VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMS #0092/01 0401252
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091250Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1213
INFO RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000092 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PARM PREL MASS MNUC KNNP ETTC MU
SUBJECT: EXBS: OMAN MONTHLY REPORTING CABLE FOR JANUARY 2009 
 
BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS 
 
1.(SBU) None. 
 
COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
2.(SBU) On January 18, 2010, the EXBS Advisor Team sent a dipnote 
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting meetings for Vennie 
Pikoulas-Psaros, Middle East Action Officer visiting from 
Washington, DC.  Meetings were requested with ROP Customs, Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Legal Affairs. 
 
MEETINGS DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶3. (SBU) On January 9, 2010, EXBS Advisor Hoffman met with Saeed 
Abubakar, CBP Officer posted at the Port of Salalah who is working 
on the Secure Freight Initiative, to get a briefing on CBP work in 
Salalah.  Saeed pointed out that the Omanis he works with in 
Salalah could benefit from more VACIS and radiation detection 
training. 
 
¶4. (SBU) On January 30, 2010, EXBS Advisor Hoffman and Vennie 
Pikoulas-Psaros, Middle East Action Officer visiting from 
Washington, DC, met with Deputy Director of ROP Customs, Colonel 
Yassir Bin Mahmud Al-Ma'Mari, to discuss the status of the EXBS 
program in Oman.  The EXBS team explained training to date, offered 
five new training courses, and extended an invitation for senior 
ROP Customs officials to visit the National Targeting Center and 
other U.S. Customs sites during a visit to the United States 
tentatively scheduled for June or July 2010.  Col. Al-Ma'Mari was 
appreciative of EXBS work in Oman and asked EXBS to provide more 
detail on the proposed visit to the United States. 
 
¶5. (SBU) On January 30, 2010, EXBS Advisor Hoffman and Vennie 
Pikoulas-Psaros, Middle East Action Officer visiting from 
Washington, DC, met with Shaikh, Dr. Abd Al-Malik Al-Hinai, Under 
Secretary for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Economy.  The group 
discussed Omani steps toward the development of an export control 
law and the most appropriate Ministry with which to raise this 
issue.  Dr. Hinai recommended pursuing the issue with the Ministry 
of Commerce and Industry given the authority they have in this 
area. 
 
¶6. (SBU) On January 30, 2010, EXBS Advisor Hoffman and Vennie 
Pikoulas-Psaros, Middle East Action Officer visiting from 
Washington, DC, met with John Clarkson, POLE Chief, U.S. Embassy 
Muscat and Myca Craven, Deputy POLE Chief, to discuss the status of 
the EXBS program in Oman. 
 
¶7. (SBU) On January 30, 2010, EXBS Advisor Hoffman and Vennie 
Pikoulas-Psaros, Middle East Action Officer visiting from 
Washington, DC, met with Victor Hurtado, DCM, U.S. Embassy Muscat, 
to discuss the status of the EXBS program in Oman and ways to 
engage the Omani government on the creation and implementation of a 
comprehensive export control law.   DCM Hurtado thinks it is time 
to raise the USG desire for Oman to pursue an export control law 
with senior Omani leadership due to a lack of action to date.  The 
EXBS Advisor and senior leadership at post will discuss a strategy 
for doing this in the coming months. 
 
¶8. (SBU) On January 31, 2010, EXBS Advisor Hoffman and Vennie 
Pikoulas-Psaros, Middle East Action Officer visiting from 
Washington, DC, met with Captain Abdullah Al-Balushi, Director of 
Training, ROP Customs.  The group discussed scheduling and 
participants for five upcoming training programs that EXBS will 
implement in Oman.  Captain Abdullah is enthusiastic about EXBS 
programming and is willing to accommodate all of our proposed 
training requests. 
 
¶9. (SBU) On January 31, 2010, EXBS Advisor Hoffman and Vennie 
Pikoulas-Psaros, Middle East Action Officer visiting from 
Washington, DC, met with Director for Disarmament and Arms Control, 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yacoub Al-Ruqaishi and MFA Second 
Secretary, Aisha Al-Kharusi.  The group discussed the EXBS program 
in Oman and efforts toward drafting a comprehensive export control 
law.  Al-Ruqaishi requested that EXBS provide the Ministry of Legal 
Affairs with models of export control laws for their review that 
they could pass along to the Ministry of Legal affairs on behalf of 
EXBS. 
 
TRAINING CONDUCTED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
¶10. (SBU) From January 23-27, CBP carried out Land border Tracker 
Training in Sohar, Oman for 19 members of ROP Customs.  Arizona 
based CBP Shadow Wolves Brian Nez and Bryan Gobert carried out the 
training, which included a day of classroom instruction and three 
days of practical tracking exercises in the mountains of Oman, 
including a night tracking exercise. 
 
EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD 
 
11.(SBU) On January 31, EXBS delivered four RID kits to Captain 
Abdullah Al-Balushi, Director of Training, ROP Customs. 
 
IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS REPORT 
 
12.(SBU) The EXBS Advisor Team is making preparations for two weeks 
of VACIS training in Oman from March 20-31, 2010.  Training will 
include classroom instruction and site visits to the Port of 
Muscat, the Port of Salalah, and the Wyjaja land border with the 
UAE.  Training will take place on VACIS mobile and stationary x-ray 
equipment previously purchased by Oman. 
 
13.(SBU) The EXBS Advisor is planning to attend an EXBS sponsored 
and DOE-led Analysis of Strategic Commodity Transfers (ASCOT) 
workshop in Amman, Jordan, February 21-23, 2010.  The EXBS Advisor 
will arrive several days early for consultations with Government of 
Jordan officials. 
 
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS, NONPROLIFERATION, OR 
RELATED BORDER SECURITY 
 
14.(SBU) Nothing to report. 
 
PORTAL MONITOR ALERTS 
 
15.(SBU) Nothing to report. 
 
RED FLAG ISSUES 
 
16.(SBU) Nothing to report. 
Schmierer