US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI2489

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002489 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI; NEA/PPD; NEA/I 
AMEMBASSY LONDON PASS TO MOD, FCO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, IZ, TC 
SUBJECT: Basrah Media Reporting Trip - "Tell them that our door is 
open for business." 
 
1. (U) Summary.  On May 18-21 PA Abu Dhabi conducted a media- 
reporting trip for Abu Dhabi TV, Arabic Language daily Al-Ittihad and 
monthly Gulf Defense Magazine to Basrah, Iraq to highlight Basrah 
political and economic stability and UK/Iraqi joint military training 
activities.  The group met with and interviewed the Governor of 
Basrah, Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Basrah City Council, 
members of the Basrah Chamber of Commerce and the British Consul 
General.  The group also traveled to Umm Qasr, participated in a 
joint UK/Iraqi naval training exercise and interviewed the commander 
of Iraqi naval forces in Umm Qasr.  USAID hosted a representational 
event for the group with local Iraqi journalists, USAID staff and 
local development professionals.  The journalists were accompanied by 
the APAO and Information Specialist from the Public Affairs Office in 
Abu Dhabi.  During the trip, PA Abu Dhabi worked with program 
partners in Basrah and Bahrain to plan future media reporting trips 
for UAE and regional Arab media.  PA Abu Dhabi is currently planning 
a follow on trip for Al-Arabiya June 19-22. End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
Immediate Results 
----------------- 
 
2. (U) Abu Dhabi TV produced 2 news pieces based on the reporting 
trip, the first of which aired May 22 and the second of which aired 
May 24.  Post anticipates that Al-Ittihad will publish 2-3 print 
media pieces and that Gulf Defense Magazine will have a feature 
length article in its next publication.  The Abu Dhabi TV May 22 
story is available at the link below: 
 
http://intranet.abudhabi.state.gov/PAO/Media% 20Resources/Abu%20Dhabi% 
20TV%20-%20Umm%20Qasr%20-%20052305.mpg 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
The Logistical Pipeline into Basrah for Arab Media 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
3. (U) The program was developed and implemented as a six-way 
partnership between the Public Affairs Office in Abu Dhabi, the 
Public Affairs Office for Navy Central Command in Bahrain, the 
British Forces Media Operations Group of the Multi-National Division 
Southeast (MND SE/UK) at the Basrah airport, the British Consulate, 
the Regional Embassy Office in Basrah, and USAID in Basrah.   For the 
May 18-21 program, PA Abu Dhabi recruited the participating media and 
escorted them on the trip. PAO NAVCENT provided the air 
transportation from Dubai to Bahrain and served as overall 
coordination point for the program.  The Media Ops group with MND 
SE/UK provided accommodations, arranged for the air transport from 
Bahrain to Basrah and arranged the May 20 program to Umm Qasr 
(including force protection and transport).  The British Consulate 
arranged the May 19 program in Basrah (including force protection and 
transport).  REO Basrah and USAID hosted the May 20 representational 
event at the USAID facility at the Basrah Airport. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
Journalists Interview Basrah Government and Business Leaders 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
4. (U) On May 19, media and political officer for the British 
Consulate Karen McLuskie programmed the journalists for a full day of 
meetings with leading Basrah government and business leaders.  They 
were the first non-Iraqi Arab media to interview each of these 
individuals.  The group first met with Mrs. Isra' Al-Sa'ad, the 
Deputy City Council Chairman for Basrah, a Shia woman who had 
recently won re-election based on her record of creditability.  She 
provided the group with a tour of the new city council facilities and 
discussed reconstruction and economic development issues.  The group 
then met with Mr. Mohammed Sa'doun Al-Ebadi, the Chairman of the City 
Council, who highlighted the high level of security in Basrah.  He 
criticized western and Arab media outlets for grouping Basrah with 
other regions in Iraq when highlighting security concerns in the 
country.  He indicated that these false concerns were keeping media 
organizations from coming to Basrah and focusing on its many 
accomplishments.  The group then met with Mr. Mohammed Al-Wai'li, the 
Governor of Basrah, who stated that Basrah now has 13,000 police 
officers, most of them trained by the British and Czech Police.  He 
said that the city government is continuing to work with coalition 
partners in developing basic infrastructure and that great progress 
had been made since the end of the war, but that the lack of funds 
from donor nations was limiting their work.  He is currently focusing 
on increasing foreign direct investment into Basrah and opening 
greater trade links between Basrah and other countries in the region. 
When asked what message he wanted the group to take back to the 
outside world he said, "Tell them that our door is open for 
business." 
 
5. (U) The group interviewed members of the Basrah Chamber of 
Commerce, including Mr. Dhaher Adbul-Majeed, Director, and Mr. Aziz 
Al-Ramadhan, Deputy Director of the Chamber, as well as Mr. Zuhair 
Kubba, a prominent local businessmen in Basrah.  The director stated 
that the economy during Saddam's regime had not focused on investment 
and trade with other countries.  He said that the impact of the new 
free market economy is changing the way that Iraqis think about their 
role in society.  In the past, Iraqis in were just told what to do. 
Now they must take initiative, which is creating opportunities for 
those motivated and capable, and challenges for those who are not. 
 
6. (U) During the discussion, local businessman Mr. Zuhair Kubba 
painted a very bright economic picture of Basrah, highlighting the 
safety and security of the Basrah region as a selling point for 
potential investors.  He indicated that UAE investors are very active 
in southern Iraq.  He said that investors in Abu Dhabi and Dubai were 
planning on building a seaport in Al-Fao, modeled after Jebel Ali and 
that investment in Basrah-based banks from other Gulf-region 
countries had tripled in the last two years. 
 
7. (U) The group finished the day with interviews with Mr. Stuart 
Innes, British Consul General of Basrah, and Mr. Taha Al-Tamimi, 
Chief of the Political Section at the Consulate, who discussed 
British and coalition policy in southern Iraq and highlighted on- 
going political and economic development, as well reconstruction 
projects.  The journalists also visited Al-Khora park, a UK 
Department for International Development (DFID)-funded project that 
has renovated the historic park for the community.  They interviewed 
Mr. Abdul-Hafiz Al-Atti, a prominent local businessman who works 
closely with the British consulate on reconstruction and development 
projects in Basrah. 
 
8. (U) On May 20, the journalists traveled down to an Iraqi Naval 
Base in Umm Qasr to participate in a joint UK/Iraqi naval training 
exercise and maritime security operations.  The group accompanied the 
Iraqi Navy on a patrol of the Shat Al-Arab, the waterway in between 
Iraq and Iran, where the Iraqis demonstrated skills learned from the 
British Royal Navy.  The group interviewed Lt. Wasam, the spokesman 
for the Iraqi Navy at Umm Qasr and met with Captain Adel, commander 
of the Iraqi Navy at Umm Qasr.  They both indicated that their 
efforts are primarily focused on gasoline smuggling interdiction 
operations. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------------- 
Future Programming - Menu of Opportunities in Basrah and Al Arabiya 
--------------------------------------------- ----------------------- 
 
9. (U) During the trip, PA Abu Dhabi worked to develop a network of 
contacts to facilitate further placement of Arab media into Basrah. 
They are also developing a "menu" of media opportunities that 
interested news organizations can use to custom design a program that 
focuses on their areas of interest.  PA Abu Dhabi is planning to 
conduct a follow on media reporting trip for Al-Arabiya June 19-22. 
Additional trips for other UAE-based media organizations are planned 
further out in the summer.