US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4396

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 004396 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR E; EB/IVP/ODS; NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/P; 
NEA/NGA; NEA/FO; PA; INR/NESA; IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, MOC (MHAMBLEY); 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, OIIP, KPAO, TC 
SUBJECT:  WITH THE ARAB WORLD WATCHING, USG AND IRAQI 
OFFICIALS DELIVER A STRONG MESSAGE AT THE IMF/WORLD BANK 
CONFERENCE 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  DURING THE DUBAI 2003 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY 
FUND (IMF) AND WORLD BANK (WB) ANNUAL MEETINGS, THE PUBLIC 
AFFAIRS SECTION (PA) AT THE US EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI WORKED 
WITH USG, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY (CPA), AND IRAQI 
OFFICIALS TO ENGAGE THE PRESS ON RECONSTRUCTION ISSUES IN 
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.  THE MEDIA WERE CLEARLY FOCUSED ON 
IRAQ, AND, WITH PA ABU DHABI ASSISTANCE, IRAQI GOVERNING 
COUNCIL (IGC) MEMBER DR. ADIL ABDUL MEHDI AND THE INTERIM 
MINISTERS ENGAGED THE ARAB AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA TO 
ADDRESS MANY ISSUES.  AS THE ARAB WORLD WATCHED, USG AND 
IRAQI OFFICIALS SPREAD THE WORD THAT THE TIME FOR BUILDING 
IRAQ'S FUTURE IS NOW.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------- 
A FOCUS ON IRAQ 
--------------- 
 
2.  THE 2003 IMF/WB MEETINGS SAW A LARGE ARAB AND 
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA TURNOUT, AND THE UAE GOVERNMENT HAD 
PREPARED THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER (DICC) 
WELL WITH A SPACIOUS PRESS CENTER COMPLETE WITH BRIEFING 
ROOMS, TRANSLATION SERVICES, VIDEO EDITING ROOMS, AND LIVE 
FEEDS TO MOST EVENTS.  CNN, AP, REUTERS, BBC, DOW JONES, 
BLOOMBERG, WALL STREET JOURNAL, NY TIMES, AND SIMILAR MEDIA 
ATTENDED EN MASSE.  NOT TO BE OUTDONE, ARAB MEDIA INCLUDED 
ABU DHABI TV, AL JAZEERA, AL HAYAT, LBC, AL SHARQ AL AWSAT, 
DUBAI TV, AL ARABIYA, CNBC ARABIYA, CNN ARABIYA, AND LOCAL 
UAE MEDIA. 
 
3.  FROM THE START, THE FOCUS WAS IRAQ.  DURING AN IMF 
BRIEFING ON DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE PRESS 
FOCUSED THEIR QUESTIONS ON THE IMF'S YET-UNDELIVERED 
ASSESSMENTS OF IRAQ'S RECONSTRUCTION.  DESPITE IMF CRITICISM 
OF THE REGION'S REGIMES AND CALLS FOR A "NEW SOCIAL 
CONTRACT" BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES, JOURNALISTS ASKED 
ABOUT THE RELEASE OF THE IMF'S COST ESTIMATES FOR IRAQ'S 
RECONSTRUCTION, WHETHER THE CPA WAS DOWN TO ITS LAST $200 
MILLION, AND WHAT THE ARAB WORLD SHOULD DO WITH ITS NEW 
"NEIGHBOR," I.E., THE US.  WITH IMF OFFICIALS DEFERRING SUCH 
QUESTIONS, THE STAGE WAS SET FOR USG AND IRAQI OFFICIALS. 
 
------------------------------------ 
GETTING THE USG MESSAGE TO THE PRESS 
------------------------------------ 
 
4.  ABU DHABI PAO, APAO, INFORMATION SPECIALIST, AND 
INFORMATION ASSISTANT SET UP PRESS EVENTS FOR SECRETARY OF 
THE TREASURY JOHN SNOW, U/S OF STATE FOR ECONOMIC, BUSINESS, 
AND AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS ALAN LARSON, AND A LARGE USG 
CONTINGENT WHILE PROVIDING DAILY MEDIA INFORMATION TO 
CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK ALAN GREENSPAN.  AS 
GOVERNOR AT THE IMF AND WB, SECRETARY SNOW ENGAGED THE PRESS 
ON MANY OCCASIONS, IN PRESS BRIEFINGS, PRESS AVAILABILITY 
AFTER MAJOR MEETINGS, PHOTO SPRAYS WITH OTHER OFFICIALS, AND 
A SIGNING CEREMONY WITH TURKISH OFFICIALS.  IN THESE EVENTS, 
SECRETARY SNOW HIGHLIGHTED US SUPPORT FOR IRAQ AND 
 
SIPDIS 
AFGHANISTAN AND DISCUSSED US EFFORTS TO WORK WITH ITS 
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TO IMPROVE THE GLOBAL ECONOMY. 
 
5.  U/S LARSON REINFORCED SECRETARY SNOW'S COMMENTS BUT 
FOCUSED ATTENTION ON IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN IN A PRESS 
BRIEFING AND ABU DHABI TV AND THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 
INTERVIEWS.  U/S LARSON'S PRESS BRIEFING TO THE 
INTERNATIONAL AND ARAB MEDIA FOCUSED ON THE PRESIDENT'S $87 
BILLION FUNDING REQUEST FOR IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, AND THE WAR 
ON TERROR.  U/S LARSON ENCOURAGED THE INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THESE COUNTRIES BY ACCELERATING PLEDGED 
FUNDS, OFFERING ADDITIONAL PLEDGES, AND RELEASING FROZEN 
FUNDS.  ON THE WAR ON TERROR, U/S LARSON POINTED OUT THAT 
ARAB AND MUSLIM COUNTRIES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA AND INDONESIA 
WERE TARGETED AND URGED ALL COUNTRIES TO WORK TOGETHER IN 
THE WAR ON TERROR. 
 
6.  IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON IRAQ'S DECISION TO ALLOW 
DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT, U/S LARSON REPLIED THAT THE 
DECISION WAS "DISCUSSED AND DEBATED AT GREAT LENGTH BY THE 
GOVERNING COUNCIL" AND "EVERY PARAGRAPH AND EVERY SENTENCE 
OF THE NEW POLICY WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNING COUNCIL." 
AFTER A JOURNALIST CRITICIZED THE USG AND IGC FOR DECIDING 
THE FUTURE OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE, U/S LARSON REFUTED THE 
ASSERTION AND SAID THAT "IT WOULD BE VERY UNWISE TO WAIT AND 
MAKE NO DECISIONS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THERE HAVE BEEN 
ELECTIONS UNDER A NEW CONSTITUTION, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE 
THE RECIPE FOR ECONOMIC MALAISE" AND "WOULD HURT THE 
POLITICAL PROCESS AND THE PROCESS OF RECONSTRUCTION." 
 
---------------------- 
THE IRAQIS STRIKE BACK 
---------------------- 
 
7.  U/S LARSON'S COMMENTS CORRESPONDED WITH THE EFFORTS OF 
THE INTERIM IRAQI CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS OF 
FINANCE, TRADE, PLANNING, AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, AND EDUCATION 
TO ENGAGE THE PRESS.  TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, PA ABU DHABI 
STAFF ASSISTED IRAQI AND CPA OFFICIALS TO IDENTIFY 
INTERNATIONAL AND ARAB JOURNALISTS FOR ONE-ON-ONE 
INTERVIEWS, WORKED WITH IMF STAFF TO PREPARE GENERAL PRESS 
BRIEFINGS, AND RALLIED THE MEDIA TO SELECT EVENTS. 
 
8.  THE EFFORT BEGAN WITH A BRIEFING TO IMF/WB DELEGATES AND 
THE PRESS.  CARRIED LIVE, IGC MEMBER DR. MEHDI READ THE 
IGC'S PLENARY SPEECH TO ROUGHLY 200 DELEGATES AND MEDIA.  IN 
THE SPEECH, THE IGC THANKED COALITION FORCES FOR LIBERATING 
IRAQ, OUTLINED SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CRIMES, AND CONDEMNED RECENT 
ACTS OF TERRORISM.  THE STATEMENT PROMISED TO "ADOPT 
DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL PLURALISM" AND NOTED THAT "WITH 
POLITICAL FREEDOM, WE SHALL BE ABLE TO FREE OUR ECONOMY." 
THE IGC FURTHER PLEDGED TO "RESTRUCTURE THE POLICE AND ARMY 
ON A SOUND BASIS WHICH SERVES THE CITIZENS AND THE COUNTRY," 
SET OCTOBER 15TH AS THE DATE FOR A UNIFIED CURRENCY, AND 
ANNOUNCED REFORMS TO ALLOW DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT. 
 
9.  DURING THE BRIEFING'S Q&A SESSION, THE PRESS CRITICIZED 
THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALLOW DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND 
ASKED WHY THE CPA WOULD MAKE THE DECISION NOW, BEFORE IRAQIS 
ELECTED A GOVERNMENT.  IRAQI OFFICIALS REFUTED THE ASSERTION 
THAT THE CPA ACTED PREMATURELY AND ILLEGITIMATELY, NOTING 
THAT THE IGC REPRESENTED ALL RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC, AND TRIBAL 
GROUPS IN IRAQ.  MOST NOTABLY, MINISTER OF PLANNING DR. 
MEHDI AL HAFEDTH RESPONDED "WHY NOT?  THE TIME FOR IRAQ'S 
FUTURE IS NOW!" 
 
10.  FOLLOWING THIS EVENT, IRAQI AND CPA OFFICIALS WORKED 
WITH PA STAFF TO IDENTIFY JOURNALISTS FOR EXCLUSIVE 
INTERVIEWS: 
 
--IGC MEMBER DR. ADIL ABDUL MEHDI:  ABU DHABI TV, AL 
JAZEERA, CNN 
--MINISTER OF TRADE DR. ALI ALLAWI:  CNN, ARABIAN BUSINESS, 
BLOOMBERG, CNBC ARABIYA, DUBAI TV, AL SHARQ AL AWSAT 
--MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE DR. ABDUL AMIR AL ABOOD:  DOW 
JONES, ABU DHABI TV 
--MINISTER OF FINANCE KAMIL AL GAILANI:  RADIO SAWA, DUBAI 
TV, EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY, NY TIMES, ABU DHABI TV, RADIO FREE 
EUROPE, DUBAI BUSINESS CHANNEL 
--MINISTER OF HEALTH DR. KHIDR ABBAS:  DUBAI TV 
--MINISTER OF PLANNING DR. MEHDI AL HAFEDH:  REUTERS, AL 
KHALEEJ 
--MINISTER OF EDUCATION DR. ALADIN ABDUL SAHIB ALWAN:  DUBAI 
TV 
--CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR DR. SINAN AL SHIBIBI:  CNBC ARABIYA, 
FINANCIAL TIMES, REUTERS 
 
11.  DURING THE INTERVIEWS, DR. ALLAWI AND DR. SHIBIBI 
PROVED PARTICULARLY ARTICULATE COMMENTATORS.  IN THEIR 
INTERVIEWS, THEY ASSERTED THAT THE IGC WAS A FULL PARTNER 
WITH THE CPA, THE DRIVING FORCE IN RECONSTRUCTION, AND 
COMMITTED TO IRAQ'S FUTURE.  IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON 
RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL, DR. ALLAWI CALLED THE QUESTION A "RED 
HERRING" AND POINTED OUT THAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT IS 
"FOCUSED ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ AND A BETTER FUTURE 
FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE."  THE MINISTERS OF PLANNING AND 
AGRICULTURE, DR. MEHDI AL HAFEDH AND DR. ABDUL AMIR AL ABOOD 
ALSO EXPLAINED THE GOALS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MINISTRIES 
EFFECTIVELY. 
 
12.  PA ABU DHABI STAFF ALSO INTRODUCED HAYDAR AHMED, THE 
NEW IGC SPOKESPERSON, TO A WIDE RANGE OF MEDIA AT THE IMF/WB 
CONFERENCE.  THE LIST INCLUDED ABU DHABI TV, DUBAI TV, DUBAI 
BUSINESS CHANNEL, AL ARABIYA, AL SHARQ AL AWSAT, AL HAYAT, 
AL JAZEERA, AND UAE DAILIES.  AS A RESULT, MR. AHMED GAVE 
INTERVIEWS TO AL JAZEERA AND AL HAYAT TO EXPLAIN THE IGC'S 
DECISION TO BAN INTERACTION WITH AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA 
FOR TWO WEEKS. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
A CRITICAL RESPONSE AT A CRITICAL TIME 
-------------------------------------- 
 
13.  COMMENT:  AT A CRITICAL MOMENT, THE IMF/WB CONFERENCE 
AFFORDED USG AND IRAQI OFFICIALS A KEY OPPORTUNITY TO BATTLE 
MISPERCEPTIONS ON AND ELICIT SUPPORT FOR IRAQ'S 
RECONSTRUCTION.  WITH PA ABU DHABI ASSISTANCE, USG AND IRAQI 
OFFICIALS TACKLED MANY OF THE NEGATIVE MYTHS ABOUNDING IN 
THE REGION'S PRESS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS ON THE IGC'S 
LEGITIMACY.  THE MEETINGS ALSO PROVIDED IRAQI OFFICIALS A 
CHANCE TO BUILD CONTACTS WITH THE MEDIA, PARTICULARLY FOR 
THE NEW IGC SPOKESPERSON.  END COMMENT. 
 
WAHBA