US embassy cable - 05MUSCAT1123

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 001123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, OPRC, KDEM, KMPI, KPAO, XF, MU, U.S.-Oman Relations, International Relations 
SUBJECT: INTO THE LION'S DEN:  ADDRESSING THE COMMAND AND 
STAFF COLLEGE 
 
REF: A. MUSCAT 787 
     B. 04 MUSCAT 1132 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (U) The Ambassador delivered his annual address to the 
Omani Command and Staff College on July 13, followed by an 
intense question and answer session.  Fielding questions on a 
broad range of topics, including the war in Iraq, the legal 
status of Guantanamo detainees, the Palestinian-Israeli peace 
process, and the perceived maltreatment of Muslims in 
America, the Ambassador debunked a number of commonly held 
misperceptions about America and its relationship with the 
Arab world.  The interaction with 81 mid-level officers, 
including four exchange officers from Jordan and Yemen, was 
frank and engaging.  End Summary. 
 
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Addressing the Graduates 
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2. (U) The Ambassador took advantage of his annual invitation 
to address the Ministry of Defense's Command and Staff 
College July 13 to speak about little-known aspects of U.S. 
history, culture, and foreign policy.  His multi-media 
presentation was followed by an intense hour-long question 
and answer period.  During his speech, the Ambassador 
highlighted stories of Arab-Americans reaching their dreams 
in the U.S. through increased access to education, 
employment, and higher standards of living.  The audience of 
faculty members and 81 mid-level military students from the 
Sultan's Armed Forces, Yemen, and Jordan engaged the 
Ambassador on a variety of topics, some of them 
controversial.  (Note: See ref A on the Ambassador's address 
to this institution in 2004, while ref B covers a similar 
question/answer opportunity in May from the Ambassador's 
address to the Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Institute.  End 
note.) 
 
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War in Iraq - In Whose Interest? 
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3. (U) Beginning on a provocative note, a Jordanian army 
major, citing divergent opinion polls about the war in Iraq, 
pressed the Ambassador to explain why so few Americans 
approve of the war while an overwhelming percentage of 
Israelis favored it.  The Ambassador reminded the group that 
this is not a "U.S. versus the world" issue and that there is 
an international interest and consensus in helping create a 
stable and democratic Iraq.  The Ambassador cited specific 
examples of international community's commitment to Iraq's 
reconstruction as reaffirmed by the Brussels conference in 
June, where over 80 delegations committed to increased troop 
support, financial assistance, and debt forgiveness to aid in 
the multilateral reconstruction efforts. 
 
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Israel/Palestine 
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4. (U) A major in the Royal Army of Oman pointedly asked the 
Ambassador about America's continued "blind support" of 
Israel and its maltreatment of the Palestinian people.  While 
the Ambassador reiterated the Administration's complete 
support of a free Palestine and Israel living side-by-side, 
the Ambassador also pointed out that the USG has publicly 
condemned the loss of civilian life on both sides.  The 
Ambassador referred interested parties to the State 
Department Human Rights Report on Israel and the Palestinian 
territories, which is clearly critical of Israeli actions in 
Palestine. 
 
5. (U) In addressing subsequent questions about Israel, the 
Ambassador also reminded the group of the significant U.S. 
contributions to Palestine, including the G8 commitment of $3 
billion in aid pledged for the next three years.  In 
addition, the U.S. continues to work with the Palestinian 
Authority to facilitate legal and judicial reform, develop a 
transparent regulatory regime, and work on private-sector job 
creation to help revive the economy. 
 
6. (U) A Yemeni major invited the Ambassador to share U.S. 
views on security in the Gulf.  The Ambassador, while 
acknowledging that security is always a concern, reminded the 
audience of the long-standing friendly relations the U.S. has 
with Gulf countries.  Although there are concerns about 
Iran's nuclear program, the U.S. is committing enormous 
resources, through trade agreements and aid, to address 
perceived inequities in the region. 
 
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Guantanamo 
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7. (U) A few officers inquired about the legal status of 
detainees in Guantanamo.  While briefing the group on the 
legal background of the U.S. administration of Guantanamo, 
the Ambassador highlighted the transparency of the detention 
center and the unprecedented access to Guantanamo by 1,000 
journalists, 180 congressional representatives, as well as 
visits by the representatives of countries who have nationals 
there.  70 cases have been reviewed of late and 29 of those 
detainees will be returning to their countries.  However, the 
Administration's view of al-Qaida and Taliban detainees is 
that they are enemy combatants who may be held under the law 
of war. 
 
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Muslims in America 
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8. (U) Citing reports from al-Jazeera, one major asked why 
there is so much hatred of Arabs in America.  Seizing upon 
Oman's highly successful participation in the annual 
Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Ambassador cited numerous 
examples of effortless and enjoyable experiences of Arabs 
traveling to America without incident -- including the 
Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the Southern Methodist 
University Rule of Law Forum, and the International Visitor 
Leadership Program.  Dispelling some common misconceptions 
about maltreatment of Muslims in America, the Ambassador 
encouraged more Omanis to travel to the U.S., be it for 
business, pleasure, or study, to experience for themselves 
the open-minded and welcoming America that shares so much in 
common with tolerant, moderate Oman. 
 
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Comment 
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9. (U) This annual address offered an excellent opportunity 
to engage Omanis and other Arabs on current events and to 
debunk all-too-common myths of our "blind support" of Israel 
and hostility toward Muslims in America.  The students 
appeared to appreciate the frank discussion and the 
Ambassador's patient engagement on the subject matter. 
However, the strident, provocative, and sometimes misinformed 
questions posed by some of these future Arab military leaders 
show that much work remains to be done. 
BALTIMORE