SYRIA'S BASHAR URGED TO WORK WITH THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 002733 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/ARN AND NEA/IPA NSC FOR THEROUX E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/13 TAGS: PREL PREL PTER ETTC KPAL SY IS TC SUBJECT: SYRIA'S BASHAR URGED TO WORK WITH THE U.S. BY THE FORMER UAE OIL MINISTER REF: DAMASCUS 2781 ¶1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: Former UAE Oil Minister and Zayid confidant Mana'a Saeed Al-Otaiba requested a meeting with the Ambassador on June 7 to brief her on the outcome of his late May one-on-one in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad. Al- Otaiba, who served as the UAE Oil Minister from 1973-90, was personal friends with Hafez Al-Asad and said he met with Bashar to express his deep concerns about the course of the U.S.-Syrian bilateral relationship and to urge the younger Al- Asad to take some difficult but ultimately necessary steps with regard to the Palestinian hardline presence and Syria's ties with Hezballah and Iran. Al-Otaiba advised Bashar to reach out to the U.S. and suggested that he open a channel to the Israelis. He also used the opportunity to press for an economic and political opening in Syria. Al-Otaiba confided that he had undertaken this mission voluntarily and without prior consultation with the UAEG, but had briefed both President Zayid and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khalifa bin Zayid following his Damascus visit. Al-Otaiba said the conversation with Bashar had been extremely "frank;" his sense was the young Syrian was "listening" but struggling to extricate himself from the grip of some of his father's old advisors. The fact that Al-Otaiba decided to personally engage Bashar is indicative of just how worried a number of current and former UAE officials are about the future of Syria and the course of the Syrian-U.S. relationship. -------------- NO LOVE LOST BETWEEN THE AL-ASADS AND SADDAM -------------- ¶3. (C) Former UAE Oil Minister Mana'a Saeed Al- Otaiba met one-on-one with Bashar Al-Asad sometime in late May. In a June 7 meeting at his well- appointed home in Abu Dhabi, Al-Otaiba told the Ambassador he was aware that UAE InfoMin Abdullah bin Zayid had also met with Al-Asad to deliver essentially the same message (reftel). Bashar asked Al-Otaiba if he was carrying a message from the UAEG or the USG to which Al-Otaiba answered in the negative, though Al-Otaiba did offer to the Ambassador to serve as a channel to the SARG. ¶4. (C) Al-Otaiba prefaced his remarks to the Ambassador by noting that the Al-Asad family absolutely loathed Saddam Hussein. He was confident that Bashar would never have provided refuge to Saddam. In fact, Al-Otaiba stated, Bashar "would have been among the first to have Saddam killed." -------------- --- FRIENDLY ADVICE: REACH OUT TO U.S., CLOSE THE PALESTINIAN HARDLINE OFFICES AND TONE DOWN TIES WITH HEZBALLAH AND IRAN -------------- --- ¶5. (C) Al-Otaiba told the Ambassador that he had decided to approach Bashar as a friend, drawing on his decades-long personal relationship with Asad pere. Al-Otaiba told Bashar that he was deeply worried about Syria and urged him to reach out to the U.S. "Put your hand in America's hand," Al- Otaiba advised, noting that if Bashar's ultimate goal was the return of the Golan, the path lay through Washington. Al-Otaiba also suggested that Bashar open a channel to Israel. He strongly recommended that the SARG close the hardline Palestinian offices, asking rhetorically what benefit these organizations brought to Syria. Al- Otaiba told the Ambassador he was confident Bashar would do the necessary on closing these offices. ¶6. (C) Turning to Hezballah, Al-Otaiba noted that with the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon, there was no reason to maintain ties with Hezballah. He also suggested that Bashar tone down the relationship with Iran. Bashar demurred that Iran had helped the Al-Asad family through difficult times (NFI). Al-Otaiba rejoined that the times have changed and "you should not back the losing horse." -------------- NEED FOR ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INFITAH -------------- ¶7. (C) Al-Otaiba advised Bashar to open up Syria economically and politically. "The era of one- party rule is over," Al-Otaiba told his Syrian host; he ruefully noted to the Ambassador that the Arab world is the only place where the "ishtirakeen" (socialists) continue to have a hold. He urged Bashar to actively court foreign investment and give concessions to Western oil companies, both of which are necessary if Syria is to modernize. Al-Otaiba compared the development of Dubai with that of Damascus, noting to Bashar that when he landed at Damascus International, all he saw on the tarmac were two old Syrian Airlines passenger jets. Dubai, by contrast, has become the transit and destination point for hundreds of airlines. Bashar sought Al-Otaiba's help in arranging training for Syrians in the UAE. COMMENT -------------- ¶8. (C) Al-Otaiba was once a powerful figure in UAE politics. He served as Oil Minister from 1973-90 and was one of Zayid's closest advisors. Since relinquishing the oil portfolio, Al-Otaiba's profile has diminished though he told the Ambassador he still maintains ties to Zayid, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khalifa bin Zayid and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Muhammad bin Zayid (MBZ). One of Al-Otaiba's sons, Yousef, is MbZ's personal assistant. The Al-Otaiba are one of Abu Dhabi's oldest and most prestigious families and are intermarried with the Al-Nahyan. While Al-Otaiba is enjoying his early retirement (he was only 44 when he lost the oil portfolio),he clearly relishes being in the limelight. WAHBA