US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI721

S E C R E T DJIBOUTI 000721 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR AF DAS DON YAMAMOTO FROM AMBASSADOR 
CENTCOM PASS SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMANDER DOUG BROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, FR, DJ 
SUBJECT: REPORT OF CRASH IN DJIBOUTI OF U.S. UNMANNED 
AERIAL VEHICLE 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (S) Commanding General of French Forces in Djibouti, 
Gerard Pons, told me during my regular weekly meeting with 
him on May 19 that he had been informed three days earlier, 
through a private Djiboutian citizen, of the crash in 
Djibouti "last week" of a U.S. small unmanned aerial vehicle 
(UAV).  The crash occurred, according to Pons, close to the 
town of Damerdjog, located between Djibouti's international 
airport and the town of Loyada near the Somali border.  Pons 
expressed displeasure that the flight had occurred without 
his having been informed of it.  He said that while he does 
not ask the U.S. about the purpose of its UAVs, he does ask 
that the U.S. extend the courtesy of at least informing of an 
intent to conduct such an operation.  He stated that flying a 
UAV of this type, near an international airport used by the 
French military, without advance notice, could be especially 
dangerous for helicopters. I and USLO Chief, who accompanied 
me in the meeting, reassured General Pons that we were not 
aware of any U.S. UAVs being operated in Djibouti, but 
promised to look immediately into the matter. 
 
2. (S) USLO Chief conducted an initial investigation just 
after with Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) 
personnel at Camp Lemonier.  He was told that JSOTF had 
indeed operated a UAV, that it was carrying a camera device, 
and that it had crashed.  At this time it is still unknown 
where the crash occurred. The incident had taken place, JSOTF 
stated, about a week prior. (Note: Further inquiries with 
JSOTF revealed that the operation may actually have occurred 
in April.  We cannot at this point confirm.)  According to 
information provided by JSOTF, debris from the UAV was 
subsequently retrieved by private Djiboutian nationals from 
the village of Damerdjog, who then approached the Camp 
offering to return the debris. (Note: It is unclear how the 
nationals identified the UAV as originating from the Camp. 
End note) It is understood that JSOTF paid a sum of money to 
the Djiboutian nationals for the debris.  We also understand 
that JSOTF is doing (or has already done) its own internal 
investigation to determine who may have launched the UAV and 
other material information associated with this incident. We 
have a secondary report that the UAV flight was a test run 
that failed. 
 
3. (S) COMMENT:  I am deeply concerned that a UAV operation 
-- test or otherwise -- was launched in Djibouti without 
advance notice to me or appropriate members of my Country 
Team, to the Government of Djibouti, or to the Commanding 
General of French Forces, whose units operate in the vicinity 
of Djibouti's civilian airport and the border with Somalia. 
 I have requested a meeting with the JSOTF Commander at Camp 
Lemonier for further details and will also raise this with 
General Robeson, the CJTF-HOA Commander.  We are concerned, 
of course, about potential fallout from the Government of 
Djibouti, although it has not lodged a formal protest as of 
this date. That still may come as word gets out in this small 
community.  In addition, the lack of notice could very well 
have caused an incident involving aircraft operating in the 
region, for which the U.S. could very well have been held 
accountable. End Comment. 
RAGSDALE