UAEG REACTS POSITIVELY TO SECRETARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004223 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/NGA, EB-IRAQ TASK FORCE, AND NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/15/13 TAGS: PREL IZ TC SUBJECT: UAEG REACTS POSITIVELY TO SECRETARY POWELL'S IRAQ VISIT Ref: A) Ambassador Wahba-Jones 9/15/03 e-mail, B) Abu Dhabi 4010, C) Abu Dhabi 3827, D) Abu Dhabi 3816 ¶1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, Reasons 1.5(b) and (d). ¶2. (C) UAE MinState for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (HbZ) told the Ambassador during a September 15 telcon that Secretary Powell's visit to Iraq had cast a very SIPDIS positive light on Iraq. The Secretary's visit on Monday to the cemetery in the north was very well received by the Kurds, Sh. Hamdan said. He said that the Secretary's public comments were credible, positive, and his presence was a boost to the region and to the Iraqis. Sh. Hamdan affirmed that the UAE will continue to do everything it can to support Iraq and the IGC. His positive reaction tracks with our earlier reports on UAE support for Iraq's new leadership (see refs B-D). ¶3. (U) On September 15, the UAE local press published front-page articles about the visit. The English-language "Gulf News" ran the headline "Iraqi handover will fail if hurried, warns Powell" while the English-language "Khaleej Times" carried the headline "Americans are liberators, we don't overstay: Powell." A "Gulf News" on September 15, while not directly mentioning the Secretary's visit, stated, "The five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council have failed to resolve their differences on how to offer Iraq a future, and have let the Iraqi people down badly. As a way around the lack of UN agreement, US Secretary of State Colin Powell has asked for more non- American troops in Iraq to support the coalition." The editorial added, "The interim Iraqi Administration should be given more powers, backed by coalition forces which give way to a new UN-approved force very soon. The present lack of momentum in this direction is creating instability, and weakening the chances of long-term success every week that it continues." WAHBA