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Viewing cable 06MUSCAT954, OMAN REAFFIRMS NO ISRAELI BOYCOTT, DENOUNCES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06MUSCAT954 2006-06-12 13:37 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Muscat
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS MUSCAT 000954 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/IPA, AND EB/TPP/MTA 
STATE PASS USTR FOR J.BUNTIN 
USDOC FOR ITA C.OBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD KBCT OPRC PREL IS MU
SUBJECT: OMAN REAFFIRMS NO ISRAELI BOYCOTT, DENOUNCES 
ARTICLE 
 
REF: A. MUSCAT 852 
     B. MUSCAT 397 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) In separate meetings with Emboffs, Omani officials 
denounced a Jerusalem Post article alleging the application 
of the Arab League boycott in Oman.  The government plans to 
respond formally to a Congressional inquiry on the matter, 
but will not comment publicly.  End Summary. 
 
----------------------------- 
Reply to Congress Forthcoming 
----------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Following the June 8 publication of an article in 
the Jerusalem Post allegedly quoting Omani customs officials 
as saying Oman still applies the Arab League boycott of 
Israel, Charge and Econoff called on Acting Foreign Minister 
Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi on June 12 to discuss next steps. 
Sayyid Badr, fully briefed on both the article and 
Representative Wexler's letter to the Sultan, replied that 
the Foreign Ministry is in the process of drafting a formal 
response to the Congressman's office, which would be 
transmitted via the Omani Embassy in Washington.  This would 
be Oman's only response to the article, Sayyid Badr said. 
 
3. (SBU) Sayyid Badr agreed that the article appeared to be 
the product of a journalistic ambush.  Noting that he did not 
recognize the names of the Omani customs officials quoted in 
the article, Sayyid Badr discounted the alleged comments, 
even if they did occur, as coming from a low level. 
Furthermore, he found it strange that the Jerusalem Post 
would publish such an article, given the fact that Israeli 
government officials have never expressed dissatisfaction 
with trade ties to Oman.  As recently as the June 6 Middle 
East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC) executive council 
meeting, visiting Israeli officials made no mention of 
boycott or trade concerns to him.  He further recalled 
comments by Israeli Minister of Tourism on a recent 
international television broadcast dismissing the Arab League 
boycott as a thing of the past and completely irrelevant. 
 
--------------- 
No Boycott Here 
--------------- 
 
4. (SBU) Econoff separately raised the Jerusalem Post article 
with the Ministry of Commerce's FTA point-person, Dr. Said 
al-Riyami, on June 10.  Al-Riyami appeared unaware of the 
article, but quickly explained that the Ministry of Commerce 
and Industry has done everything it could to notify each 
Omani ministry about the non-applicability of the boycott. 
Al-Riyami stated that he would raise this concern with 
Commerce and Industry Minister Maqbool bin Sultan, but that 
the formal response would come from the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs. 
 
5. (SBU) Poloff spoke to a contact in Royal Oman Police 
Customs on June 10 who was well aware of the Jerusalem Post 
article and angrily rejected it as a fabrication.  The 
contact knew that a journalist had called, but claimed the 
only reply offered was a referral of the caller to the 
Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 
STEWART