VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #1961 0872236
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 272231Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0486
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 5410
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3619
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0717
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA PRIORITY 9122
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT PRIORITY 3288
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 6012
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 8265
RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA PRIORITY 4270
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT PRIORITY 0505
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0026
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 7897
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA PRIORITY 6781
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3425
RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 0491
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON PRIORITY 5198

UNCLAS STATE 031961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL
SUBJECT: PSI: SUMMARY FOR FEBRUARY 2008 UK-HOSTED PSI 
OUTREACH MEETING FOR GULF - LEVANT PSI PARTNERS IN LONDON 
 
REF: A. STATE 031896 
     ¶B. STATE 031939 
 
 SUMMARY 
 
¶1. REFTELS A or B (different address groups) reported on the 
latest Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Operational 
Experts Group (OEG) meeting hosted by the Government of the 
United Kingdom on February 4-6, 2008 in London.  Following 
the OEG meeting, the UK Ministry of Defense hosted an 
outreach event for Gulf / Levant PSI partners. 
Representatives from six of the seven invited countries in 
the region participated: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, 
United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen.  The purpose of the 
meeting was to facilitate deeper understanding of PSI among 
partner countries in this region and to encourage increased 
participated in PSI activities. 
¶2. Information contained in this cable is provided for 
Posts, information and is not to be passed to governments 
that attended the Outreach Meeting. A follow-on cable will 
provide a non-paper to pass to host nation governments of all 
PSI-endorsing states to keep them abreast of developments in 
the PSI community. 
END SUMMARY 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
¶3.  Meeting summary:  UK hosted an Outreach Meeting in London 
on February 7, 2008 for PSI-endorsing states in the Gulf 
/Levant region.  The meeting provided an overview of recent 
developments in the PSI community, reviewed legal aspects of 
PSI, shared insights into governmental decision-making 
processes for interdictions and summarized the intent and 
upcoming activities of PSI exercises.  The meeting concluded 
with a description of a table top exercise. 
 
 
¶4.  The UK provided a comprehensive overview of PSI, covering 
everything from the PSI Statement of Interdiction Principles 
to insights from legal, law enforcement, operational and 
intelligence experts. New Zealand shared its own experience 
with organizing to support the PSI commitment, which 
culminated in the development, testing and implementation of 
a PSI Model National Response Plan. A published copy of the 
Model National Response Plan, which includes the concurrence 
of 19 of the 20 participating countries in the Operational 
Experts Group (OEG) was distributed to each attending 
delegation. 
¶5.  Poland and the U.S. provided briefings on PSI exercises, 
including the benefits gained to national governments from 
participating in and observing PSI exercises as well as the 
specific lessons learned through participation.  Some of 
those lessons included improving practical inter-ministerial 
cooperation and decision-making, enhancing regional 
cooperation and improving abilities to implement relevant UN 
Security Council Resolutions (i.e., 1540, 1718, 1737, and 
1747). 
¶6.  The U.S. provided an overview of the legal aspects of 
PSI, including the basic premise that all PSI actions are 
undertaken on a voluntary basis by participating states in a 
manner consistent with national authorities and international 
legal frameworks. 
¶7.  All delegations were encouraged to attend the PSI 5th 
Anniversary event to be held in Washington on May 28-29, 
¶2008.  Formal invitations are expected to be sent by early 
March, 2008. 
¶8.  The U.S. announced a workshop for Middle East PSI 
partners that will take place in June, 2008. 
¶9.  Please slug responses for OSD GSA (Beth Flores) and 
State/ISN/CPI (Carlos Guzman). USG POC for PSI Operational 
Experts Group issues is Beth Flores, OSD/GSA. USG POC for 
operational legal matters is Chip Wedan, DOD/OGC. USG POC for 
PSI policy issues is Carlos Guzman, State/ISN/CPI. 
RICE