US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI4305

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004305 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/I AND NEA/I, NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IZ, TC 
SUBJECT: IRAQ'S CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM -- VIEWS FROM UAE 
AND FROM AN IRAQI DIPLOMAT 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 4261 
     B. ABU DHABI 4200 
 
Classified By: MARTIN R. QUINN, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, A.I., REASONS 1.4 (B 
) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for 
Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed (HbZ) confirmed to 
Charge October 11 that he had positive meetings with Iraqi 
parliament speaker Hajim al-Hassani, Sunni Waqf (Endowment) 
leader Ahmed al-Ghaffour al-Samarrai, and former Sunni Waqf 
leader Adnan al-Dulaimi in Abu Dhabi last week.  As HbZ 
promised October 2 when he met with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq 
Zalmay Khalilzad (refs A, B), the UAE leadership was working 
to get "responsible people to work together" on the political 
process in Iraq.  These efforts are to "ensure that the Iraqi 
Government does not fall under Iranian domination," he told 
Charge.  HbZ said it was clear to him that the present 
government in Iraq was more pro-Iranian than pro-Iraqi.  To 
prove his point, he cited the fact that the response to Saudi 
Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal's remarks about Iranian 
interference in Iraq came from Iraq's Interior Minister (a 
Shi'a), rather than from Iran.  Fear of Iraq falling under 
Iranian influence is a concern UAE officials have regularly 
expressed. 
 
2. (C) There were several other Iraq-related items that came 
to the Embassy's attention in the run-up to the 
constitutional referendum on October 15: 
 
-- The Dubai-based Gulf Research Center, a think tank headed 
by Saudi millionaire Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, has posted an 
opinion poll on its web site that asks readers if they 
believe the Iraqi draft constitution will be approved by the 
majority of the Iraqi people.  As of this writing, the 
results show 71.4% saying no, 18.4% yes, and 10.2% maybe. 
The poll, which first appeared a week ago and includes 
responses from approximately 100 readers, reflects the views 
of academics and research institutions, GRC researcher Dr. 
Mustafa Alani told Pol Chief.  Alani, a Sunni Arab born in 
Baghdad, called the draft constitution a "very dangerous 
document that will have an impact not only on Iraq but on the 
region."  He warned that federalism will divide -) and 
eventually destroy )- Iraq.  "Academics understand the 
constitution,s contents and believe it is not an acceptable 
document," he added. 
 
-- Based on a ruling by the Iraqi Government, the 
50,000-60,000 Iraqis who reside in the UAE will not be 
allowed to vote in the referendum.  They will, however, be 
allowed to vote for 45 of the 275 seats in the parliament 
during the December 15 elections. 
 
-- The Iraqi Embassy in Abu Dhabi does not have an official 
copy of the draft constitution on its premises.  Iraqi 
diplomats have been able to consult the draft online, however. 
 
-- The Iraqi MFA does not inform the Iraqi Embassy in Abu 
Dhabi in advance of visits by prominent Iraqis, such as 
parliament speaker al-Hassani, and current and former Sunni 
Waqf leaders al-Samarrai and al-Dulaimi.  "We read about it 
in the newspaper after they have left town," complained 
Counselor Mustafa Aboud, the Embassy's No. 2, who spoke with 
Pol Chief October 12.  (Note: When S/I Ambassador Jeffrey was 
in Abu Dhabi October 8, we inquired with the Iraqi Embassy 
about possible meetings with prominent visiting Iraqis.  The 
Iraqi Embassy was not aware of the visits.  End note.) 
Aboud, a Sunni Arab from al-Dawr ("I'm from where Saddam was 
captured") who joined the Iraqi foreign service 30 years ago, 
said it was difficult to predict which way the constitutional 
referendum would go.  He expressed the hope that the 
different Iraqi political groups would find a way to 
reconcile and bring back stability to the country.  He said 
the U.S. could do two things to ameliorate the situation in 
Iraq: (1) urge influential Sunnis to dialogue with the Iraqi 
Government, and (2) help Sunnis forced by the U.S.-led 
coalition to leave their civil service or military jobs after 
the fall of Saddam's regime to return to gainful employment. 
These measures would "close the gap" between the ruling group 
and the Sunnis, he said, and serve to isolate Zarqawi, "a man 
who has no place in Iraq." 
QUINN