SUCCESS IN IRAQ PLAYS WELL WITH ONE SENIOR UAE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002528 SIPDIS STATE FOR E, EB/ESC/ESP, INL/C, NEA/ARP AND NEA/RA TREASURY FOR OGC - AUFHAUSER TREASURY PASS OFAC FOR NEWCOMB TREASURY PASS FEDERAL RESERVE DOJ FOR TED GREENBERG NSC FOR JOSEPH MYERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/08 TAGS: EFIN EINV PREL PGOV TC SUBJECT: SUCCESS IN IRAQ PLAYS WELL WITH ONE SENIOR UAE OFFICIAL, BUT DON'T FORGET PALESTINE ¶1. (U) Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Richard A. Albright for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶2. (C) Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) Deputy Managing Director Khalifa Al-Kindi queried DCM during a 5/19 courtesy call about the future of Iraq and the roadmap for peace between Israel and the PA. Clearly pleased by the outcome of the war in Iraq, Al-Kindi admitted that he had purchased the "Iraqi Deck Of Cards" from the Internet, and excused himself from the meeting to retrieve the deck in his office. Al-Kindi noted that a dozen of the cards were without pictures of senior Baath officials -- "No wonder you haven't been able to catch them!" Al-Kindi was pleased that the USG had turned its attention back to Israel and Palestine with the recent unveiling of the roadmap for peace. Al-Kindi asked several reiterations of the same question about the feasibility of the USG plan, and seemed to seek DCM's assurances that Washington would deliver peace to the Middle East. ¶3. (C) Comment: Like many of our Emirati contacts, Al- Kindi displayed polite indifference toward us prior to the war, and his skepticism about U.S. initiatives in the region was evident in earlier meetings. This meeting with Al-Kindi, however, was a marked difference -- he seemed elated that the war was over and that Coalition forces had removed Saddam from power. Nevertheless, his body language and persistent questioning both about the future of Iraq and the peace process revealed concern as to whether we can make good on our promises and a desire to believe us. Many of our senior interlocutors feel the same way. End comment. Wahba