US embassy cable - 05PRAGUE659

S E C R E T PRAGUE 000659 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NP/CBM, EUR/PRA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2015 
TAGS: ETTC, PARM, PREL, MNUC, SY, EZ, MTCR 
SUBJECT: MTAG: SYRIA'S MISSILE PROGRAM SEEKING CNC 
MACHINING CENTERS (S) 
 
REF: SECSTATE 71707 
 
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Mark Canning for reasons 1.4 
(a) (b) and (c) 
 
1. (S) Czech officials responsible for non-proliferation 
issues told poloff May 4th that the machine which is the 
subject of reftel was never exported to Syria.  Poloff was 
shown a copy of the MTCR denial notification, MI-CZ-05-001, 
dated January 12, 2005.  The notification was sent to 
appropriate MTCR officials in Paris, and to the EU in 
Brussels. 
 
2. (S) Information from the MTCR notification reads, Vertical 
Machining Centre Model MCV 1000 Sprint 5 AX CNC, quantity 3 
NAR, valued at EURO 775,362, was denied based on the Catch 
All classification.  The consignee and end user is Handasieh 
General Organization for Engineering, Address: Abou Baker All 
Seddeq Street, Damsacus, Syria, Telefax 963-11-512 80 19. 
The reason for the denial is stated as, "Unacceptable risk of 
diversion to a missile program of concern." 
 
3. (S) The export license for this machine was submitted to 
the MFA on 06 Aug 2004.  That license was issued on 18 Aug 
2004.  However, after hearing from the Czech intel agency 
BIS, the MFA revoked the license on 23 Dec 2004, before any 
exports took place. 
CABANISS