US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI434

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ABU DHABI 000434 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR GPETERS AND JMYERS, TREASURY FOR ZARATE 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, ASEC, ETTC, TC 
SUBJECT: COUNTERTERRORISM ACTION GROUP - EMBASSY  ABU 
DHABI 
 
REF: State 14279 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador convened the Abu Dhabi G- 
8 Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) on February 
17.  Representatives of Great Britain, France, Italy, 
Germany, Japan, Russia, and Canada attended.  Spain 
and Switzerland also sent representatives.  CTAG 
members discussed their contribution to the UAE's 
counter-terrorism (CT) training and assistance.  There 
was consensus that Emirati cooperation has been 
strong, although the UAEG often lacks the staffing and 
know-how to manage complex issues, such as terrorism 
financing and money laundering.  Several countries 
have ongoing law enforcement training programs, 
including Germany's future training of Iraqi police. 
 
2. (SBU) There was a discussion about Dubai's role in 
the Abdul Qadeer Khan case during which the Ambassador 
emphasized that the revelations about Khan's network 
only strengthen the U.S. conviction that a regime of 
strong export controls should be a priority.  The 
group did not agree with a Russian proposal to give a 
seat on the local CTAG to a UAEG official.  The group 
briefly discussed the bomb attack in Doha that killed 
the former Chechen leader, and there was consensus 
that the UAE is not immune to terrorist attacks.  End 
summary. 
 
Attendees 
--------- 
 
3. (U) The Ambassador hosted a CTAG meeting at the new 
Embassy on February 17, 2004 per reftel.  Attendees 
were as follows: 
 
USA: Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, Econ Chief Oliver 
John, Pol Chief Joel Maybury 
France: Deputy Chief of Mission Philippe Franc, Police 
Attache Bernard Vingtdeux 
Germany: Deputy Chief of Mission Christian Buck 
UK: Deputy Chief of Mission Alistair McKenzie, 
Political Officer Jason Smith 
Japan: Minister-Counselor Isal Dekiba, Pol Chief Kenji 
Enoshita 
Italy: Political Chief Nicola Minasi 
Canada: Political Chief Isabelle Martin 
Russia: Deputy Chief of Mission Sergey Kuznetsov 
Spain: Deputy Chief of Mission Alberto de la Calle 
Switzerland: Deputy Chief of Mission John Ruhoff 
 
The Australian Embassy did not attend due to 
a schedule conflict. 
 
Country Presentations: 
---------------------- 
 
4. (SBU) USA: The Ambassador opened by noting the 
outstanding assistance and cooperation with the UAE in 
the Global War on Terrorism, and reviewed USG 
activities in the UAE since France hosted the last 
CTAG in November.  In December, the U.S. conducted two 
courses on export controls, an area the U.S. regards 
as a high priority, the Ambassador said.  The WMD 
Commodity Identification course focused on the 
practitioners (customs and police) from most of the 
emirates, while the Legal Technical Forum was targeted 
at the Foreign Ministry to assist its legal experts 
with drafting UAE export controls law.  The USG has 
provided the UAEG with a legislative template for use 
to draft the export controls law.  In February, the 
Department of Justice/Office of Prosecutorial 
Development and Training (OPDAT) provided training for 
the Central Bank, prosecutors, and judges, in Abu 
Dhabi and Dubai, on investigating and prosecuting 
money laundering and terrorism finance. 
 
5. (SBU) The FBI's Middle East Law Enforcement 
Training Center (MELETC) in Dubai remains active. 
MELETC is in the second year of its five-year program 
in cooperation with Dubai police and the UAE to 
provide training and technical assistance to GCC 
members.  The FBI will provide assessments to the 
Interior Ministry in the area of forensic lab and 
automated fingerprint identification in the spring. 
The FBI also continues to work with the Central Bank 
and law enforcement.  ATA programs have been offered 
in the past and will be offered in the future in areas 
of prevention and counter-terrorism investigation, 
including interviewing skills and crime-scene 
investigation. 
 
6. (SBU) France: In 2003, 26 French specialists were 
in the UAE to train 640 Emiratis, including 400 
members of the anti-riot units in Dubai, in advance of 
the IMF/World Bank summit.  A total of 385 training 
days were offered in 2003, mainly on collecting 
intelligence, intervention, airport security, money 
laundering, and crisis management.  In 2004, the 
French are planning for 14 programs in Abu Dhabi and 
Ras Al Khaimah emirates, and with the federal police. 
The French will work with the Abu Dhabi Intervention 
Unit on close protection and forged documents, and 
with the Ras Al Khaimah police on intervention.  A 
week-long training in March with the federal police 
will focus on crisis management. 
 
7. (SBU) Italy: The Italians offered a financial 
transactions seminar for the Central Bank in November 
2003.  Italy will conduct training on investigative 
techniques and offer the UAE police training in close 
protection, forged documents, financial fraud, and 
customs controls during 2004. 
 
8. (SBU) Germany: The Germans offered two courses in 
January on drug enforcement for criminal police, and 
one course in February on crime scene investigation. 
In January, German Interior Minister Otto Schily 
visited the UAE and the two governments signed formal 
agreements on security cooperation, including the 
exchange of airline passenger data, sky marshals on 
flights, and acceptance of documents with biometric 
data.  The Germans are not concerned about UAE 
travelers, but with those who transit through Dubai. 
In the next two months, the Germans hope to negotiate 
an agreement to secure better cooperation with the UAE 
Interior Ministry and the intelligence services.  The 
Germans also want to ease visa restrictions for UAE 
nationals.  German training of Iraqi criminal police 
in the UAE is set to begin in March with two batches 
of up to 130 Iraqi police officers at the Al Ain 
police academy.  That will be followed by a training 
needs assessment and forensics training.  Iraqi 
officers would also receive training on crime scene 
investigations, fingerprinting, and arson.  The 
training would help UAE capability because the 
Emiratis plan to have their own police attend the 
training. 
 
9. (U) Japan: Japanese counter-terrorism assistance is 
focused on East and South Asia. 
 
10. (U) Russia: There are no specific CT training 
programs or cooperation. 
 
11. (SBU) Canada: The Canadians have ongoing training 
in Dubai for GCC members on identification of 
fraudulent documents.  The Judicial Institute of 
British Columbia offers emergency response training. 
The Global Maritime Safety Colloquium, a U.S.-Canada 
sponsored program that includes maritime border 
controls, will be held in Canada rather than in the 
region because of problems associated with Israel's 
participation.  The Royal Canadian Mounted Police soon 
will have a presence in Dubai. 
 
12. (SBU) United Kingdom: The UK has provided ad hoc 
training and advice on money laundering, and is 
currently providing extensive customs training on drug 
trafficking.  A delegation will visit the UAE in March 
to discuss export controls, terrorism financing, and 
money laundering with ministers.  The UK has been 
trying to urge the Central Bank to play a stronger 
role in developing inter-agency cooperation within the 
UAE.  The UK discussed two-way staff exchanges between 
respective financial investigation units; MOU on anti- 
money laundering cooperation; a visit to the UK of the 
UAE National Anti-Money Laundering Committee to 
encourage the UAE to adopt the UK model for FIUs, thus 
encouraging multi-agency cooperation and developing an 
agreed program of work for the short- to medium-term; 
establishing greater links between the UAE (through 
Dubai Aid City) and the Charity Commission to review 
regulation of charities in the UAE; possibility of 
expanding cooperation to the GCC through Dubai Aid 
City Humanitarian Conference and Exhibition in April. 
 
13. (SBU) The UK also is working on secure border 
initiatives.  In collaboration with the British 
Embassy in Muscat, the UK is offering training for UAE 
and Omani coast guards aimed at identifying and 
stopping people and drug traffickers, and encouraging 
joint approaches to patrolling the Gulf.  A 
requirement for both sides would be the establishment 
of intelligence units to aid the exchange of 
intelligence within and between the two countries.  In 
addition, the UK discussed a regional aviation 
security workshop hosted in Dubai and organized by the 
Dubai-based Regional Aviation Security Liaison 
Officer, and targeting representatives from the 
region.  The aim would be to encourage greater 
cohesion between the countries of the region in their 
approach to aviation security.  The UK also will 
organize a visit by a high-level delegation in March 
to engage the UAE authories on proliferation, 
terrorism, crime, and money laundering issues.  In the 
one- to five-year time frame, the UK plans to explore 
training of the UAE military in security borders, 
possibly in conjunction with Saudi Arabia and Oman. 
The UK will continue with money laundering training. 
 
14. (U) Spain: Spain offered police training in Dubai 
in 2003 but has no CT cooperation planned for 2004. 
 
15. (U) Switzerland: The Swiss do not have any CT 
training in the UAE. 
 
16. (S) Australia:  The Australian Embassy had a 
schedule conflict, but requested in advance of the 
meeting that we convey to the group that it has 
formalized the Australian Federal Police present in 
Dubai.  The Australians expect to engage in CT 
activity in the future. 
 
17. (SBU) The Russian member raised the topic of 
expanding the local CTAG membership to the host 
government, but several countries did not think such a 
decision would benefit the group. 
18. (SBU) The French member asked the Ambassador if 
the revelations about Khan would have an effect on 
U.S. programs in the UAE.  The Ambassador said the 
revelations, as laid out in the recent POTUS 
nonproliferation speech, strengthens the U.S. 
conviction that export controls are a top priority and 
will certainly intensify our efforts with the UAE from 
legislation drafting to implementation. 
 
19. (SBU) Comment: A number of G-8 members are firmly 
engaged in counter-terrorism cooperation with the UAE. 
Most of the training appears to be focused on money 
laundering and terrorist financing, and on 
investigative and crime scene techniques for UAE 
police - and in the case of the German training 
program, on Iraqi criminal police.  There was genuine 
interest from the French and others in USG emphasis on 
export controls, so we would expect to see this type 
of training and assistance increase in the coming 
months.  Concerns remain about the capacity of the UAE 
to manage the complex CT portfolio at all the relevant 
ministries and Central Bank. 
WAHBA