Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI1820
2003-04-15 11:19:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abu Dhabi
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:30:53 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS TELEGRAM April 15, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1820 - ROUTINE) TAGS: KPAO Captions: None Subject: IS THE MIGHTY MENGASH MOSCOW BOUND? Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ UNCLAS ABU DHABI 01820 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: POL INFO: PAO AMB DCM P/M ECON RSO Laser1: INFO: PAO DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS CLEARED: DCM:RAALBRIGHT VZCZCADI462 RR RUEHC RUCNRAQ RHEHNSC RUEAIIA RHEFDIA RUEKJCS RUEKJCS RUCJACC RHRMDAB DE RUEHAD #1820 1051119 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 151119Z APR 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9439 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5/UNMA// RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//OSD/NESA// RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL RHRMDAB/COMUSNAVCENT
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 001820
SIPDIS
STATE FOR IRAQ PD TASKFORCE, NEA/PPD AND NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO IZ TC
SUBJECT: IS THE MIGHTY MENGASH MOSCOW BOUND?
REF: KUWAIT 1199
UAE Information Minister Abdullah bin Zayid called
the Ambassador 4/14 with a postscript to the tale
of the "mighty" Mengash -- the scrappy Iraqi farmer
who "shot down" an Apache with a vintage WWI rifle
in the first days of the war and became a cult hero
in much of the Arab world. Apparently an Abu
Dhabi TV crew sought Mengash out the other day for
an interview. When approached by the Emirati
journalists, a paranoid Mengash refused to go on
camera, claiming "the Americans" were looking for
him and he was now seeking "political asylum" in
Russia. If he made it to Moscow, Mengash promised
Abu Dhabi TV an exclusive. An amused Abdullah
swore the story was true.
WAHBA