UAE: ENCOURAGING GCC EFFORT ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001662 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/FO, NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP STATE ALSO FOR PRM/ANE CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT NSC FOR ABRAMS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/08 TAGS: ECON PREL IZ TC SUBJECT: UAE: ENCOURAGING GCC EFFORT ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR IRAQ REF: State 86877 ¶1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶2. (C) The Ambassador delivered reftel demarche to MFA Minstate Shaykh Hamdan bin Zayid Al-Nahyan late in the evening on April 6. Hamdan, along with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khalifa bin Zayid, had met earlier in the day with Qatari FM Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani. Hamdan confirmed that Iraq's humanitarian needs would be on the agenda of the April 7 GCC Foreign Ministerial in Kuwait and there would be mention of it in the communique. (Note: The UAE will be represented by titular Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah Al-Nuaimi. See septel on Hamdan's comments about other topics to be raised at the meeting. End Note.) ¶3. (C) Hamdan said the UAE was eager to deliver humanitarian aid and, with the exception perhaps of Kuwait, is one of the only GCC countries with the means, personnel and expertise to get assistance into Iraq. In fact, Hamdan noted that the Bahrainis and Qataris have already informally approached the UAE Red Crescent Authority to have the RCA move assistance from these countries via RCA channels. In Hamdan's view, the UAE RCA, with its already strong connections in Iraq, would find more acceptance as a deliverer of humanitarian aid than other, unspecified, countries in the region. ¶4. (C) Other than facilitating the shipments of sister Red Crescent societies, Hamdan stated, the UAEG prefers not to coordinate formally on a GCC basis as the Emiratis do not want to be held hostage to the processes of other states. He further noted that the UAE had hosted that day a meeting between the ICRC and the International Federation of Red Crescent societies during which the participants discussed moving aid through Kuwait and Syria. (See septel for a readout from the RCA on this meeting.) ¶5. (C) Hamdan indicated that the UAEG was under pressure to quickly move humanitarian assistance because of the heightened public concern about civilian hardships in Iraq. The RCA had collected items from the private sector and a number of citizens and expatriates. Hamdan also noted the Dirhams 7 million (approx USD 3 million) private donation made by his mother, UAE First Lady Shaykha Fatima Bint Mubarak Al-Kitbi. ¶6. (C) Hamdan briefed that the UAE was ready to launch a ship with 700 tons of RCA assistance on Tuesday, 4/8. (Note: The RCA and the UAE GHQ have coordinated this shipment with the Embassy. The HOC has approved the shipment and we are awaiting last minute details from the UAE side and CENTCOM/NAVCENT to facilitate the ship's access to Umm Qasr. End Note.) ¶7. (C) COMMENT: As we have previously noted, the UAE prefers to channel its assistance on a bilateral basis. This ensures accountability and, addresses the UAEG's political need to demonstrate to the UAE public that it is providing humanitarian relief to the Iraqi people. END COMMENT. WAHBA