UAEG DISAPPOINTED WITH OIC MINISTERIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 002602 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/ENA AND NEA/NGA NSC FOR THEROUX E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/08 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER IR IZ TC SUBJECT: UAEG DISAPPOINTED WITH OIC MINISTERIAL STATEMENT AND WORRIED ABOUT KHATAMI'S MARGINALIZATION REF: FBIS GMP20030601000011 ¶1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶2. (C) During the course of a 5/31 meeting with the Ambassador (other topics covered septel),MFA Minstate Hamdan bin Zayid noted UAE disappointment with the statement produced at last week's OIC meeting in Tehran. Prior to receiving the Ambassador, Hamdan had just met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Ben Eissa and both agreed that the OIC declaration was "one hundred percent" Iranian and written prior to the event. Reportedly, the Iranians refused to make any changes to the document. Ben Eissa and Hamdan were both worried by the course of events inside Iran and Ben Eissa noted that Iranian Foreign Minister Kharrazi was noticeably stressed and unusually nervous during the summit. (Note: Hamdan's privately expressed disappointment is in contrast to ref official statement released by the UAEG at the OIC ministerial describing the outcome of the conference as "good." End Note.) ¶3. (C) Hamdan went on to reiterate UAE concerns about the internal struggle in Iran between the hardliners and the moderates. In his view, Khatami has been completely marginalized and Rafsanjani and Khamenei are increasingly taking over the reins of power. ¶4. (C) Comment: The Emiratis had placed great hope in Khatami as an interlocutor and partner, both in terms of improving UAE-Iranian ties and enhancing regional security. Khatami and confidant VP Muhammad Abtahi had worked closely with Hamdan and the UAE leadership to forge a possible settlement for the three decade-long dispute between the two countries over the Gulf islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs. With Khatami on the outs, the Emiratis fear that any opportunity to settle this longstanding bilateral irritant will be lost. More importantly, they with extreme concern the destabilizing effect on the region of the hardliners' approach. End Comment. WAHBA