US embassy cable - 05DOHA1961

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 001961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA:GGRAY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, QA 
SUBJECT: DAS GORDON GRAY MEETING WITH SHEIKH HAMAD BIN 
JASSIM AL-THANI (HBJ) - DOHA, QATAR, 1 DECEMBER 2005 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer, Reasons 1.4 (B and D) 
 
1.  (U) Present on the Qatari side: Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim 
al-Thani (HBJ), Foreign Minister and First Deputy Prime 
Minister of Qatar; Sheikh Jabor bin Yusuf al-Thani, HBJ,s 
Office Director and nephew; Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad 
al-Thani, daughter of the Amir of Qatar and newly-appointed 
Assistant to HBJ for International Conferences; and Khalifa 
al-Sowaidi, Staff Assistant, European & Americas Division, 
MFA. 
 
2.  (U) Present on the US side: Gordon Gray, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs; Ambassador Chase 
 
SIPDIS 
Untermeyer; Shawn Thorne, Qatar-UAE Desk Officer, State 
Department; Mirembe Nantongo, Public Affairs Officer, Embassy 
Doha; and Rob Pyott, Political-Economics Officer, Embassy 
Doha. 
 
3.  (U) The meeting took place at approximately noon on 
Thursday, 1 December 2005, in the Four Seasons Hotel Doha 
(owned by HBJ). 
 
4.  (S) The Qatari-American Relationship: Mr. Gray began by 
saying the US "very much appreciates your hosting (our 
forces) at Al Udeid. Overall, the relationship is very 
strong."  He then asked HBJ for his view of the relationship. 
 
"Yes, it is a good relationship," he said, but not like 
before. We had more understanding; we would talk very often; 
we would share views; and we would know what was going on. 
Right now, I feel we don,t have that close a relationship, 
one that allows you to say what you want. I couldn,t find up 
to now that your side is ready to do that (again). We are 
waiting till you decide it is the right time. 
 
"I had a good visit with the Secretary (in September). It was 
not enough time.... We would like to engage more in a serious 
and longer talk with the right people. I did not succeed. 
We,ll leave it till I see some progress in the relationship." 
 
5.  (S) Al Jazeera: With regard to the 22 November report in 
the London Daily Mirror that President Bush in April 2004 
spoke of attacking Al Jazeera,s studios in Doha, HBJ said: 
"I thought someone from the White House would deny it and 
speak about the relationship. They just said it was a silly 
thing. This (country) is not Russia or China: You have a base 
here and friends here. Even if it was not true, something 
needed to be said from the White House. It is an emotional 
thing for our people, and we have to be concerned. They ask, 
 Why do you want a relationship with these people when they 
want to bomb Al Jazeera and kill maybe 500 people from many 
countries?, 
 
"We became tired talking about Al Jazeera. We are trying to 
make progress. I understand your fear, your anxiety. Every 
time, we have a new demand, especially after we learn you 
wanted to bomb it.... We didn,t say anything. I heard for a 
year and a half that the story was true." 
 
Mr. Gray replied, "The White House was categorical in 
dismissing the story. Prime Minister Blair did the same. 
It,s hard when something is not true to prove it,s not. I 
agree we missed a chance to say something positive about the 
Qatari-American relationship, but there was a desire to keep 
the statement to a minimum. I realize you have your audience, 
and the people of Qatar want more elaboration....There was no 
bombing. We obviously have our differences with Al Jazeera. 
At the same time, members of our administration appear on Al 
Jazeera all the time. I have confidence in both of you (HBJ 
and Ambassador Untermeyer). Al Jazeera is becoming more 
professional. Unfortunately, recently it,s gone in the 
opposite direction." 
 
HBJ said, "I,m not just talking about Al Jazeera, I don,t 
care about it. I care about straightening our relationship. I 
would like the (Bush) Administration to think how to make 
this relationship work. You have a good man here (Ambassador 
Untermeyer) working on it. But every time we agree on 
something, there is something new." 
 
HBJ said that he met with Karen Hughes, and she promised to 
get back in touch with Ambassador al-Khalifa there but has 
not yet done so. Mr. Gray promised to "take that back to 
Washington." 
 
6.  (S) Iran: Mr. Gray asked HBJ for his views on Iran, and 
HBJ replied: "We think all parties in Iran want a nuclear 
weapon, and they will have it. I think the Iranians have a 
clear message from the Russians that a resolution in the 
Security Council (condemning Iran) won,t go anywhere. I told 
the Secretary-General of NATO (today) that it should speak 
with one voice. The Iranians will talk and talk to you till 
one day we will wake up and they have a nuclear weapon." Mr. 
Gray agreed. 
HBJ continued: "It will be a big problem for us if (the 
Iranians) have a leakage like Chernobyl. The same day it will 
be in Doha. The Iranians always have their way to sneak 
around. We have said this before: The fear is from Iran, not 
Iraq. We shouldn,t hope some crack will happen inside Iran. 
Right now they have the devil, America. The mullahs have the 
upper hand and all the most important elements of the 
country. We are not happy; we are not relaxed." 
When Mr. Gray asked HBJ what the US should do, the FM 
replied: "There is no other way than the EU3 approach. But 
you need to limit it say, February and then go to the 
Security Council. You have the means to convince the Russians 
not to veto." 
 
7.  (S) Palestine: Mr. Gray reminded HBJ of his pledge to 
Assistant Secretary Welch in New York in September that Qatar 
will support Palestine financially. HBJ said Qatar has sent 
the Palestinians 100 "military cars". Qatar is also looking 
at some sort of bank and a rail link between Gaza and the 
West Bank. He said he will go to Gaza in January, at which 
time "I will announce something." 
 
Asked about elections in Palestine, HBJ said, "We shouldn,t 
exclude Hamas. It makes Hamas look like the real 
Palestinians. To isolate them is to repeat mistakes made in 
many places. I talk to Abu Mazen many times on the phone. He 
is optimistic." 
 
8.  (S) Iraq: Mr. Gray asked HBJ if he seen the President,s 
speech in Annapolis, and HBJ said he had: "It is very 
important that the President keep his word. Many things are 
happening in the United States and Europe. Nobody believes 
the US should withdraw troops right after the (December) 
election. You have got to have a slow movement. If you run 
away, it is a bad example." 
 
Mr. Gray assured HBJ that "There is no question of that. It 
will be a conditions-based redeployment." 
 
HBJ said, "We are training some of their people," meaning the 
Iraqis. He mentioned airport security in particular. 
 
The meeting ended after approximately 45 minutes. 
UNTERMEYER