VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMS #0613 1671338
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161338Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8410
INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0038

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000613 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, PM/DTCC (JSTITZIEL) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC MU BE
SUBJECT: OMAN UPDATE TO SABIEX REQUEST 
 
REF: A. BRUSSELS 1777 
 
     ¶B. STATE 65529 
 
This cable contains sensitive business information.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU)  On June 16, Econoff met with Global Channels' 
Military Equipment Manager Hamed Salim al-Hakmani to discuss 
ref B request.  Hakmani prefaced the conversation by noting 
that the company established itself in the spare parts 
business in September 2005.  Its only client in the parts 
division is the government's internal security forces, 
encompassing the Ministry of Defense, the Royal Guard, and 
the Royal Oman Police.  It does not sell spare parts to 
private individuals.  The company occupies a floor of a villa 
in the Azaiba residential/commercial district of the capital, 
not far from one of Muscat's primary industrial estates.  The 
owner of the company is Sayyid Taimur bin Asad bin Tariq 
al-Said, a royal family member whose father is the first 
cousin of the ruling Sultan.  Six people staff the company's 
headquarters. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Hakmani noted that Global Channels' relationship 
with Sabiex began in June 2006, when the owner of the company 
met with Sabiex officials in France.  He said that he has 
escorted Sabiex staff to meetings with Ministry of Defense 
(MOD) officials in Oman, and that the company's production 
department team met with the MOD two weeks ago.  Hakmani 
spoke highly of his relationship with Sabiex and commented 
that he plans to continue using them for sourcing parts. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Regarding the specific transaction in question, 
Hakmani produced the original copy of Ministry of Defense 
purchase order A2949V2058, dated September 27, 2006.  The 
annex to the purchase order called for the provision of 93 
Vision Block 2510-00-630-0790 spare parts to be used for the 
M-60 tank, not the M-48 tank.  Based on that order, Global 
Channels received a quote on January 17, 2007 from Sabiex's 
Pascal Berthereau for the above in the amount of $19,269.80 
(93 pieces at $207.20 each).  Hakmani then showed a copy of 
the purchase order sent to Sabiex on April 10, 2007, 
confirming the price for the parts to be used on the M-60 
tank. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Hakmani remarked that Sabiex was not the first 
company it had approached with regard to sourcing parts for 
the Ministry of Defense.  Hakmani mentioned that his company 
had dealt with a Lance Brooks from Taylor and Associates, 
located at 6201 Falls Circle, Building 1, #110, Fort 
Lauderdale, FL  33319 (office number 954-776-1376, cell 
954-873-7894, fax 208-728-5034), based on a Ministry 
suggestion.  Subsequently, the Ministry's relationship with 
Taylor and Associates ended after the latter wouldn't send 
four engine blocks for Oman's M-60 tanks without first 
receiving payment.  Global Crossings' relationship with 
Taylor and Associates was also unsuccessful, as the Florida 
company failed to send 20 Colt 45 pistols for the Royal Guard 
after Global Crossings had paid $15,500 in advance for the 
delivery. 
 
¶5. (SBU)  Comment: Embassy will provide septel report once in 
receipt of the Ministry of Defense's official reply to our 
inquiry on this purchase, but it appears that this agent is 
not involved in the unauthorized transfer of ref B parts, 
based on Ministry of Defense documentation provided and the 
fact that the owner of the company is a member of Oman's 
ruling family.  (Note.  The ruling family in Oman is 
relatively small in comparison to others in the region.  End 
note.) 
FONTENEAU