Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI2234
2003-05-07 13:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
AS REGIONAL POWER CENTER SHIFTS, UAE
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 05/24/2007 04:20:07 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM May 07, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 2234 - PRIORITY) TAGS: PREL Captions: None Subject: AS REGIONAL POWER CENTER SHIFTS, UAE NO LONGER TAKING TUTELAGE FROM RIYADH Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 02234 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: POL INFO: RSO AMB DCM P/M ECON DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS CLEARED: DCM:RAALBRIGHT VZCZCADI408 PP RUEHC RUEHEE RUEKJCS RHEHNSC RUEAIIA RHEFDIA RUCJACC DE RUEHAD #2234 1271344 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 071344Z MAY 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9848 INFO RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//POLAD/CCJ2/CCJ5// PRIORITY RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//OSD/NESA// RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002234
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/13
TAGS: PREL UNSC GCC SA TC
SUBJECT: AS REGIONAL POWER CENTER SHIFTS, UAE
NO LONGER TAKING TUTELAGE FROM RIYADH
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002234
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/13
TAGS: PREL UNSC GCC SA TC
SUBJECT: AS REGIONAL POWER CENTER SHIFTS, UAE
NO LONGER TAKING TUTELAGE FROM RIYADH
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba
for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (C) During a May 7 meeting with the Ambassador,
MFA Minstate Hamdan bin Zayid Al-Nahyan shared the
substance of a spat he had with Saudi Crown Prince
Abdullah. Apparently, Abdullah had told an Arab
expat (well known in Gulf circles for his
connections to GCC leaders) that he was extremely
displeased that the Emiratis had decided to send a
representative to the April 28 Baghdad "tent
meeting." Saudi Arabia had decided against such
representation and believed that the smaller GCC
states should have followed suit. An incensed
Hamdan had asked the conduit to send the following
back to Abdullah: "The UAE is a sovereign state
which neither takes orders nor waits to see what
direction others take before making decisions. The
regional situation has changed and the Saudi
leadership should not behave as it did 10 years
ago."
3. (C) COMMENT: Anticipating a potential shift in
the center of power from Riyadh to points
northward, it appears that Abu Dhabi is already
chafing at the Saudi suggestion that the Emiratis
should continue to take their cues on policy
decisions from their Saudi brothers. END COMMENT.
WAHBA
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/NGA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/13
TAGS: PREL UNSC GCC SA TC
SUBJECT: AS REGIONAL POWER CENTER SHIFTS, UAE
NO LONGER TAKING TUTELAGE FROM RIYADH
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba
for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (C) During a May 7 meeting with the Ambassador,
MFA Minstate Hamdan bin Zayid Al-Nahyan shared the
substance of a spat he had with Saudi Crown Prince
Abdullah. Apparently, Abdullah had told an Arab
expat (well known in Gulf circles for his
connections to GCC leaders) that he was extremely
displeased that the Emiratis had decided to send a
representative to the April 28 Baghdad "tent
meeting." Saudi Arabia had decided against such
representation and believed that the smaller GCC
states should have followed suit. An incensed
Hamdan had asked the conduit to send the following
back to Abdullah: "The UAE is a sovereign state
which neither takes orders nor waits to see what
direction others take before making decisions. The
regional situation has changed and the Saudi
leadership should not behave as it did 10 years
ago."
3. (C) COMMENT: Anticipating a potential shift in
the center of power from Riyadh to points
northward, it appears that Abu Dhabi is already
chafing at the Saudi suggestion that the Emiratis
should continue to take their cues on policy
decisions from their Saudi brothers. END COMMENT.
WAHBA