VZCZCXYZ0034
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDM #1398 0881022
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY PARA NUMBERS CORRECTED ADAEFDDA AMG5624)
P 291022Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7984

UNCLAS DAMASCUS 001398 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/ELA 
NSC - EABRAMS/MSINGH 
TREASURY FOR GLASER/LEBENSON 
EB/ESC/TFS FOR SALOOM 
C O R R E C T E D   C O P Y - PARA NUMBERS CORRECTED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ETRD ETTC SY
SUBJECT: EXPORT LICENSE APPROVAL FOR ICARDA IS IN USG INTEREST 
 
 
NOT FOR INTERNET OR WEBGRAM DISTRIBUTION 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: The International Center for Agricultural 
Research of Dry Areas (ICARDA), a not-for profit-organization 
headquartered outside Aleppo, has been unsuccessful in its most 
recent attempts to obtain a U.S. export license.  Under the 
provisions of the Syria Accountability Act, a waiver for an 
export license for ICARDA could be approved if the commodity were 
interpreted to be "in support of activities, diplomatic or 
otherwise, of the USG."  Post believes that substantial, long- 
standing USG financial support for ICARDA - via World Bank, 
USAID, and USDA funding - provides a firm basis for the waiver 
needed for the U.S. export licenses and urges positive 
consideration of the request.  End Summary. 
¶2. (U) Established in 1977, ICARDA is one of 15 centers located 
throughout the world and supported by the Consultative Group on 
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).  ICARDA is a not-for- 
profit, non-governmental center that conducts agricultural 
research and training aimed at alleviating poverty in developing 
countries.  The USG has played a critical role in establishing 
ICARDA, by initially providing funding for ICARDA's precursor. 
Since ICARDA's establishment, the USG has contributed over $103 
million USD of direct funding through USAID and USDA, as well as 
substantial indirect funding through the World Bank.  Moreover, 
ICARDA's location in Syria is solely due to the country's climate 
and topography, which are conducive to ICARDA's technical needs 
and research into dryland agriculture.  It is not/not an agency 
of the Syrian government. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Under the provisions of the SAA, there are several 
specific categories of items for which license applications can 
be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, one of which is for items 
"in support of activities, diplomatic or otherwise, of the USG." 
Since the SAA was implemented, ICARDA has been approved for two 
export licenses, one of which was argued to be "in support of USG 
activities" by USDOC/BIS. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Post believes that ICARDA's mission to optimize 
sustainable agricultural production and contribute to the 
alleviation of poverty in dry areas not only supports USG 
policies and initiatives, but addresses a vital element - 
"creating global prosperity" - of the President's National 
Security Strategy.  ICARDA has carried out its mission in several 
politically-charged locations central to U.S. national interests. 
For example, it has partnered with USAID to rebuild agricultural 
infrastructure and market supply chains in Afghanistan, provided 
"below the radar assistance" in the reconstruction of Iraq 
through the USAID Higher Education for Agricultural Development 
Program, and implemented a number of USDA projects under PL-480 
(Food for Peace Program) to enhance food security and decrease 
environmental degradation. 
 
¶5. (SBU) ICARDA's most recent export license request, for ArcInfo 
GIS software, was returned without action.  In response, ICARDA 
has pointed to projects in which an approved export license for 
 
such software could be beneficial to USG interests.  For example, 
it cites GIS land suitability studies in Iraq, a project called 
for by the Iraqi government, that will help support crop 
diversification, as well as a study requested by the World Food 
Program will identify food insecurity and vulnerability in the 
country. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Comment:  To our knowledge, no formal interpretation of 
"in support of USG activities, diplomatic or otherwise" exists, 
although it seems to us that under any reasonable definition, 
ICARDA's research would qualify.  Since its establishment, ICARDA 
has enjoyed substantial levels of USG support, through World 
Bank, USAID, and USDA funding.  We cannot imagine such funding 
over a prolonged period of time to an organization whose goals 
failed to converge with our own.  Indeed, ICARDA's track record 
in nations central to the U.S. global war on terrorism such as 
Afghanistan and Iraq strongly support the contention that its 
research fully supports diplomatic and other activities of the 
USG.  To penalize such an organization because of a geographic 
accident, i.e., its location in northern Syria chosen because 
soil and climate conditions are conducive to its important work, 
causes no discomfort to the Syrian regime, and invites criticism 
of our sanctions policy as indiscriminate.  Post therefore 
requests the Department's assistance in providing ICARDA an 
export license exemption for items "in support of USG 
activities" that will set a precedent on which to base future 
license decisions, as well as support for more expeditious 
issuance of U.S. export licenses for ICARDA. 
 
SECHE