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Brooke F Adams  09/14/2006 04:41:27 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Brooke F Adams

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S E C R E T        TRIPOLI 00498

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RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 1366

S E C R E T        TRIPOLI 00498

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CXCAIRO:
    ACTION: POL
    INFO:   CONS RSO AMB AID PA ORA OMC LEGAT IPS ECON DEA
            DCM DAO

DISSEMINATION: POL
CHARGE: PROG

VZCZCCRO880
PP RUEHEG
DE RUEHTRO #0498/01 2571301
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
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FM AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1206
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0418
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0440
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RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 1366	S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 05 TRIPOLI 000498 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE NEA/MAG FOR GAVITO, CRITTENBERGER, VCI/BIO HAYESLIP; CAIRO 
FOR DR. MARIE RICCIARDONE, NAMRUY  FOR DR. BRUCE BOYNTON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  9/14/2016 
TAGS: CW PARM PREL AF LY
SUBJECT: U.S./UK/LIBYA TSCC BIO SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, AUGUST 8-10, 
2006 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Ethan Goldrich, CDA, Embassy Tripoli, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1. (U)  Summary.  The TSCC Biological Subcommittee met in 
Tripoli August 8-10, 2006.  The two and one half day meeting 
included:  a general discussion of progress made to date in 
implementing the "Roadmap for the Way Forward in Cooperative 
Engagement in the Life Sciences;" an update of the Roadmap; 
presentations on, and discussion of, BWC national implementation 
and pathogen security legislation; a visit to a military 
facility in Tajura;  a visit to the Disease Surveillance Center 
based in Zliten City; a meeting with the Libyan delegation 
planning to visit London in September 2006; and a presentation 
by NAMRU-3 Director Dr. Bruce Boynton.  The Libyans provided, 
under instructions, a copy of the inventory of the GHL equipment 
that has been moved and stored at the BTRC.  U.S. and UK Reps 
expressed the hope that delays encountered to date in 
implementing the roadmap were of the past. The oft-postponed 
Disease Surveillance Workshop was tentatively scheduled for 
January 21, 2007 in conjuntion with a meeting of the 
SubCommittee, with venue and participation still to be 
determined.  U.S. and UK members found the meeting productive 
and their Libyan counterparts enthusiastic and cooperative.  End 
Summary. 
 
--------- 
August 8 / Opening of SubCommittee Meeting/Agreement on Agenda: 
--------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  After initial pleasantries, Dr. Mohamed M. Sharif, head 
of the Libyan National Committee on Bioetchics and Biosafety 
(LNCBB), provided, under instructions, a copy of the inventory 
of the GHL equipment that has been moved and stored at the BTRC, 
which had originally been requested during the January 2006 TSCC 
Bio Subcommittee meeting.  U.S. and UK teams welcomed receipt of 
the long-delayed list.  The U.S. side also expressed the hope 
that recent problems encountered, such as the Libyan's 
postponement of the London visit, were now behind us. UK 
expressed its satisfaction with arrangements for the meeting, 
and plans for the now-upcoming visit to London rescheduled for 
September 2006. 
 
--------- 
Review of Progress to Date: 
--------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  The SubCommittee reviewed progress in implementing the 
Roadmap and updated it (see para 12). Libya also reported on 
establishing institutional review boards (IRBs) at three 
Universities (Al Fatah, Garyounis, and Sabha), noting that they 
may wish to consult U.S. and UK experts on their implementation; 
U.S. and UK indicated their availability and interest. 
Collaborative progress to date has included the following: 
 
--Two workshops in October 2004 and January 2005 (bioethics and 
biosafety); 
 
--Submission by Libya of BWC CBMs in 2005 and again in 2006 
(comment:  although we understand Libya did provide CBMs to the 
UN for 2006 (the Libyans and UN contacts confirm this), we were 
unable to obtain a copy.  Libyan counterparts said they would 
provide to us via the Embassy); 
 
--Development and updating a draft roadmap for cooperative 
engagement in the life sciences; 
 
--NAMRU-3 initiated (and is expanding) engagement with Libya, 
together with the World Health Organization; 
 
--Participation by Libyan experts in two Conferences held in 
Cairo in February 2006 (one by FAO-ICARDA Conference on 
biotechnology and genetic engineering and one on HIV/AIDs); 
 
--Participation by Libyan experts in a biosecurity workshop in 
Amman, Jordan in April 2006, coupled with a trip to the Field 
Epidemiology Training Program in Amman; 
 
--An invitation from the American Biological Safety Association 
(ABSA) for six Libyan experts to participate in their annual 
meeting in Boston in October 2006 was forwarded to Dr. Sharif 
for the invitees in June 2006; 
 
--A renewed invitation by the UK for Libyan experts to visit 
London for a visit focusing on cooperation in the life sciences 
in September 2006. 
¶4.  (U) August 9:  Discussion of BWC National Implementation and 
Pathogen Security Legislation:   The U.S. initiated discussion 
on legislation with a 
presentation on pathogen security covering definitions, the need 
to build a pathogen security program, how to develop risk 
assessment and management processes, and types of information 
that are required for implementation.  A second U.S. 
presentation focused on national implementation of the 
Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and related pathogen 
security legislation.  U.S.-developed model legislation was used 
to discuss the differences between the U.S. approach and two 
draft Libyan laws provided earlier to U.S. experts on 
"Concerning the Manifestation and Handling of Extremely 
Dangerous Live Organisms in the Libyan Jamahiriyya and 
"Establishment of a Mechanism to Provide Early Warning Against 
the Spread of Diseases in the Libyan Jamahiriyya." A professor 
of international law from Al-Fatah University joined the Libyan 
side, which already included a lawyer from the Ministry of 
Justice, to participate in these discsussions.  The UK commented 
that each national legislation differed slightly with respect to 
their respective national legal  frameworks.  The UK also 
highlighted and handed over information on the UK-based NGO 
Verficiation, Research, training, and Information Center 
(VERTIC) study that was examining national implementation and 
legislation related to the BWC and various nuclear treaties. 
U.S. agreed to provide an Arabic translation of the model 
legislation at the request of Libyan experts, who expressed the 
hope that it could be drawn upon it in their legislative 
drafting. 
 
--------- 
August 9:   Visit to Military Facility in Tajura: 
--------- 
 
¶5. (S)  SubCommittee members visited General El-Ghadi's 
defensive training facility in Tajura. (Comment.  U.S. and UK 
experts visited El-Ghadi's facility and toured an NBC Defense 
School run by Col. Othmann, El-Gahdi's deputy, on February 16, 
¶2004.  This appears to be the same facility.  See Ref:  LTAG 
014-2004, 031446Z MAR 04, DTRA-OSE 031446Z, para 4.  End 
Comment.)  They were met by Col. Othmann, the Head of the Libyan 
Nuclear 
and Chemical Defense School.  After providing a tour of some of 
the facilities on the compound and answering questions, Othmann 
stated that the school trained military personnel only on 
nuclear and chemical defense and 
explained  that they have no provision for training for 
biological defense, nor do they have plans to do so in the 
future at this facility.  Rather, the military will rely on the 
Libyan public health service to provide medical aid if there was 
a disease outbreak.  He also took the SubCommittee to a CW 
defensive lab under construction, which he explained may take 
another year to complete.  Equipment has been purchased for the 
lab and was on site.  The classrooms and laboratory facility 
appear to comprise a fairly small portion of the military 
compound, and the U.S. and UK did not have the opportunity to 
view any buildings on the remainder of the compound.    Of note, 
this occasion was the first time Libyan NCBB members had visited 
this facility. 
 
¶6.  (S)  Comment.  In his September 2005 meeting with the 
SubCommittee General El-Ghadi focused more on the chemical vice 
the biological defensive activities planned for his facility; 
however, he certainly implied that  biological weapons defense 
would be a part of its mission.   UK team notes, however, that 
Col. Othmann's comments were fully consistent with what they had 
heard before and that they had always understood the facility to 
focus on chemical and radiological defense.  U.S. and UK experts 
were both told that a lab under construction at the facility 
wold be for chemical weapons defensive purposes; U.S. and UK 
explained that Libya might have to declare it to the OPCW.  The 
lab U.S. and UK experts were taken to on August 9 is still under 
construction (old classroom section being refitted), includes an 
air handling system, an almost fully tiled "preparation room," 
and what appeared to be a "cold storage" room, all of which are 
consistent with a 
lab that could be used for work with chemical and/or biological 
agents.  Although the lab could easily be completed in a short 
time, Col Othmann and his staff estimated that it could take up 
to a year to finish construction.  SubCommittee members did not 
ask to see the on-site equipment, but suggests that a future 
visit by CW experts might be useful to help determine the 
capabilities and purpose of the completed laboratory.  End 
Comment.) 
 
--------- 
August 10:  Visit to Disease Surveillance Center in Zliten City: 
--------- 
 
¶7.  (U) SubCommittee members visited the National Center for 
Infectious Disease Prevention and Control (NCIDC).  Dr. Smeo, 
the hospitable and talkative head of the Center, provided a 
presentation on the activities of 
the Center and a tour of the Center.  Visitors were taken to one 
small lab space capable of biosafety level 2 work, and to a 
number of stations where computers were being used to enter 
data.  The Center seemed to be well equipped and efficiently 
functioning.   This occasion was the first visit to the Center 
by the Libyan NCBB members; in a private aside, Dr. Sharif 
mentioned to a U.S. colleague that he had expected "more"  from 
the Center. 
 
--------- 
August 10:  Meeting with Libyan Delegation to London Meeting: 
--------- 
 
¶8.  (U)  The UK provided an outline agenda for the visit, 
scheduled for September 7-15, 2006.  They also provided suitable 
web sites for the  delegation to obtain further information 
about each of the facilities 
they would be visiting. 
 
--------- 
August 10:  Presentation by NAMRU-3 Director on Cooperation with 
Libya 
--------- 
 
¶9.  (U)  Dr. Bruce Boynton, Director of NAMRU-3, outlined the 
NAMRU-3 Mission and its relationship with the World Health 
Organization.  He described recently initiated collaborative 
scientific exchanges with Libyan 
experts.   The question and answer session proved to be useful 
in obtaining more information on endemic disease in Libya, which 
will be helpful to NAMRU-3 in tailoring its collaborative 
efforts with Libya. 
 
--------- 
Participants in the Meeting: 
--------- 
 
¶10.  (U)  Libyan Participants: 
 
Dr. Mohamed M. Sharif 
Chairman of the National Committee for Bioethics and 
Biosafety, 
Head of the BTRC 
 
Dr. Abdurahman Tawil 
Member of LNCBB 
Faculty of Science, Al Fatah University 
 
Dr. Abdulaziz M. El-Buni 
Member of LNCBB 
Faculty of Science, Al Fatah University 
 
Dr. Mohamed A. Abaugalia 
Member of LNCBB 
Member of Military Ministry 
 
Mr. Muftah Al-Hemali A. Ali 
Member of the LNCBB 
The General Administration for International Organizations 
at the General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and 
International Cooperation 
 
Dr. AbdulKader A. El-Maleh 
Member of the LNCBB 
Faculty of Agriculture 
Omar al-Mukhtar University 
 
Dr. Abdalgader Saleh Ali 
Member of LNCBB 
Faculty of Science 
Sabha University 
Dr. Abdussalam A. Masaud Amara 
Member of LNCBB 
Pharmacy School 
Al Fatah University 
 
Mr. Abdulaker Mohamed Alioah 
Member of the LNCBB 
The General Administration for Law at the General People's 
Committee for Justice 
 
Dr. Milud A. Amru 
Professor of International, Investment and Trade Law, 
Al-Fatah University 
Observer Member, UN Commission of International Law 
 
¶11.  (U)  UK Participants 
 
--Dr. Peter Biggins, UK TSCC Bio-Subcommittee CoChair 
--Dr. Lorna Miller, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, 
Porton Down 
 
¶12.  (U)  U.S. Participants 
 
--U.S. CoChair Katharine C. Crittenberger, U.S. Department of 
State 
--Ms. Michelle Baker, U.S. Department of State 
--Dr. Bruce Boynton, Director, NAMRU-3, Cairo, Egypt 
--Mr. Marshall Brown, Office of the Legal Adviser, U.S. 
Department of State 
--Mr. Christopher Eaves, Science and Technology Officer, Embassy 
Tripoli 
--Mr. Shaun Hayeslip, U.S. Department of State 
--Dr. Marie Ricciardone, Coordinator for the Libya Scientist 
Engagement Program, U.S. Department of State, Embassy Cairo 
(Egypt) 
--Dr. Gregory Stewart, Senior Microbiologist, U.S. Department of 
State 
 
--------- 
Updated Draft Roadmap 
--------- 
 
¶13.  (U)  Updated Draft Roadmap for Way Forward in Cooperative 
Engagement in the Life Sciences (revised August 10, 2006) 
 
August 2006 
 
UK/Libya 
 
--UK to provide information to facilitate Libyan Participation 
in a Workshop on "Approaches to National Legislation for 
Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons Agreements", 29-30 
August. 
 
September 2006 
 
U.S./UK/Libya 
 
--Visit to UK, Video Conference 
--Finalize plans for Human Infectious Disease Surveillance 
Workshop, including decisions on timing, venue, format, and 
participation 
--Possible consultations on upcoming BWC Review Conference 
--Additional consultations on legal issues 
 
U.S./Libya 
 
--Continue cooperative engagement with NAMRU-3 
 
October 2006 
 
Libya 
 
--Attend annual meeting of American Biological Safety 
Association (Boston, MA) 
 
November 2006 
 
U.S./UK/Libya 
 
--Attend Sixth Review of BWC (Nov 20-Dec 8) 
January 2007 
U.S./UK/Libya 
 
--Meeting of TSCC Bio SubCommittee 
--Disease Surveillance Workshop (Jan 21?) 
--Identify Workshop follow up activities, i.e.: 
--Animal Disease Surveillance Workshop 
--Plant Disease Surveillance Workshop/GM Foods 
--Training Track 
--IRB Workshop 
 
GOLDRICH 
BERRY