VZCZCXRO9468
RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHDE #4123/01 1861520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051520Z JUL 06
FM AMCONSUL DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1932
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0121
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0152
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 4906

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBAI 004123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/NESA - BILL HURST, DS/DSS/OSAC, DS/DSS/ITA, 
NEA/ARP, NEA/I 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC ASEC SNAR AE IZ ETRD
SUBJECT: KELLOGG, BROWN AND ROOT ACCUSES DUBAI POLICE OF RACIAL 
PROFILING 
 
1.(SBU) Summary.  Post met with KBR regional senior management 
for a follow-up discussion on the increase in arrests of KBR 
employees transiting Dubai International Airport.  During the 
meeting, KBR Iraq-based representatives accused Dubai Airport 
Police of "racial profiling" and harassing African-American KBR 
employees.  In June 2006, eight KBR employees, all 
African-American, were arrested while transiting Dubai Airport. 
Seven of the eight arrestees subsequently were charged with 
possession of illegal narcotics, and one was released.  Dubai 
authorities informally told their consulate contacts of their 
fatigue in dealing with drug, public drunkenness, and disorderly 
conduct cases involving KBR employees, prompting the first 
meeting (reftel).  Post immediately passed this information to 
KBR offices in Dubai who agreed to increase discipline policies. 
 Subsequent to the second meeting, Post met again with Dubai 
Police to pass on recent steps taken by KBR to increase employee 
discipline and to convey their concerns about profiling.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.(SBU) On Sunday, June 25, Consulate General Dubai met with 
Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) regional representatives at their 
request to follow-up on arrests of KBR contractors in Dubai and 
to discuss KBR concerns of profiling at Dubai International 
Airport.  In attendance were KBR LOGCAP III Iraq representatives 
Remo Butler, Deputy Program Manager, and Daniel Maguire, Theater 
Security Director.  Attending from KBR's Dubai Operations Center 
were Kelly Beaver, Project Manager, Art Lange, Deputy Project 
Manager, Eugene Hart, Security Manager, and Kay Williams, Deputy 
Project Manager.  Consulate staff present included the American 
Citizens Services Chief, Acting Regional Security Officer, and 
post's Naval Criminal Investigative Services and Drug 
Enforcement Agency (DEA) officers.  KBR Dubai gave ConGen a copy 
of their new "Zero Tolerance" policy for employees transiting 
Dubai.  The new policy document was dated June 9, 2006, four 
days after an initial meeting on KBR arrests requested by the 
Consulate with KBR Dubai.  KBR indicated that the policy was a 
response to the warning received by Consulate officers that 
Dubai Police were cracking down on KBR employees in Dubai.  Key 
parts of the new policy included a 100% sobriety rule to board 
KBR charter flights, immediate termination of employment for 
solicitation or possession of illegal substances, possible 
termination for unexplained complaints from Dubai Police or the 
U.S. Consulate General about an employee's behavior, and a new 
dress code while in transit. 
 
KBR Believes Dubai Police Targeting African-Americans 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
3.(SBU) At the meeting, KBR's Iraq representatives complained 
about perceived profiling and harassment by Dubai Airport Police 
of African-American KBR employees and demanded action by the 
Consulate to rectify the situation.  Incidences of harassment 
reported to Butler's office included strip-searches, baggage 
searches, and aggressive questioning.  In an earlier email to 
the Consular Chief, Butler expressed his belief that the 
Consulate was not doing enough to gain from Dubai Police 
"assurances that KBR employees are no longer going to be singled 
out, especially because of skin color."  In an email sent after 
the meeting to KBR and cc'd to Consulate staff, Butler stated, 
"My recommendation is that we raise this into the political 
environment and get the Halliburton congressional liaison 
involved quickly and start querying the State Department as to 
what action is being taken." 
 
4.(U) Currently seven KBR employees are in Dubai police custody 
for drug charges, including marijuana and/or cocaine possession. 
 Only one so far has gone to trial and received four years in 
prison.  We anticipate sentencing to be similar for the 
remaining detainees.  An eighth KBR employee was detained last 
week at Dubai Airport for possible drug possession, but the 
charges were later dropped after laboratory tests proved he was 
only carrying Benadryl capsules.  Consular followed this case 
closely, including confirming the drug testing procedure step by 
step, and fought to secure the detainee's release as soon as 
possible after test results were conclusive.  KBR Dubai's 
Security Manager emailed the Consular Section to thank us for 
our assistance in quickly securing their falsely-accused 
employee's release. 
 
5.(SBU) As reported reftel, approximately 500 KBR contractors 
transit Dubai each day.  The new "Zero Tolerance" policy is a 
welcome addition to KBR's employee management plan.  Post will 
continue to work KBR arrests and detentions as primarily an ACS 
issue and hopes the company's new policy will decrease KBR 
related cases. 
 
DUBAI 00004123  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Follow-Up 
--------- 
 
6.(SBU) Due to the involvement of drugs in a number cases 
involving "American military types," all of whom turned out to 
be KBR contractors, Brigadier General Khamis Al Muzeina, General 
Director of Dubai's Criminal Investigation Department (CID), had 
originally contacted post's DEA agent in late May to express his 
concern.  DEA and NCIS agents met again with the Brigadier on 
June 27 on behalf of the Consulate to follow-up on their 
original meeting.  During the follow-up, they conveyed KBR's 
profiling concerns and informed CID of steps KBR has taken to 
improve employee discipline, including sharing a copy of the new 
"Zero Tolerance" policy.  Muzeina stated that all travelers to 
Dubai with illegal narcotics, regardless of nationality, would 
be arrested and processed under UAE law, while assuring ConGen 
representatives that CID would keep the Consulate appraised of 
all US citizens arrested for drug charges in the UAE. 
 
7.(SBU) Comment:  Worth noting is the fact that more than 80,000 
U.S. servicemen transit or visit Dubai on liberty each year. 
Post is unaware of any reports of racial profiling or harassment 
of servicemen transiting Dubai, and there have been few 
instances of arrests.  Post's NCIS attributes this record to 
strong discipline and punishments for offending servicemen by 
the U.S. Military.  Separately, KBR's Government and 
Infrastructure division is pursuing a number of projects in 
Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  Mission's Foreign Commercial Service 
actively assists KBR by providing them support and advocacy with 
local government officials.  KBR currently acts as Palm Island 
project manager for Dubai Government-owned Nakheel development 
company and is bidding on the new multi-billion dollar Khalifa 
Port development project with Abu Dhabi Government.  In 
addition, FCS Abu Dhabi recently assisted KBR on conducting due 
diligence on potential partners, and provided project 
information on a number of new developments in Abu Dhabi.  Post 
believes that continued incidents involving KBR employees could 
cause serious damage to KBR's reputation in the UAE and limit 
our ability to advocate on KBR's behalf in country. 
BURNS