US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4802

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004802 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; ECA; IIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, TC 
SUBJECT: A/S MAURA HARTY: TRANSLATION OF ARTICLE IN UAE 
AL-ITTIHAD NEWSPAPER 
 
 
SUMMARY:  THE PAO OFFICE ARRANGED AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW 
ON OCTOBER 20 FOR A/S MAURA HARTY WITH THE ABU DHABI- 
BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" DURING HER 
STOP IN THE UAE.  DURING THE INTERVIEW, A/S HARTY 
REITERATED U.S. OFFICIAL WELCOME OF UAE VISITORS, 
WHETHER FOR EDUCATION, MEDICAL PURPOSES OR TOURISM.  END 
SUMMARY 
 
 
1. THE HEADLINE OF THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE ARAB AND 
INTERNATIONAL SECTION OF THE DAILY READS:  "ASSISTANT 
SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CONSULAR AFFAIRS: 'EFFECTIVE 
 
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MEASURES ARE UNDERWAY TO SPEED UP ENTRY VISAS TO THE 
UNITED STATES.'" 
 
FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSLATION OF THE ENTIRE ARTICLE: 
"AMBASSADOR MAURA HARTY, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE 
FOR CONSULAR AFFAIRS, ASSERTED THAT THE SPECIALIZED 
AUTHORITIES IN HER COUNTRY HAVE UNDERTAKEN A SERIES OF 
MEASURES TO SPEED UP PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING ENTRY 
VISAS TO THE UNITED STATES.  SHE SAID THAT THE PRESENCE 
OF MEMBERS OF THE HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT IN THE 
U.S. CONSULATES IN SOME ARAB AND MUSLIM COUNTRIES ARE 
PART OF THESE NEW MEASURES, AND ARE NOT LIMITED TO A 
CERTAIN NATION, OR DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF VISITORS 
COMING FROM IT, OR THE PRESENCE OF SYMPATHIZERS WITH 
TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, AS MENTIONED BY SOME AMERICAN 
MEDIA. 
 
2.  "DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH 'AL-ITTIHAD' YESTERDAY, 
THE AMERICAN OFFICIAL REITERATED HER COUNTRY'S WELCOME 
OF ALL UAE VISITORS, WHETHER FOR EDUCATION, MEDICAL 
TREATMENT OR TOURISM, NOTING THAT THE NUMBER OF UAE 
VISITORS HAS INCREASED. 
 
3.  "ON HER CURRENT VISIT, AMBASSADOR HARTY SAID THAT IT 
COMES AS PART OF A REGIONAL VISIT THAT WAS STARTED IN 
EGYPT, WHERE SHE PARTICIPATED IN A REGIONAL CONFERENCE 
FOR U.S. CONSULS IN THE REGION, WHOSE AIM WAS EXCHANGING 
VIEWS AND EXPERTISE AND REVIEWING THE NEW MEASURES 
REGARDING ENTRY VISAS TO THE U.S., AS WELL AS OTHER 
ISSUES RELATED TO AMERICAN CHILDREN OF NON-AMERICANS. 
SHE PERSONALLY FOLLOWS THIS PORTFOLIO AND, AT THE SAME 
TIME, IT RECEIVES SPECIAL ATTENTION FROM BOTH THE 
AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION AND THE CONGRESS.  SHE ADDED 
THAT HER TOUR TOOK HER TO EGYPT, JORDAN, AND THE UAE AND 
THEN TO SAUDI ARABIA. 
 
4.  "ON THE COMPLEXITIES AND THE LONG TIME REQUIRED FOR 
VISA PROCESSING FOLLOWING SEPTEMBER 11, THE ASSISTANT 
SECRETARY FOR CONSULAR AFFAIRS NOTED THAT MANY THINGS 
 
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HAVE CHANGED FOLLOWING 9/11, AND THAT WE, AS A 
GOVERNMENT, HAVE A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE SAFETY AND 
SECURITY OF OUR CITIZENS AND THOSE WHO LIVE IN OUR 
NATION.  AS A REMINDER, THOSE WHO WERE KILLED IN THE 
WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK WERE NOT ONLY AMERICANS, 
BUT ALSO CITIZENS BELONGING TO MORE THAN 90 COUNTRIES. 
 
5.  "SHE ADDED THAT PARENTS WHO DECIDE TO SEND THEIR 
CHILDREN TO STUDY ABROAD ARE KEEN THAT THEY LIVE IN A 
SAFE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE SAME THING APPLIES TO 
VISITORS; THEREFORE, SECURITY IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. 
AS FOR THE ROLE OF MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
SECURITY IN US CONSULATES, SHE EXPLAINED THAT THESE ARE 
PEOPLE WITH LONG EXPERIENCE WHO HAVE WORKED IN 
DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS INS, CUSTOMS OR THE COAST GUARD, AND 
THAT WE HAVE STARTED SENDING THEM TO OUR MISSIONS ABROAD 
TO USE THEIR EXPERTISE AND ENSURE THE QUICK AND 
EFFICIENT APPLICATION OF THE NEW MEASURES.  IT IS NO 
SECRET TO SAY THAT THE PREVIOUS MEASURES WERE SLOW AND 
 
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REQUIRED MODIFICATION AND WE DID OUR BEST TO MAKE THEM 
FASTER AND MORE EFFECTIVE. 
 
6.  "ON WHETHER THESE MEASURES ARE TARGETING ONLY ARABS 
AND MUSLIMS, THE AMERICAN OFFICIAL DENIED THIS NOTION, 
ASSERTING THAT THESE MEASURES ARE IMPOSED WORLDWIDE AND 
OUR MISSION (AS A GOVERNMENT) IS TO MAINTAIN THE 
SECURITY OF ALL LEGAL TRAVELERS.  SECRETARY THOMAS RIDGE 
(HOMELAND SECURITY) VISITED A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES TO 
BRIEF THEM ON THESE MEASURES. 
 
7.  "REGARDING THE SUFFERING CAUSED BY THE PREVIOUS 
MEASURES ON THOSE WHO SOUGHT EDUCATION IN THE US, 
AMBASSADOR HARTY NOTED: 'WE'RE SORRY FOR THEIR 
SUFFERINGS AND ONCE AGAIN I SAY THAT THIS IS DUE TO OUR 
INTEREST IN PROVIDING A SECURE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS 
SEEKING TO MAKE USE OF OUR ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. 
WE WOULD ALSO BE HAPPY TO SEE THESE STUDENTS GO BACK TO 
THEIR HOME COUNTRIES AFTER GRADUATION AND BECOME LEADERS 
IN THEIR OWN NATIONS.  WE RENEW OUR WELCOME OF STUDENTS 
AND HOPE THAT THAT THEY SEE TRANSPARENCY, EFFICIENCY AND 
SPEED IN THE NEW MEASURES.  THEY WOULD ALSO FEEL A 
FLEXIBILITY THAT ALLOWS THEM TO APPLY WITHOUT ANY PRIOR 
APPOINTMENTS AS LONG AS THEIR DOCUMENTS ARE COMPLETE.' 
 
8.  "WHAT APPLIES TO STUDENT ALSO APPLIES TO VISITORS 
SEEKING MEDICAL CARE, TOURISM OR EVEN IMMIGRATION. 
DESPITE WHAT MANY SEE AS SLOWNESS AND COMPLICATIONS OF 
THE SYSTEM, THE NUMBER OF VISAS HAS INCREASED TO 6.8 
MILLION. 
9.  "REGARDING THE RISE IN RATE OF INCIDENTS TARGETING 
ARABS AND MUSLIMS IN THE US RECENTLY, DESPITE EFFORTS BY 
THE ADMINISTRATION TO HIGHLIGHT TOLERANCE AND ETHNIC 
DIVERSITY IN AMERICA, AMBASSADOR HARTY SAID, 'OF COURSE 
THE GENERAL MOOD OF THE SOCIETY HAS CHANGED AFTER 9/11; 
WE REJECT THESE ASSAULTS AND CONSIDER THEM CRIMES, FOR 
THEY AFFECT OUR VALUES AND OUR IMAGE AS A NATION THAT 
WAS BUILT BY IMMIGRANTS OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AND RACES 
AND RELIGIONS.' 
 
10.  "HARTY CONCLUDED HER STATEMENT BY REASSERTING HER 
NATION'S WELCOME OF ALL THOSE WHO SEEK EDUCATION, 
MEDICAL TREATMENT, TOURISM OR TRADE WITH THE US, WHETHER 
THEY ARE UAE NATIONALS OR EXPATRIATES LIVING IN THE UAE. 
SHE ALSO REVIEWED ALL THE FACILITIES AVAILABLE FOR THEM 
IN THE AREAS THEY SEEK, WHETHER THE DEVELOPED 
INFRASTRUCTURE, THE QUALITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, 
THE EXCELLENT MEDICAL CARE, OR TOURISM IN AMERICA." 
 
ALBRIGHT