US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT4218

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EWWT, KU, MOPS, MAS 
SUBJECT: HIGHLIGHTS OF MARITIME LIAISON OFFICE (MARLO) 
CONFERENCE IN DUBAI, DECEMBER 1, 2004. 
 
1.  (U) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: Representatives of major 
commercial shipping companies,  regional customs and port 
authorities, and various US government personnel joined the 
US Navy Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) for its semiannual 
regional conference in Dubai on November 30 - December 1, 
2004.  Three main topics were presented during the 
conference:  Iraq's Umm Qasr Port and Maritime Situation; 
Private Industries Role in Maritime Security; and an update 
on Implementation of the International Port Security Program 
(IPSP).  Of the 100 attendees a significant portion of 
representatives were based in Dubai, UAE.  Kuwait was also 
well represented by Port Authority and Customs officials as 
well as private industry.  Much of the discussion during the 
presentations revolved around Iraq and the impact of opening 
the Umm Qasr port.  The proposed Boubyan Island Port project 
in Kuwait, which would compete with the Umm Qasr port in Iraq 
and the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, was also discussed at 
length.  (Boubyan Island Port project developments to be 
reported septel).  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. 
 
 
MARLO - A brief history 
----------------------- 
 
2.  (U) The mission of the US Navy Maritime Liaison Office 
(MARLO) is to facilitate the exchange of information between 
the United States Navy and the commercial shipping community. 
 MARLO, part of the US Naval Forces Central Command, was 
established to provide the Navy with information on 
commercial maritime activities during the 1987 Tanker War 
when Iran and Iraq attacked commercial shipping.  With 
headquarters at the US Naval base in Manama, Bahrain, MARLO 
personnel liaise with the countries of the Arabian Gulf, East 
Africa and with Pakistan.  They meet with port and shipping 
company officials, shipping agents, offshore construction 
company officials, oil industry personnel and national coast 
guards to disseminate information on the security posture of 
the Arabian Gulf.  MARLO also hosts a semiannual conference 
to bring together interested shipping concerns to discuss 
regional security and to invite guest speakers to present 
topical briefings. 
 
 
Umm Qasr, Iraq 
-------------- 
 
3.  (U) Vice Admiral David C. Nichols opened the conference 
with a briefing on the impact Iraq is having on the security 
situation in the Arabian Gulf.  Nichols discussed attacks on 
several oil platforms near Iraq and explained that all 
vessels, inbound or outbound, from Iraq are subject to 
queries and boarding.  Although Coalition forces currently 
patrol Iraq's waters, a new Iraqi Coastal Defense Force is 
expected to begin taking over the defense of the oil 
platforms after December 31, 2004.  These forces will be 
based at Umm Qasr port and have 5 patrol boats available for 
their use initially.  The Coalition will continue to patrol 
the open waters around Iraq and work in conjunction with the 
new Iraqi forces to protect the oil platforms and conduct 
vessel queries and boardings. 
 
4.  (U) Chairman and CEO of Kuwait Gulf Links Port Management 
(KGLPM) Mohamad Kadhem Al-Mazeedi also spoke about Umm Qasr 
and the future of shipping in Iraq.  Al-Mazeedi began his 
presentation by noting that an unexpected delay in his firm's 
naming as the primary contractor precluded any detailed 
discussion of his management plans for Umm Qasr port. 
Nevertheless, he said that he is "very confident" that KGLPM 
would win the Umm Qasr contract.  The bulk of Al-Mazeedi's 
presentation therefore focused on KGLPM's corporate history 
and other projects.  However, he did say that Umm Qasr is 
expected to become a sizable port with 10 berths handling up 
to 1 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit, which is equal 
to a 20-foot dry-cargo shipping container) per year. 
 
 
There be pirates in these here waters 
------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) According to Mr. David Fairnie of the Global Marine 
Security Systems Company, piracy is alive and well in the 
Arabian Gulf.  In fact, it's on the rise, he said.  With 
confirmed links to organized crime and new links to 
terrorists, piracy is considered one of the largest threats 
to the shipping industry worldwide, according to his industry 
sources.  Recent attacks in the Gulf region have been made by 
AK47-armed pirates in high powered speedboats. Piracy is not 
unique to the Gulf, unfortunately, and Fairnie noted that the 
South East Asian region, more than anywhere else in the 
world, suffers from this crime.  Of particular concern in the 
Gulf, however, are the growing links between pirates and 
terrorists.  Fairnie specifically discussed the attacks 
mentioned by Vice Admiral Nichols on the Iraqi oil platforms, 
stressing that these terrorist acts included the use of 
waterborne improvised explosion devices. 
 
6.  (U) Other security concerns that shippers face in the 
Arabian Gulf are similar to those faced by shipping concerns 
worldwide.  They include theft, narcotic smuggling, and 
stowaways.  According to Fairnie, $30-50 billion per year is 
lost to theft and is viewed by the shipping industry as the 
cost of doing business today. 
 
 
Implementation of the IPSP receives mixed reviews 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
7.  (U) The conference concluded with an update on the 
worldwide implementation of the International Port Security 
Program (IPSP).  This program, developed by the International 
Maritime Organization (IMO), requires participating ports to 
develop security programs using the International Port 
Security Initiatives (IPSI) code.  The goal of this program 
is to have uniform security standards worldwide.  According 
to International Port Security Liaison USCG Actives Europe 
presenter LCDR Brian Gilda, the implementation of the program 
has had mixed results.  Several reasons for this were given, 
including local culture, government involvement, and high 
shipping volume from specific ports.  An example was given of 
one country's implementation difficulties.  The unnamed 
country has 10 ports.  However, 70% of the country's exports 
go through one single port.  That port has a fully 
implemented IPSP.  Implementation has not started in the 
remaining 9 ports.  Although the percentage of implementation 
is low overall (only 10%), the country is satisfied that its 
most vulnerable port has been protected. By IPSP regulations, 
however, the country is not considered compliant because only 
10% of its ports have implemented programs.  Gilda also said 
that the quick rollout timeframe of program has played a 
significant part in the implementation results.  Overall, he 
said, he was satisfied with the number of ports that have 
implemented their programs during the past 6 months. 
 
 
 
LEBARON