Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
00ABUDHABI5893
2000-10-31 08:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:  

SULTAN BIN ZAYID: "MUST THE U.S. BE TOUGHER THAN THE ISRAELIS ON PALESTINE?"

Tags:  PREL XF TC 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 310838Z OCT 00
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7529
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
NSC WASHINGTON DC
SECDEF WASHDC
CIA WASHINGTON DC
DIA WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 005893 

DEPT FOR NEA AND NEA/ARP
NSC FOR CLARKE, RIEDEL AND POLLACK
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
LONDON FOR SUTPHIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2010
TAGS: PREL XF TC
SUBJECT: SULTAN BIN ZAYID: "MUST THE U.S. BE TOUGHER
THAN THE ISRAELIS ON PALESTINE?"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 005893

DEPT FOR NEA AND NEA/ARP
NSC FOR CLARKE, RIEDEL AND POLLACK
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
LONDON FOR SUTPHIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/30/2010
TAGS: PREL XF TC
SUBJECT: SULTAN BIN ZAYID: "MUST THE U.S. BE TOUGHER
THAN THE ISRAELIS ON PALESTINE?"


1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY THEODORE H. KATTOUF, AMBASSADOR,
REASON 1.5 (B) AND (D).


2. (C) SUMMARY: A FRIENDLY BUT CLEARLY FRUSTRATED SULTAN BIN
ZAYID, UAE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND SECOND SON OF PRESIDENT
ZAYID BIN SULTAN, CONVEYED TO AMBASSADOR IN FRANK, DELIBERATE
TERMS OCTOBER 29 HIS OWN "AND MANY OTHERS'" DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT
THAT THE U.S., IN ITS "UNCRITICAL SUPPORT" FOR ISRAEL AND HARSH
CRITICISMS OF THE PALESTINIANS, HAD BETRAYED ITS HISTORICAL
REPUTATION AS A CHAMPION OF FAIRNESS, JUSTICE AND THE
INDEPENDENCE OF OPPRESSED PEOPLES. THE ARABS, HE SAID, NO LONGER
HAD ANY EXPECTATIONS THAT THE U.S. WOULD SERVE AS AN HONEST
BROKER FOR PEACE, AND THIS COULD HAVE RAMIFICATIONS FOR LARGER
U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS, "WHICH WAS NOT GOOD FOR EITHER OF US."
OFFERING HIS CONDOLENCES FOR THE LOSS OF LIFE RESULTING FROM THE
"COWARDLY" ATTACK ON THE USS COLE, SULTAN WARNED THAT EXTREMISTS
WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPLOIT TENSIONS IN THE REGION TO FURTHER THEIR
OWN AGENDAS. IN A RARE COMMENTARY ON LEBANON, SULTAN LABELED
SYRIAN POLICY THERE "DISASTROUS," AND SAID THE UAE WOULD BE THE
FIRST TO APPLAUD THE WITHDRAWAL OF SYRIAN TROOPS FROM LEBANESE
SOIL. SULTAN'S UNVARNISHED VIEWS NO DOUBT REFLECT HIS FATHER'S
THINKING, ALTHOUGH SULTAN SAID HE HAD AVOIDED RAISING THE CURRENT
SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES IN RECENT DISCUSSIONS WITH
HIS RECUPERATING FATHER SO AS NOT TO UPSET ZAYID. THE MEETING
WAS GIVEN EXTENSIVE MEDIA COVERAGE THAT EVENING AND IN THE
FOLLOWING DAY'S PRESS, UNDER THE HEADLINE "THE UAE URGES
WASHINGTON TO BE HONEST AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT." END SUMMARY.

--------------
MORE ZIONIST THAN THE ISRAELIS?
--------------


3. (C) MEETING WITH THE AMBASSADOR, WHO WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE
DCM, ON OCTOBER 29 AT HIS SEASIDE PALACE, UAE DEPUTY PRIME
MINISTER SULTAN BIN ZAYID -- RENOWNED FOR HIS FRANKNESS -- WASTED
LITTLE TIME WITH CONVENTIONAL FORMALITIES BEFORE LAUNCHING INTO A
CRITIQUE OF THE U.S. RESPONSE TO RECENT VIOLENCE IN THE OCCUPIED
TERRITORIES. SPEAKING QUIETLY (NOTE: IN TYPICAL BEDOUIN FASHION
WHEN EXPRESSING DISAPPOINTMENT TO A FRIEND. END NOTE.) AND IN
ARABIC, SULTAN ASKED WHY IT WAS THAT THE U.S. APPEARED TO BE
TAKING A TOUGHER POLITICAL STANCE AGAINST THE PALESTINIANS IN THE

CURRENT SITUATION THAN EVEN ISRAEL? STRESSING THAT THIS WAS NOT
JUST HIS OPINION, BUT WHAT HE WAS HEARING IN THE MAJLISES AS
WELL, SULTAN SAID THERE WAS GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT THROUGHOUT THE
ARAB WORLD IN THE U.S. FAILURE TO ACT AS AN HONEST BROKER.
MOREOVER, THE ARABS WERE BLAMING THE U.S. MORE THAN ISRAEL FOR
THE CRISIS BECAUSE IT WAS IN A POSITION TO DO SOMETHING AND DID
NOT. "THE ISRAELIS ARE FIRING U.S. WEAPONS -- APACHE HELICOPTER
GUNSHIPS AND M16 RIFLES -- AGAINST UNARMED PALESTINIAN CHILDREN,"
SULTAN SAID; "THE WORLD HAD WITNESSED SCENES OF BEASTLY BEHAVIOR
ON THE PART OF THE ISRAELIS, AND YET THE U.S. CRITICIZES THE
ARABS." THE ARABS HAD EXPECTED MUCH MORE OF THE U.S., GIVEN ITS
HISTORY OF STANDING UP FOR JUSTICE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND FAIR
TREATMENT, AND ITS OWN SUCCESSFUL FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE AGAINST
AN OPPRESSOR NATION. THE PALESTINIANS HAD BEEN LIVING UNDER ONE
FORM OF OCCUPATION OR ANOTHER FOR YEARS. THEY WERE LOSING ALL
HOPE. ALL THEY WERE SEEKING WAS THEIR INDEPENDENCE. THE ARABS
WOULD ACCEPT THE ISRAELIS AND THEIR NEED FOR SECURITY IF THEY, IN
TURN, WOULD ACCEPT BOUNDARIES AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF OTHERS.
THEY COULD NOT RELY FOREVER ON THEIR NUCLEAR ARSENALS TO PROTECT
THEM; THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE PEACE WITH THEIR ARAB NEIGHBORS.
BUT, SULTAN CONTINUED, EVEN THE WHITE HOUSE COULD NOT OFFER A
BALANCED ASSESSMENT OF THE CONFLICT, AND SO THE ARABS NO LONGER
HAD EXPECTATIONS OF AMERICAN FAIRNESS.


4. (C) WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE TRAGIC ASPECTS OF THE CURRENT
CRISIS AND OFFERING HIS SYMPATHIES TO THE INNOCENT VICTIMS OF
VIOLENCE, THE AMBASSADOR URGED SULTAN TO TAKE THE LONGER VIEW.
ALL PARTIES HAD EVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF SEEKING PEACE, AND MUCH
HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED OVER THE YEARS, IN PARTICULAR, FOLLOWING
THE MADRID CONFERENCE. RABIN AND PERES RECOGNIZED THE GROWING
THREAT IRAN AND IRAQ POSED AND DECIDED TO MAKE PEACE WITH THEIR
NEIGHBORS AND DEAL WITH THE PLO. ALTHOUGH ONCE SHUNNED, ARAFAT
HAD VISITED PRESIDENT CLINTON AT THE WHITE HOUSE ON NUMEROUS
OCCASIONS AND WAS TREATED AS A FULL PARTNER IN THE SEARCH FOR
PEACE. THE REASON THINGS HAD NOW FLARED UP SO BADLY WAS
PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THE PROGRESS MADE AT CAMP DAVID II,
PARTICULARLY THE REQUIREMENT TO DEAL WITH JERUSALEM AND ITS HOLY
PLACES. THE EXTREMISTS WERE WORRIED. BUT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO
FORGET OR THROW AWAY ALL THE PROGRESS MADE OVER THE PAST DECADE
BECAUSE OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF THE PAST MONTH. WHAT WAS NOW
IMPORTANT WAS THAT THE VIOLENCE CEASE SO THAT PASSIONS COULD
COOL. THE U.S. WOULD REMAIN ENGAGED IN THE SEARCH FOR PEACE NO
MATTER WHO WON THE UPCOMING U.S. ELECTIONS, AS THIS WAS IN THE
NATIONAL INTEREST.

-------------- --
THE CONSEQUENCES FOR LARGER U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS
-------------- --


5. (C) SULTAN AGREED THAT "THIS WILL PASS (I.E. THE CRISIS); IT
IS LIFE," WHILE EXPRESSING HIS HOPE THAT IT DID NOT GET WORSE.
OTHERWISE, HE SAID, THERE WOULD BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR U.S.-
ARAB RELATIONS. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR MODERATE ARAB LEADERS
TO DEFEND CONTINUED CLOSE TIES TO THE U.S. OR TO DEFLECT
ACCUSATIONS THAT THE U.S. IS MANIPULATING THEM UNLESS THE U.S. IS
SEEN TO BE FAIR ON ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE ARABS. OFFERING HIS
CONDOLENCES FOR THE DEATH OF THE 17 SAILORS FOLLOWING THE
"COWARDLY" ATTACK ON THE USS COLE, SULTAN SUGGESTED A LINKAGE
BETWEEN SUCH ACTS OF TERRORISM AND THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN
CONFLICT. IN THIS CONTEXT, SULTAN REMARKED THAT THE U.S. SEEMED
TO FORGET THAT ISRAEL HAD "CREATED" HAMAS AND SUPPORTED HIZBOLLAH
AS COUNTERWEIGHTS TO THE PLO. NOW THESE EXTREMIST GROUPS WERE
OUT OF CONTROL, PRESENTING A THREAT TO ALL CONCERNED. YET WHEN
THEY ATTACK, SULTAN SUGGESTED, THE REAL VICTIM IS U.S.-ARAB
RELATIONS.

--------------
BUT ISRAEL NOT THE ONLY OCCUPYING POWER...
--------------


6. (C) EXPANDING ON HIS THEME OF ISRAELI ATTEMPTS TO DOMINATE
AND POLARIZE -- RATHER THAN LIVE WITH -- HER NEIGHBORS (AND
ALLUDING TO PERCEIVED ISRAELI EFFORTS TO CANTONIZE THE WEST
BANK),SULTAN DESCRIBED ISRAELI EFFORTS TO "DIVIDE AND CONTROL"
LEBANON THROUGH THE CREATION OF A SERIES OF SECTARIAN CANTONS.
"THIS WAS BEN GURION'S AND SUBSEQUENTLY SHARON'S PLAN," HE SAID,
"AND IT DIDN'T WORK." THE AMBASSADOR IMPLIED THAT SYRIA HAD
CONTRIBUTED ITS SHARE TO LEBANON'S TRAVAILS, AIDED AND ABETTED BY
CERTAIN LEBANESE POLITICIANS WHO CONTINUED TO LOOK TOWARD
DAMASCUS FOR DECISIONS EVEN ON TRIVAL MATTERS. SULTAN READILY
AGREED THAT SYRIA'S POLICIES IN LEBANON WERE "DISASTROUS," AND
EFFECTIVELY JUST ANOTHER FORM OF OCCUPATION. THERE WOULD BE
BROAD ARAB SUPPORT FOR SYRIA'S WITHDRAWAL OF ITS MILITARY TROOPS
FROM LEBANON AND "THE UAE WOULD HEAD THE LIST." "I KNOW THIS,"
SULTAN EMPHASIZED, "AND CAN SPEAK FOR MY COUNTRY'S POSITION."

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


7. (C) THE TELEVISION CAMERAS AND CREW THAT AWAITED THE
AMBASSADOR'S ARRIVAL SIGNALED SULTAN'S INTENTION TO USE THIS
MEETING AS MUCH TO MOLLIFY AN ANGRY POPULACE AS TO PASS A MESSAGE
TO THE U.S. INDEED, THE MEETING WAS GIVEN PROMINENT COVERAGE ON
THE EVENING NEWS AND IN THE FOLLOWING MORNING'S PRESS, WITH AN
UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF DETAIL. OPTICS ASIDE, SULTAN'S MESSAGE WAS
SINCERE AND REFLECTS WHAT WE ARE HEARING FROM A BROAD RANGE OF
CONTACTS.


KATTOUF