US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI3039

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SHAYKH ZAYID BESTOWS THE EMIRATES' MILITARY ORDER ON CENTCOM COMMANDER GENERAL FRANKS

Identifier: 03ABUDHABI3039
Wikileaks: View 03ABUDHABI3039 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abu Dhabi
Created: 2003-06-25 11:03:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PREL PGOV PARM MOPS GCC IZ TC
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
null
Diana T Fritz  03/21/2007 05:30:36 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
CONFIDENTIAL

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM                                            June 25, 2003


To:       No Action Addressee                                    

Action:   Unknown                                                

From:     AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 3039 - UNKNOWN)         

TAGS:     PREL, PGOV, PARM, MOPS                                 

Captions: None                                                   

Subject:  SHAYKH ZAYID BESTOWS THE EMIRATES' MILITARY ORDER ON   
          CENTCOM COMMANDER GENERAL FRANKS                       

Ref:      None                                                   
_________________________________________________________________
C O N F I D E N T I A L        ABU DHABI 03039

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: POL 
    INFO:   AMB P/M USLO ECON DCM DAO RSO 

DISSEMINATION: POL
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA
DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS
CLEARED: A/DCM:TEWILLIAMS

VZCZCADI289
OO RUCAACC RUEKJCS RUEHC RUCNRAQ RHEHNSC RUEAIIA
RHEFDIA
DE RUEHAD #3039 1761103
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251103Z JUN 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUCAACC/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//POLAD/CCJ2/CCJ5//
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//OSD/NESA//
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0628
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 003039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMB LITT AND CCJ2 
 
NSC FOR THEROUX 
 
DOD FOR OSD/ISA/NESA 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA AND PM/RSAT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PARM, MOPS, GCC, IZ, TC 
SUBJECT:  SHAYKH ZAYID BESTOWS THE EMIRATES' 
MILITARY ORDER ON CENTCOM COMMANDER 
GENERAL FRANKS 
 
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba 
for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
2. (SBU) UAE President Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al- 
Nahyan conferred upon CENTCOM Commander General 
Tommy R. Franks the Emirates Military Order of 
First Class in a meeting on June 24 at Al-Bahr 
Palace in Abu Dhabi.  General Franks is the first 
U.S. official Shaykh Zayid has met with since the 
March 2002 visit of Vice President Cheney.  The 
indomitable Zayid was in fine form with General 
Franks, drawing upon his core religious values and 
fundamental life philosophies in a brief but very 
warm discussion.  Zayid looked hale and hearty; 
many of his 19 sons, including Chief of Staff 
Muhammad, MFA Minstate Hamdan, InfoMin Abdullah and 
Deputy Prime Minister Sultan, were in attendance. 
General Franks was joined by Ambassador Wahba, 
Ambassador Litt, and an accompanying delegation 
from Franks' staff and the Embassy. 
 
3. (C) General Franks thanked Shaykh Zayid for the 
UAE's generous humanitarian contributions to both 
Afghanistan and Iraq.  He praised Zayid's 
leadership in developing the UAE into a model to be 
emulated in the region, noting that while Zayid 
used the last 30 years to build his country, others 
had spent that time destroying their countries. 
Zayid spoke with pride about the UAE's progress, 
noting that 30 years ago, the government had to 
bring in tens of thousands of foreigners to teach 
Emirati children.  With the literacy rate now at 
over 90 percent, Emiratis themselves are taking up 
the teaching profession. 
 
4. (C) Referring to the May 12 terror bombings in 
Riyadh, Zayid denounced those who called themselves 
Muslims but engaged in abominable acts.  As Zayid 
put it, these "brutal beasts" do not represent 
Islam and should be cast out of the faith. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT:  This largely ceremonial meeting 
was a testament to the great admiration and respect 
felt for General Franks and the U.S. by Shaykh 
Zayid and the senior Emirati leadership.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
WAHBA 

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