US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI3272

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 003272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, UNSC, PHUM, PINR, EAID, SY, IZ, GZ, SA, 
IR, TC 
SUBJECT: SHEIKH ABDULLAH ON SYRIA, GAZA, SAUDI BORDER 
DISPUTE 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 3244 
     B. STATE 136754 
     C. ABU DHABI 3161 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY.  On July 24, UAE Minister of Information 
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan and Ambassador discussed 
UAE attention to halting the flow of foreign fighters into 
Iraq; Abdullah's planned travel to Damascus to meet with 
Syrian President Bashar Al Asad; Gaza disengagement and the 
UAE's Gaza aid projects, UAE-Saudi border tensions; Iran; the 
UAEG's new national strategy for condemning extremism in the 
mosques; UN reform; and trafficking in persons.  Abdullah 
took on board USG concerns regarding high-profile travel to 
Syria, the need for Syria to halt the flow of foreign 
fighters across its border into Iraq, and the urgency of 
ending Syrian interference in Lebanon.  He has postponed his 
plans to travel to Damascus the week of July 25, although the 
trip may go forward later.  Sheikh Abdullah voiced UAEG 
appreciation for the Secretary's statement that Israel should 
not seal off or isolate Gaza following its proposed 
withdrawal next month.  He described the UAE's continuing 
assistance to the Palestinian people, including the UAE's 
offer to fund a $100 million construction project in Gaza. 
Although he formally heads the UAE's Information and Culture 
Ministry, Abdullah has taken on a number of sensitive 
missions recently (visit to Gaza in May, attendance at the 
Hariri funeral in Beirut in February).  Abdullah will be 
attending the UNGA in September as the UAE's senior 
substantive member.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) After having shared lunch with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince 
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan and CENTCOM Commander 
General Abizaid July 20 (ref A), Ambassador and  Information 
Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan agreed to meet 
July 24 for lunch to follow up on a number of issues. 
Abdullah was joined by his Under Secretary for Information, 
Saqr Ghobash (the latter remained silent throughout most of 
the meal). 
 
HALTING THE FLOW OF FOREIGN INSURGENTS 
AND TERRORISTS TO IRAQ 
--------------------------------------/ 
 
3. (C) Picking up on General Abizaid's discussion of the 
alarming increase in suicide bombings in Iraq, Ambassador 
raised with Sheikh Abdullah the need for all countries in the 
region to prevent the flow of foreign insurgents and 
terrorists into Iraq, highlighting points provided ref B. 
Aware that a handful of young Emirati men are in MNF custody 
in Iraq, Abdullah pledged his government's vigilance in 
preventing Emirati citizens or expatriate residents from 
traveling to Iraq directly or indirectly to join the 
insurgency.  Abdullah noted security service monitoring of 
ferry traffic to Um Qasr (passengers and cargo), as well as 
security service and police attention focused on anyone 
exhibiting signs of extremist sympathies.  Abu Dhabi's State 
Security Directorate (headed by his brother, Sheikh Hazza) 
and Dubai's State Security Organization monitored the travel 
of Emirati nationals and expatriate residents to Iraq, Iran, 
and Syria, he reported, although much of this travel was 
found to be for legitimate commercial purposes.  He expressed 
particular concern about young men entering Iraq through Iran. 
 
4.  (C) The UAE's sophisticated iris-scan technology, 
installed at seventeen ports of entry, as well as a new 
national ID card and passport program were designed to combat 
both terrorism and illegal migration, Abdullah emphasized. 
He agreed with Ambassador's point that foreign fighters might 
eventually seek to return to their home or neighboring 
countries "credentialed" with terror experience garnered in 
Iraq.  The UAE would not allow this to occur, he vowed. 
Sheikh Abdullah then recounted the story of an unfortunate 
Sudanese who had been spotted by a police officer the day 
before with a UBL picture affixed to the back of his 
motorcycle.  The Sudanese was promptly arrested.  Although 
the police investigation revealed that the picture had been 
attached by his brother-in-law as the result of a family 
dispute, Abdullah noted with satisfaction the swift police 
response.  UBL, Zarqawi and others might still have some 
admirers, he said, but the UAE's national strategy on prayers 
in the mosques was aimed at putting out the message to the 
UAE nationals and large expatriate population that there was 
nothing in Islam that encouraged violence. 
 
PLANNED TRAVEL TO DAMASCUS 
--------------------------/ 
 
5. (C) During the July 20 luncheon with General Abizaid, 
Sheikh Abdullah had mentioned his plans to travel to Damascus 
to meet with President Bashar.  The conversation had then 
turned to the USG's view that Syria was expending minimal 
efforts to combat terrorism and that Syrian territory was 
being used to support the Iraqi insurgency.  During the July 
24 session with Sheikh Abdullah, Ambassador noted the USG's 
concern that international high-level or high-profile visits 
to Damascus only legitimized the SARG and its actions.  She 
also highlighted USG concerns over Syrian interference in 
internal Lebanese affairs, including the economic blockade, 
noting the Secretary's recent call on Syria to restore the 
free flow of trade.  Abdullah listened closely to 
Ambassador's description of the need for the SARG to expel 
Palestinian rejectionist groups, agreeing that such groups 
undermine Abu Mazen and the peace process.  Abdullah noted 
that he had the "unfortunate distinction" of heading the 
now-moribund "UAE-Syria Friendship Committee" on the Emirati 
side.  There had been one meeting of the committee in 
Damascus and one in Abu Dhabi, but activity had ceased in 
2002.  President Bashar had invited him to Damascus to 
relaunch the initiative, but he had demurred, said Abdullah. 
The Committee would remain dormant. 
 
6. (C) At the end of the two hour meal, Abdullah said that he 
would not be departing for Damascus this week, but left open 
the possibility of travel to Syria in August.  However, there 
would be no press fanfare if and when he did travel to Syria, 
Abdullah reassured Ambassador; the visit would be 
low-profile. 
 
GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, UAE ANNOUNCES NEW $100 MILLION PROJECT 
--------------------------------------------- -------------/ 
 
7. (C) Sheikh Abdullah then turned to Gaza disengagement, 
noting that his meetings in Gaza in May had convinced him 
that this was an issue "even more important than Iraq" in 
terms of peace and stability in the Arab world.  Abdullah had 
traveled to Gaza two months ago to cut the ribbon for Zayed 
City, a new residential complex north of Gaza that the UAE 
had constructed at a cost of $62 million to house some 25,000 
Palestinians.  Abdullah noted that the UAE had also decided 
to construct a $100,000 project in Gaza, Khalifa bin Zayed 
City (named after his oldest brother, the new President). 
The new project would meet the residential needs of between 
30,000 and 40,000 Palestinians and would be coordinated with 
UNRWA. 
 
8. (C) Abdullah urged the USG to provide additional 
assistance to the Palestinian people.  Ambassador noted that 
the USG would be providing some $50 million to the 
Palestinian Authority for projects in Gaza as part of Quartet 
Special Envoy for Gaza Disengagement Wolfensohn's $100 
million fundraising effort.  She added that the USG continued 
to coordinate closely with the PA to ensure that the most 
pressing needs of the Palestinian people were addressed. 
Sheikh Abdullah praised the Secretary's support for the free 
movement for Palestinians, citing her public statement that 
when the Israelis withdraw from Gaza, the Palestinian people 
should not be sealed in or isolated.   (Comment: During NEA 
PDAS Cheney's recent visit to Abu Dhabi, she offered to brief 
Special Envoy Wolfensohn about the UAE's positive experience 
in providing aid to the Palestinians in Gaza and to recommend 
that he meet with the UAE leadership to consult further. 
Embassy believes that MFA, Red Crescent, and Abu Dhabi 
Development Fund officials would welcome such a meeting after 
the traditionally quiet month of UAE August vacations.  End 
Comment). 
 
UAE-SAUDI BORDER ISSUE 
----------------------/ 
 
9. (C) Sheikh Abdullah noted that not only the Al Nahyan 
brothers (including President Khalifa, Crown Prince MbZ, 
MinState Foreign Affairs Hamdan, and Minister for 
Presidential Affairs Mansour) but also Dubai's Al Maktoum 
brothers were focused on the ongoing Saudi-UAE border 
dispute.  In fact, said Abdullah, Dubai Crown Prince Mohammed 
bin Rashid Al Maktoum was "rabid" on the issue.  The fact 
that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah had personally signed an 
"inflammatory" letter in May addressed to President Khalifa 
had made clear to the UAE side that this issue was not going 
to be easily or quickly resolved.  The future of the Gulf 
Cooperation Council was up in the air due to Saudi bullying 
of the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar.  The UAE wondered where 
Kuwait stood on the UAE border issue and the Saudi issues 
affecting the smaller Gulf states -) the Kuwaitis had not 
yet clearly expressed their stance. Abdullah said that he 
hoped the USG understood the importance of the border issue 
to the UAE.  (Note:  We have since learned that the UAEG 
raised the Saudi-UAE border issue with the Canadian and U.K. 
missions in Abu Dhabi recently, indicating a growing effort 
to garner international support for the UAE's stance.  End 
note.) 
IRAN 
----/ 
 
10. (S) Abdullah turned the conversation to UAE's neighbor 
across the water, Iran.  He mentioned that Hassan Rowhani 
(Secretary of Iran's National Security Council) had 
complained bitterly during his June conversation with 
President Khalifa about the UAE's action in late 2004 with 
regard to a container ship of Iran-bound cargo en route from 
China.   Rowhani expressed displeasure that the shipment had 
been returned to China, Abdullah noted.   Abdullah said he 
was convinced that Iran was intent on developing nuclear 
weapons, echoing statements he made earlier this year during 
former U/S Bolton's visit to Abu Dhabi. 
 
UAE'S NEW NATIONAL STRATEGY IN THE MOSQUES 
------------------------------------------/ 
 
11. (C) Ambassador congratulated Sheikh Abdullah on the  July 
15 UAE-wide sermon condemning acts of terrorism in London and 
Iraq, and noted the positive feedback Embassy had heard 
regarding the July 22 sermon, which emphasized that there was 
nothing in the culture of Islam nor its teachings that 
encouraged violence.  Sheikh Abdullah underscored the UAEG's 
intention that Sunni and Shi'a mosques nationwide criticize 
publicly any form of extremism or violence.  Ambassador then 
raised an al-Sakifah website posting which had warned the 
UAEG to exact non-Muslims and American citizens within ten 
days or risk attack (ref D).  Abdullah noted that this 
appeared to be a re-posting of a March 2005 internet message. 
 
 
UN REFORM; G-4 UNSC 
-------------------/ 
 
12. (C) Ambassador raised the G-4 framework resolution on UN 
reform, noting that we understood that the UAEG had already 
taken the decision not to support the resolution.  Had there 
been a final call as to whether the UAEG would vote against 
it or abstain?  Abdullah did not answer directly, but noted 
the UAEG's disagreement with the  resolution.  He added that 
he found the African Union position to be "ludicrous." (Note: 
 With the Foreign Minister, MinState Foreign Affairs, and MFA 
U/S out of the country on vacation, Abdullah appears to be 
the senior UAEG rep focusing on foreign affairs during the 
Abu Dhabi's summer lull.) 
 
TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 
----------------------/ 
 
13. (U) Sheikh Abdullah noted the UAEG's focus on combating 
trafficking in persons, adding that he and other leaders 
understood the need to push hard for greater law enforcement 
attention to the issue. The government was working to put 
together statistics on prosecutions. 
 
MEDIA LAW 
---------/ 
 
14. (U) Ambassador asked about the status of a draft media 
law, noting Sheikh Abdullah's public encouragement for the 
initiative.  Abdullah replied that he had asked the UAE 
Journalists Association to present him with suggestions for 
the new law, and that he was still awaiting a response.  He 
asked Information U/S Ghobash to follow up. 
 
 
SISON