US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI1763

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001763 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, INL, DS/ATA AND S/CT 
FBI FOR FBIHQ/ITAU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/08 
TAGS: PTER,PREL,PARM,PGOV,PBTS,ETTC,EAIR,ELTN,TC 
SUBJECT: CT TRAINING STRATEGY FOR UAEG: STRATEGIC 
DIALOGUE FOLLOW-UP 
 
REF: A) STATE 16509       B) STATE 71265 
 
1.  (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba for 
Reasons 1.5 (B, D). 
 
2.  (C) As a "next steps" follow-up to the U.S.-UAE 
Strategic Dialogue (see ref A), we have met with UAEG 
officials and identified UAE law enforcement training 
needs in counter-terrorism cooperation.  Training 
needs include courses directly addressing counter- 
terrorism as well as basic law enforcement training to 
enhance the UAE's ability to combat terrorism and 
cooperate with us in the Global War On Terrorism 
(GWOT) and the fight against other transnational 
crimes.  We note that enhanced UAEG counter-terrorism 
capability continues to be a strong U.S. national 
security interest in that it serves and promotes the 
U.S.-led GWOT.  The UAEG has been a pro-active partner 
in GWOT.  Facilitating CT training for the UAE is a 
matter of utmost importance to the bilateral 
relationship.  We request the Department's early 
consideration of our proposed training strategy. 
 
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Training Needs 
-------------- 
 
3.  (C) USG CT training for the UAEG to-date has been 
well-received, and Post appreciates the offer of the 
Terrorism Investigations Training Course (ATA-4173) 
scheduled for 28 June - 23 July (see septel for Post's 
formal response to offer). 
 
4.  (C) Responding to the bilateral Strategic Dialogue 
"next steps" regarding counter-terrorism cooperation 
(ref A, pars. 13-14), the UAEG has prioritized 
continuing CT training needs for law enforcement and, 
concomitantly, we have identified CT training needs 
for various UAE agencies. 
 
5.  (C) Monitoring entry and egress at the UAE's many 
airports, seaports and land border stations continues 
to be the UAE's overriding law enforcement weakness. 
A number of UAEG federal ministries and emirate-level 
departments, including State Security, the Ministry of 
Interior and its immigration department, as well as 
emirate-level civil aviation, police and immigration 
departments, are all involved in this effort.  The UAE 
Armed Forces physically monitors the land borders, and 
the UAE's long coastline is patrolled by the UAE Navy 
and Coast Guard. 
 
6.  (C) To meet the UAEG's training needs in counter- 
terrorism and to enhance its ability to cooperate with 
us in matters of U.S. national security, we propose 
four ATA training courses, three of which are directly 
related to border security issues as well as Weapons 
of Mass Destruction Phase 2 (Note: The WMD Phase 1 was 
held January 2001. End note.). 
 
7.  (C) It is Post's opinion that the UAE law 
enforcement community lacks some fundamental law 
enforcement skills necessary for effective 
investigations in counter-terrorism.  To increase the 
efficacy of our previous and future CT training, it is 
imperative that we supplement the currently existing 
CT training with training in basic law enforcement. 
This basic-skills training would greatly enhance the 
UAE's ability to combat counter-terrorism and 
cooperate with us in the GWOT and the fight against 
other transnational crimes. 
 
-------------------------- 
Proposed Training Strategy 
-------------------------- 
 
8.  (C) We propose a 3-year training strategy to 
accomplish the objectives of protecting U.S. national 
security interests in fighting the GWOT and meeting 
UAEG CT and basic law enforcement needs so that they 
can ably help us achieve this end: 
 
2003 
---- 
 
ATA 
 
-- Terror Investigations (ATA-4173 -- Ref B) 
-- Airport Security 
 
FBI 
[Note: The following schedule has been coordinated 
with FBIHQ/International Training and Assistance Unit 
(ITAU), pending INL approval and funding, i.e., travel 
and per diem. End note.] 
 
-- Interview and Interrogation (within 3 months) 
-- Fingerprint Recovery and Analysis Program (within 6 
months) 
-- Organized Crime Undercover Ops (within 9 months) 
 
 
2004 
---- 
 
ATA 
 
-- Marine Law Enforcement (ATA-1672) 
-- Weapons of Mass Destruction Phase 2 (WMD Phase 1 
was conducted in January 2001) 
 
FBI 
(Note:  Order of the following courses for 2004-2005 
TBD in coordination with FBIHQ/ITAU. End note.) 
 
-- Forensics Lab Training 
-- Basic Street Crime Training 
-- Immigration/Border Security 
-- Street Crimes Investigation 
-- Victim's Assistance/Witness Protection 
 
 
2005 
---- 
 
ATA 
 
-- Explosives Incident Countermeasures (ATA-282) 
-- Rural Border Patrol Ops (ATA-1985) 
 
 
WAHBA