(S) UAE TO KEEP IRAQI MISSIONS OPEN, BUT

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 001382 SIPDIS NOFORN STATE FOR NEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/13 TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ TC SUBJECT: (S) UAE TO KEEP IRAQI MISSIONS OPEN, BUT FULLY BOXED-IN REF: STATE 75557 ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR MARCELLE M. WAHBA FOR REASONS 1.5 (B,D). ¶2. (S) AMBASSADOR DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE ON THE AFTERNOON OF 3/23 TO MFA MINSTATE SHAYKH HAMDAN BIN ZAYID (OTHER TOPICS SEPTEL, NOTAL). SHAYKH HAMDAN REPEATED WHAT HE HAS TOLD US BEFORE -- NAMELY, THAT THE UAEG IS RELUCTANT TO CLOSE IRAQ'S DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS HERE BECAUSE OF THE "GREAT VALUE" BEING DERIVED FROM THE UAE MISSION IN BAGHDAD. DESIROUS OF AVOIDING A TIT-FOR-TAT CLOSURE, THE UAEG HAS MADE CLEAR TO THE IRAQI DIPLOMATS HERE THAT THEY ARE TO BEHAVE THEMSELVES. THE AMBASSADOR NOTED IN PARTICULAR THE NEED TO KEEP TABS ON IRAQI INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OPERATIVES. SHAYKH HAMDAN REASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THAT SURVEILLANCE OF THE OFFICIAL IRAQIS IS CONSTANT AND INTRUSIVELY OBVIOUS. HE BELIEVED THEY HAD GOTTEN THE MESSAGE. ¶3. (S/NF) SHAYKH HAMDAN NOTED THAT HE GETS CALLS 3-4 TIMES PER DAY FROM THE UAE CHARGE IN BAGHDAD (USING A THURAYYA SATELLITE TELEPHONE). THE EMIRATI MISSION IS ABLE TO GLEAN USEFUL INFORMATION FROM ITS CONTACTS ABOUT DEVELOPMENTS INSIDE IRAQ (INDEED, DURING THE MEETING THE EMIRATI CHARGE IN BAGHDAD CALLED SHAYKH HAMDAN TO REPORT ON 20 EXPLOSIONS IN WESTERN BAGHDAD AROUND THE TAJI MILITARY COMPLEX AND A NUMBER OF OTHER SITES). AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE INFORMATION THE UAEG IS ABLE TO OBTAIN, THE MFA MINSTATE CONFIDED THAT IRAQI SOURCES HAVE TOLD THE EMIRATIS IN BAGHDAD THAT ALI HASSAN AL-MAJID (AKA "CHEMICAL ALI) IS DEAD. ¶4. (S/NF) COMMENT: THE UAE CLEARLY BELIEVES THAT THE THREAT POSED BY ALLOWING IRAQI MISSIONS TO REMAIN OPEN HERE HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY MITIGATED BY AGGRESSIVE SURVEILLANCE, STRICT WARNINGS TO IRAQI DIPLOMATS, AND THE COOPTION OF KEY PERSONNEL (MOST NOTABLY THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR). WE WOULD NOTE THAT ORCA CHIEF HERE IS OF A SIMILAR VIEW. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE THE UAEG ATTACHES TO KEEPING TABS ON DEVELOPMENTS IN IRAQ, AND THE RELATIVELY EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF CONTACTS WHICH THE UAEG ENJOYS IN BAGHDAD AND BEYOND, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE UAEG IS LIKELY TO CHANGE ITS VIEW THAT CLOSING IRAQ'S DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS HERE IS NOT IN THE INTEREST OF THE EMIRATES. WAHBA