Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1662
2003-04-07 12:59:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:36:25 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM April 07, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1662 - UNKNOWN) TAGS: ECON, PREL Captions: None Subject: UAE: ENCOURAGING GCC EFFORT ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR IRAQ Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 01662 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: POL INFO: RSO P/M ECON AMB DCM DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS CLEARED: DCM:RAALBRIGHT; ECON:TEWILLIAMS VZCZCADI116 OO RUEHC RUEHZM RHEHNSC RUEAIIA RHEFDIA RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUCJACC DE RUEHAD #1662 0971259 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 071259Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9293 INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5/UNMA// IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//OSD/NESA// IMMEDIATE RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ3/CCJ4/CCJ5// IMMEDIATE RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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
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
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