US embassy cable - 05RIYADH9145

S E C R E T RIYADH 009145 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PREL, PINR, SA, Saudi-Iran Relations 
SUBJECT: SAUDI ROYAL ADVISOR'S IMPRESSIONS OF IRANIAN 
PRESIDENT AHMADINAJAD 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael Gfoeller, Reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
1. (S) Royal Advisor Adel  al-Jubeir contacted the Ambassador 
by telephone December 12 and relayed his impressions of 
Iranian President Ahmadinajad, whom he had briefly met at the 
recently concluded OIC Extraordinary Summit in Jeddah. 
Al-Jubeir said that Ahmadinajad had struck him "as a very, 
very green fellow, not stupid, but street-smart."  He added, 
"He is not a fellow like Khomeini with a world view or 
vision.  He is a disciple of Khomeini but with no world 
exposure."   "The biggest city Ahmadinajad has seen is 
Tehran,"  al-Jubeir added. 
 
2.  (S) According to al-Jubeir, while chatting with him 
Ahmadinajad expressed the view that, "The US will collapse 
just like the Soviet Union."   Al-Jubeir attempted to counter 
his view, observing that the Soviet Union had been an 
unchanging dictatorship, while the US is an adaptable 
democracy that changes constantly and reflects internal 
change in its foreign policy. 
 
3.  (S) Al-Jubeir commented that Ahmadinajad's remarks 
"demonstrate naivet or, what is worse, ignorance."  He added 
that the Iranian president "has no clue how his public 
remarks to the media reach beyond Iran." 
 
4.  (S) In addition, al-Jubeir expressed the opinion that 
Ahmadinajad "scares the Iranian old guard.  He is a populist 
who brown bags his lunch to work, is very modest, and is 
reported to he honest."   He added that in the Saudi view, 
since Ahmadinajad is unpredictable, "it is best not to poke 
him in the eye publicly."  Instead, one should raise 
difficult issues with him in private, al-Jubeir said, hinting 
that this is the tactic the Saudi government has decided to 
apply in its dealings with the new Iranian president. 
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