US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI3271

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 003271 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NP/CBM 
DUBAI FOR CG AND FCS 
USDOC FOR BIS/AS/EE and INTEL DIV DIR 
USDOC FOR 3131/CS/OIO/ANESA 
ROME FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:07/13/08 
TAGS: BEXP, ETRD, ETTC, TC 
SUBJECT: ALLEGATIONS THAT IRAN IS OBTAINING ITEMS FOR 
USE IN MISSILE PROGRAM 
 
 
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM KATHERINE VAN DE VATE FOR 
REASON 1.5(E). 
 
2. (S) Summary and action request: The local agent for 
Trimble Navigation has alleged that the Trimble 
offices in the Jebel Ali Free Port have provided GPS 
equipment to Iran and will provide digital levelers to 
Iran for use in leveling missile platforms.  (Note: 
Further details are being provided to DOC septel for 
investigative purposes.  End Note.)  We understand 
that the levelers are of German manufacture and may be 
sourced from Germany.  We would appreciate 
Department's guidance on how to proceed. Department 
may want to approach the German government for 
information on this sale and to attempt to stop the 
shipment if required.  If shipment is enroute and you 
wish us to try and stop it, post can work with Dubai 
customs to ask them to hold it at the Jebel Ali Free 
Port.  End summary and action request. 
 
3. (S) On July 12, 2003, Commoff met with Mohammed 
Hussein Belal, owner of Mohammed Belal Trading, Dubai, 
UAE.  Mr. Belal had previously sent a fax to the 
Commercial Office in the Consulate in Dubai alleging 
that the Jebel Ali office of Trimble Navigation, 
headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, was selling equipment, 
including GPS equipment to Iran.  He alleges that some 
of the equipment is destined for the Iranian missile 
program. 
 
4. (S) Belal explained that he is the agent for 
Trimble surveying equipment in the UAE.  He has a 
business acquaintance by the name of Mehdi Boroumand, 
who works (or worked) for Al-Danoob Electronics Co., 
Dubai, who  recently contacted him to supply Trimble 
equipment to Iran.  Belal informed Mehdi that he had 
been specifically instructed by Trimble that he could 
not sell Trimble products to Iran.  Mehdi told him 
that Al-Danoob had already purchased products from 
Trimble's office in Jebel Ali for re-export to Iran. 
Mehdi said Trimble was charging exorbitant prices and 
hoped to get better prices from Belal.  (Belal 
confirmed that the prices Trimble had charged in a 
previous sale to Al Danoob were indeed higher than his 
own.) Mehdi claimed that Trimble personnel in their 
Jebel Ali office, both British, knew that the end- 
destination of the equipment was Iran. 
 
5. (S) Mehdi provided Comoff with invoices and other 
information to demonstrate prior Trimble sales to 
Iran.  In addition, he provided, by e-mail, copies of 
a proforma invoice and letter of credit for the 
purchase of ten Trimble digital levelers (DiNi) model 
12 for re-export to the National Cartographic Center 
in Tehran.  In a separate email, Mehdi alleged that 
the digital levelers are for use by the Iranian 
military for the purpose of leveling missile 
platforms. 
 
6. (S) The DiNi 12 digital levelers and accessories 
are made in Germany and may be delivered from Trimble 
Gmbh rather than Trimble USA.  The order for these 
products is dated January 11, 2003.  The letter of 
credit is from the National Cartographic Center of 
Iran, Meraj Ave, Azadi Square, PO Box 13125-1364, 
Tehran, Iran, (Ph 6000031-7 Fax 60001395) and is for 
the benefit of Al Danoob Electronics Co. LLC, PO Box 
56331, Dubai.  The LC was opened on 4/24/03 in the 
amount of $139,705 and will expire 11/24/03. 
 
7. (S) Belal said he believes the commodities for Al 
Danoob would be delivered directly to Al Danoob, not 
to Trimble's offices in Jebel Ali. 
 
WAHBA