation. 
 
6. Comment and Action Request:  This was a very successful 
session, both from the point of view of the USG and the 
UAEG.  We should be able to use this and the equally 
successful WMD Awareness course (concurrently held in 
Dubai) to reenergize the export control road map.   Post 
plans to coordinate with the Department on shifting around 
training programs to respond to the UAEG's request for 
practical, focused training programs on legal issues and 
inspection/investigation techniques.   We also request that 
Washington provide a revised draft legal template as soon 
as possible that we can transmit to the UAEG.  End Comment 
and Action Request. 
 
7. The delegation included Kathy Crouch of State/NP and 
Christine Lee, Judith Currie, and Rick Phipps, representing 
Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security.  BIS Export 
Control Attache Mary O'Brien, representing the US embassy, 
participated as a presenter. 
 
8. Delegation Head NP/ECC Kathy Crouch cleared this cable. 
 
WAHBA