IRAQ DONORS' CONFERENCE

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 003585 SIPDIS DEPT FOR E, NEA/ARP, EB/IFD/ODF DOD FOR COMPTROLLER D. ZAKHEIM CENTCOM FOR AMBASSADOR LITT E.O. 12958: 7//8/13 TAGS: EAID EFIN PREL IZ TC SUBJECT: IRAQ DONORS' CONFERENCE REF: A) ABU DHABI 3510, B) ABU DHABI 3496, C) ABU DHABI 3476, D) STATE 215824, E) ABU DHABI 3272 ¶1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba for reasons 1.5 (B & D). ¶2. This is an action request. See paragraph 5. ¶3. (U) Embassy understands that the European Commission is heavily promoting Spain as a venue for the planned Iraq donors' conference and that the issue will be discussed in a teleconference this Tuesday. ¶4. (C) In the Ambassador's meetings with key UAEG officials, they have raised the UAEG's strong desire to host a donors' conference for Iraq. Most recently, when the Ambassador approached UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan about hosting a donors' conference for Afghanistan, he asked whether the UAE was "going to get the Iraq donors' conference?" When the Ambassador explained that there was no final decision, but that the odds increasingly favored Europe, he asked that the Embassy weigh in again to support the UAEG candidacy, because, in his words, "we really need this gesture." ¶5. (S) Comment and Action Request: As reported in ref e, the Embassy believes that the USG should support the UAEG's candidacy as a host for the Iraq donors' conference. The UAE has actively supported Iraqi humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts -- already contributing over USD $50 million to Iraqi reconstruction. In addition, the UAE has supported coalition efforts to stabilize Iraq by, among other actions, lifting Bulgarian troops and equipment to Iraq. In order to do this, the UAE had to charter air and sealift assets because its capability did not match our requirements for the task (ref a). We also need to involve the Arab world in our reconstruction efforts in Iraq, since we will continue to ask it to provide financial support. Holding the conference in an Arab capital will give the donors' conference more credibility in the Arab world. ¶6. (SBU) Comment and Action Request Continued: More importantly, if an Arab country hosts the Iraq donors' conference, it will help to strengthen the credibility of the Iraq Governing Council (GC). Presumably the GC will attend a donors' conference wherever the venue. Having the conference in an Arab capital would give an important symbolic Arab stamp of approval to the GC as an interim body. This would boost the GC's profile in the region and the USG's credibility in the region as an interim caretaker. We also note that the UAE has the infrastructure and the facilities to host a successful international conference. End Comment and Action Request. Wahba