US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI4025

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 004025 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, SA, JO, TC 
SUBJECT: MINSTATE FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAMDAN ON IRAQ, SAUDI 
BORDER, JORDAN AID 
 
REF: STATE 168923 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4(b) 
and (d). 
 
1.  (U)  Summary.  Ambassador called on Minister of State for 
Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al Nahyan (HbZ) 
September 19 to thank the UAE for its $100 million in 
Hurricane Katrina assistance and to discuss Iraq, the 
UAE-Saudi border, UAE assistance to the Palestinians, and 
possible additional UAE aid to Jordan.  HbZ had been out of 
the country for over a month, having traveled to the U.S. and 
Morocco over the summer.  He was joined by his office 
Director, Ambassador Sultan al Rumaithy, and Yousef al Otaiba 
of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi's office.  End Summary. 
 
HURRICANE KATRINA ASSISTANCE 
---------------------------- 
 
2.  (U)  Ambassador delivered Secretary Rice's message to 
Sheikh Hamdan (reftel) expressing appreciation to the UAE for 
its generous donation of $100 million.  She also thanked 
Sheikh Hamdan for the condolences expressed in Sheikh 
Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan's September 17 address to the 
United Nations, in which the UAE noted sympathy for the 
victims of Hurricane Katrina.  HbZ said that President 
Khalifa and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed had been 
following news reports very closely and had been deeply moved 
by the suffering they saw. 
 
IRAQ 
---- 
 
3.  (C)  Ambassador previewed the proposed October 8 visit of 
Ambassador Jim Jeffrey and an interagency team to UAE, 
recalling the positive meeting HbZ had enjoyed with former 
Senior Advisor and Coordinator for Iraq Dick Jones.  The 
Ambassador asked that the UAE encourage Iraqi voter turnout 
in December and consider publicly congratulating the Iraqi 
people on having drafted a constitution.  She urged the UAE 
to upgrade its representation in Iraq from Charge d'affaires 
level to Ambassadorial rank and to exchange high-level 
visits.  She also urged pressure on Syria and Iran to respect 
Iraq's sovereignty and to stop the use of Syrian and Iranian 
territory by those seeking to destabilize Iraq.  HbZ agreed 
that halting the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq was key 
to stability and security.  Ambassador also urged rapid 
disbursement of the UAE's pledged assistance to Iraq and 
implementation of debt relief commitments. 
 
4.  (C)  Returning to the topic of Syria, HbZ recalled that 
his late father, Sheikh Zayed, had sent HbZ's brother 
Abdullah to meet Syrian President Bashar al Assad to convince 
Bashar to make changes.  (Note:  In fact, Abdullah most 
recently met Bashar on July 31 in Damascus. End Note.)  The 
Emirati leadership did not have much hope in Bashar's ability 
to effect change, said HbZ.  Ambassador underscored the USG's 
policy of "isolation, not engagement" with regard to Syria. 
"I'm not optimistic about Bashar's leadership ability," 
concluded HbZ.  He complained that other GCC countries had 
not been "out in front" on support for Iraq.  "Where are 
they," he asked, "and why are they holding back?  A stable 
Iraq is important for the whole region."  HbZ said that he 
intended to raise this issue with Oman's Sultan Qaboos when 
he visits Muscat next week. 
 
5.  (C)  Ambassador asked about HbZ's recent meeting with 
former Iraqi PM Iyad Allawi in Morocco.  HbZ replied that "we 
have lost a great deal in not having Allawi in power during 
this period.  Interim PM Ibrahim Jaafari is weak, and Iraq 
needs a strong leader."  HbZ said that he hoped Allawi would 
do well in the upcoming elections, and that the UAE intended 
to continue its support for him.  "However, we hope Allawi 
will still be alive when election day comes," he muttered 
ominously.  Iran's meddling in Iraqi affairs was "very 
serious," he added. 
 
SAUDI BORDER DISPUTE 
-------------------- 
 
6.  (C)  HbZ reported that he had received an invitation 
about ten days earlier from the Saudi Interior Minister, 
Prince Nayyef, to visit Riyadh to continue discussions on the 
disputed UAE-Saudi border.  HbZ said that he had accepted the 
invitation and hoped to travel to Riyadh before the beginning 
of Ramadan (i.e. before October 4-5).  However, the tone of 
Prince Nayyef's letter had been telling, he felt:  Nayyef had 
proposed that the goal of the meeting be to discuss 
"implementation" of the 1974 bilateral agreement on the 
border issue, while the UAE believes that the meeting should 
focus on amendments to the agreement.  HbZ noted that he had 
briefed the (U.S.) Vice President on the issue in detail 
during their August 10 meeting. 
ASSISTANCE FOR JORDAN, PALESTINIANS 
 ---------------------------------- 
7.  (C)  Ambassador asked HbZ for an update on financial 
assistance to Jordan to ease fuel cost woes.  HbZ recalled 
recent UAEG discussion of oil vs. cash assistance for Jordan, 
and said that he would refer the issue to his older brother, 
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.  (Note:  On 
September 20, Ambassador asked MbZ where the issue stood. 
MbZ noted that Jordan's King Abdullah was one of his closest 
personal friends, that he wanted to be of assistance, but 
that "it was not yet clear" where the decision would go.  The 
implication was that President Khalifa would have to weigh in 
on the matter.  End note.) 
 
8.  (SBU)  HbZ's office director, Sultan al Rumaithy, noted 
that the UAE wondered why other GCC countries were not 
stepping up aid to the Palestinians in view of developments 
in Gaza.  The UAE believed that the Arab world needed to 
"live up to its words" and intended to send a high-level 
delegation to the Palestinian donors conference in Amman in 
November. 
SISON