US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI2566

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 002566 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/FO, NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/14 
TAGS: PREL, PTERR, IZ, TC 
SUBJECT: Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi Visits UAE 
 
Classified by Charge d'Affaires Richard A. Albright, 
reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
REF: BERLIN 2597 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  In his July 29-31 visit to Abu Dhabi, 
Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi discussed bilateral 
relations and the latest developments in Iraq with 
Shaykh Hamdan bin Zayed (HbZ), Deputy Prime Minister 
and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.  Allawi 
discussed police training and military cooperation 
with Abu Dhabi Deputy Crown Prince and Chief of Staff 
of the Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Shaykh Mohammad bin Zayed 
(MbZ).  Allawi met separately July 29 with German 
National Security Advisor Bernd Muetzelburg, who flew 
in to discuss ongoing German UAE police training, 
possible military training, and invite Allawi to visit 
Berlin.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------- 
Bilateral Talks 
--------------- 
 
2. (C)  Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi arrived in 
Abu Dhabi on Thursday for talks with senior UAE 
officials on the latest developments in Iraq, and to 
discuss UAE police and military assistance. 
Accompanying the prime minister were Iraqi Planning 
and Development Minister Mahdi Al Hafez, Oil Minister 
Samer Al Ghadban, Defense Minister Hazem Al Sha'lan, 
Communications Minister Mohammed Al Hakim, 
Transportation Minister Luay Al Ars, and Governor of 
Iraqi Central Bank Senan Al Shabibi. 
 
3. (C) According to the Iraqi Embassy Charge, Kussay 
Mahdi Salih (who attended only the HbZ meeting and 
proved remarkably uninformed about the substance of 
the visit), Allawi briefed HbZ on developments in Iraq 
and expressed his concerns about the continuing 
problem of infiltration from Iran and Syria.  Allawi 
did not make any specific requests to Hamdan for 
assistance and there were no signed agreements.  HbZ 
conveyed the UAEG's eagerness to support Iraq's 
efforts to regain stability and security. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Military Cooperation Discussion with MbZ 
---------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Abu Dhabi Deputy Crown Prince and Chief of 
Staff of the Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Shaykh Mohammad bin 
Zayed (MbZ) hosted Allawi and some of his delegation 
for lunch on July 30.  Other UAE officials in 
attendance included: Shaykh Tahnoun bin Mohammad, the 
Abu Dhabi Ruler's Representative in the Eastern Region 
and Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive 
Council; Shaykh Surour bin Mohammad, Chamberlain of 
the Presidential Court; and Shaykh Abdullah bin Zayed, 
Minister of Information and Culture (AbZ).  Allawi and 
MbZ had met several times prior to this visit, but 
this was their first meeting in Allawi's capacity as 
Iraqi Prime Minister.  In advance of the lunch, AbZ 
told the Charge that Allawi was very focused on 
getting military support from Arab and Islamic 
countries.  He did not ask for troops from the UAE, 
but welcomed a range of other support in terms of 
military vehicles, equipment, training and 
intelligence cooperation.  AbZ said that the UAEG 
wanted to be responsive.  MbZ Advisor Yousuf Al Otaiba 
told Poloff that the UAE's principal role in relation 
to the UAE/German police training was to bear the 
expenses.  He indicated that that the UAEG was open to 
providing more assistance to Iraq, possibly in 
conjunction with the Germans, once the Iraqis 
determine what is needed. 
 
------------------------ 
Allawi on Syria and Iran 
------------------------ 
 
5. (C) AbZ described Allawi as pleased overall with 
his visit to Syria, but said he was still quite 
concerned about incursions of terrorists.  Allawi said 
he impressed on Syrian President Bashar in a one-on- 
one session that if the Arabs don't support stability 
in Iraq, the door would be left open for Iran to play 
a bigger role in Iraq.  AbZ said that Allawi had 
characterized his conversation with Bashar as being 
much better one-on-one than with the old guard 
present.  AbZ told the Charge that Allawi was most 
concerned about Iran and echoed the statement of the 
Iraqi Defense Minister a few weeks ago, to the effect 
that Iran would remain Iraq's principal adversary. 
Allawi also told AbZ that concerns about Iranian 
influence over some of the proposed participants to 
the National Conference had played a role in the 
decision to delay it by two weeks. 
------------------ 
Crescent Petroleum 
------------------ 
 
6. (C) The Iraqi Charge informed us that he had been 
instructed by Allawi's chief of staff in advance of 
their arrival to include the Pakistani managing 
director of Sharjah-based Crescent Petroleum, Ahsam 
Ullah Khan, in the Iraqi delegation.   When UAE 
protocol initially balked at giving him an airport 
pass, Khan worked through Shaykh Mohammed's staff to 
obtain access and subsequently attended several of the 
meetings and accompanied Allawi on a helicopter tour 
of Dubai.  (Comment: Crescent Petroleum is well 
connected to MbZ and is seeking to advance a proposal 
to import Iranian gas to the UAE.  It is unclear 
whether Allawi knew Khan or whether Khan had used his 
influence with MbZ to get access.) 
 
---------------------- 
Iraqi Business Council 
---------------------- 
 
7. (U) On Friday, Allawi addressed the Iraqi Business 
Council in the UAE and approved holding a conference 
of expatriate Iraqi business councils in Abu Dhabi. 
Talib Khan (Iraqi citizen, no relation to Khan in 
paragraph 6), chairman of the UAE council, said the 
conference will bring together Iraqi businessmen and 
potential investors from Arab and other countries to 
support a variety of business and reconstruction 
projects.  Khan expects the conference to be held in 
December or January. 
 
------------------------- 
Joint UAE-German Training 
------------------------- 
 
8. (C) The German Embassy confirmed that Allawi met 
with German National Security Advisor Bernd 
Muetzelburg July 29 to discuss police training, 
military cooperation, and debt relief (see reftel). 
The German DCM told Econchief that it was a good 
introductory meeting for the Germans and Allawi.  He 
said that the Germans discussed the police training 
program with the UAEG and the Iraqis.  A German 
experts delegation is scheduled to arrive next week to 
discuss details of the training with the UAEG. 
Training is scheduled to resume in September. 
Muetzelburg also explored military cooperation and 
training opportunities, including logistical, 
equipment, and EOD training for Iraqi security forces. 
The DCM said the discussions are in the initial 
stages, and there is no timing yet on providing this 
kind of assistance.  NATO's participation (or lack 
thereof) in Iraq would limit some of Germany's 
options, but Germany is interested in providing 
assistance where it can. 
 
9. (C) On debt relief, Muetzelburg expressed Germany's 
general willingness to provide relief in the context 
of the Paris Club.  The one qualifier would be if the 
German Government would need to reimburse German 
creditors. 
 
10. (C) We understand from the British that 
Muetzelburg conveyed an invitation to Allawi to visit 
Germany and discussed the timing of such a visit.  He 
may also have conveyed a French invite to Allawi. 
 
11. (C) Separately, we understand that Muetzelburg met 
with Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin 
Zayed to discuss follow up on the recent visits of 
each to Germany.  With MbZ, we understand that they 
discussed ideas for how they might work together to 
provide military training and technical assistance to 
Iraq. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
12. (C) While Allawi's visit was well publicized with 
the usual arrival, departure and luncheon photos, 
there were no public statements and the usually bland 
media reports carried zero substance.  We understand 
from a prominent Iraqi businessman that Allawi was 
pleased with his visit and "obtained everything he 
asked for."  The Emiratis have financed the transfer 
of Jordanian APVs and are providing trucks and other 
vehicles.  They are prepared to provide additional 
military equipment and training, possibly in 
conjunction with the Germans, but are apparently 
waiting for more specific requests from Iraq. For 
their part, the Germans have been unusually closed 
lipped, with the German DCM here telling his EU 
colleagues that he had been instructed not to share 
any information on Muetzelburg's visit. 
 
ALBRIGHT