WITH THE ARAB WORLD WATCHING, USG AND IRAQI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 004396

SIPDIS

STATE FOR E; EB/IVP/ODS; NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/P;
NEA/NGA; NEA/FO; PA; INR/NESA; IIP/G/NEA-SA
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
USCINCCENT FOR POLAD
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, MOC (MHAMBLEY);

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL OIIP KPAO TC
SUBJECT: WITH THE ARAB WORLD WATCHING, USG AND IRAQI
OFFICIALS DELIVER A STRONG MESSAGE AT THE IMF/WORLD BANK
CONFERENCE


1. SUMMARY: DURING THE DUBAI 2003 INTERNATIONAL MONETARY
FUND (IMF) AND WORLD BANK (WB) ANNUAL MEETINGS, THE PUBLIC
AFFAIRS SECTION (PA) AT THE US EMBASSY IN ABU DHABI WORKED
WITH USG, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY (CPA),AND IRAQI
OFFICIALS TO ENGAGE THE PRESS ON RECONSTRUCTION ISSUES IN
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN. THE MEDIA WERE CLEARLY FOCUSED ON
IRAQ, AND, WITH PA ABU DHABI ASSISTANCE, IRAQI GOVERNING
COUNCIL (IGC) MEMBER DR. ADIL ABDUL MEHDI AND THE INTERIM
MINISTERS ENGAGED THE ARAB AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA TO
ADDRESS MANY ISSUES. AS THE ARAB WORLD WATCHED, USG AND
IRAQI OFFICIALS SPREAD THE WORD THAT THE TIME FOR BUILDING
IRAQ'S FUTURE IS NOW. END SUMMARY.

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A FOCUS ON IRAQ
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2. THE 2003 IMF/WB MEETINGS SAW A LARGE ARAB AND
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA TURNOUT, AND THE UAE GOVERNMENT HAD
PREPARED THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER (DICC)
WELL WITH A SPACIOUS PRESS CENTER COMPLETE WITH BRIEFING
ROOMS, TRANSLATION SERVICES, VIDEO EDITING ROOMS, AND LIVE
FEEDS TO MOST EVENTS. CNN, AP, REUTERS, BBC, DOW JONES,
BLOOMBERG, WALL STREET JOURNAL, NY TIMES, AND SIMILAR MEDIA
ATTENDED EN MASSE. NOT TO BE OUTDONE, ARAB MEDIA INCLUDED
ABU DHABI TV, AL JAZEERA, AL HAYAT, LBC, AL SHARQ AL AWSAT,
DUBAI TV, AL ARABIYA, CNBC ARABIYA, CNN ARABIYA, AND LOCAL
UAE MEDIA.


3. FROM THE START, THE FOCUS WAS IRAQ. DURING AN IMF
BRIEFING ON DEVELOPMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, THE PRESS
FOCUSED THEIR QUESTIONS ON THE IMF'S YET-UNDELIVERED
ASSESSMENTS OF IRAQ'S RECONSTRUCTION. DESPITE IMF CRITICISM
OF THE REGION'S REGIMES AND CALLS FOR A "NEW SOCIAL
CONTRACT" BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES, JOURNALISTS ASKED
ABOUT THE RELEASE OF THE IMF'S COST ESTIMATES FOR IRAQ'S
RECONSTRUCTION, WHETHER THE CPA WAS DOWN TO ITS LAST $200
MILLION, AND WHAT THE ARAB WORLD SHOULD DO WITH ITS NEW
"NEIGHBOR," I.E., THE US. WITH IMF OFFICIALS DEFERRING SUCH
QUESTIONS, THE STAGE WAS SET FOR USG AND IRAQI OFFICIALS.

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GETTING THE USG MESSAGE TO THE PRESS
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4. ABU DHABI PAO, APAO, INFORMATION SPECIALIST, AND
INFORMATION ASSISTANT SET UP PRESS EVENTS FOR SECRETARY OF
THE TREASURY JOHN SNOW, U/S OF STATE FOR ECONOMIC, BUSINESS,
AND AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS ALAN LARSON, AND A LARGE USG
CONTINGENT WHILE PROVIDING DAILY MEDIA INFORMATION TO
CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK ALAN GREENSPAN. AS
GOVERNOR AT THE IMF AND WB, SECRETARY SNOW ENGAGED THE PRESS
ON MANY OCCASIONS, IN PRESS BRIEFINGS, PRESS AVAILABILITY
AFTER MAJOR MEETINGS, PHOTO SPRAYS WITH OTHER OFFICIALS, AND
A SIGNING CEREMONY WITH TURKISH OFFICIALS. IN THESE EVENTS,
SECRETARY SNOW HIGHLIGHTED US SUPPORT FOR IRAQ AND

SIPDIS
AFGHANISTAN AND DISCUSSED US EFFORTS TO WORK WITH ITS
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TO IMPROVE THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.


5. U/S LARSON REINFORCED SECRETARY SNOW'S COMMENTS BUT
FOCUSED ATTENTION ON IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN IN A PRESS
BRIEFING AND ABU DHABI TV AND THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
INTERVIEWS. U/S LARSON'S PRESS BRIEFING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL AND ARAB MEDIA FOCUSED ON THE PRESIDENT'S $87
BILLION FUNDING REQUEST FOR IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, AND THE WAR
ON TERROR. U/S LARSON ENCOURAGED THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THESE COUNTRIES BY ACCELERATING PLEDGED
FUNDS, OFFERING ADDITIONAL PLEDGES, AND RELEASING FROZEN
FUNDS. ON THE WAR ON TERROR, U/S LARSON POINTED OUT THAT
ARAB AND MUSLIM COUNTRIES LIKE SAUDI ARABIA AND INDONESIA
WERE TARGETED AND URGED ALL COUNTRIES TO WORK TOGETHER IN
THE WAR ON TERROR.


6. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON IRAQ'S DECISION TO ALLOW
DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT, U/S LARSON REPLIED THAT THE
DECISION WAS "DISCUSSED AND DEBATED AT GREAT LENGTH BY THE
GOVERNING COUNCIL" AND "EVERY PARAGRAPH AND EVERY SENTENCE
OF THE NEW POLICY WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNING COUNCIL."
AFTER A JOURNALIST CRITICIZED THE USG AND IGC FOR DECIDING
THE FUTURE OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE, U/S LARSON REFUTED THE
ASSERTION AND SAID THAT "IT WOULD BE VERY UNWISE TO WAIT AND
MAKE NO DECISIONS UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THERE HAVE BEEN
ELECTIONS UNDER A NEW CONSTITUTION, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE
THE RECIPE FOR ECONOMIC MALAISE" AND "WOULD HURT THE
POLITICAL PROCESS AND THE PROCESS OF RECONSTRUCTION."

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THE IRAQIS STRIKE BACK
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7. U/S LARSON'S COMMENTS CORRESPONDED WITH THE EFFORTS OF
THE INTERIM IRAQI CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS OF
FINANCE, TRADE, PLANNING, AGRICULTURE, HEALTH, AND EDUCATION
TO ENGAGE THE PRESS. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, PA ABU DHABI
STAFF ASSISTED IRAQI AND CPA OFFICIALS TO IDENTIFY
INTERNATIONAL AND ARAB JOURNALISTS FOR ONE-ON-ONE
INTERVIEWS, WORKED WITH IMF STAFF TO PREPARE GENERAL PRESS
BRIEFINGS, AND RALLIED THE MEDIA TO SELECT EVENTS.


8. THE EFFORT BEGAN WITH A BRIEFING TO IMF/WB DELEGATES AND
THE PRESS. CARRIED LIVE, IGC MEMBER DR. MEHDI READ THE
IGC'S PLENARY SPEECH TO ROUGHLY 200 DELEGATES AND MEDIA. IN
THE SPEECH, THE IGC THANKED COALITION FORCES FOR LIBERATING
IRAQ, OUTLINED SADDAM HUSSEIN'S CRIMES, AND CONDEMNED RECENT
ACTS OF TERRORISM. THE STATEMENT PROMISED TO "ADOPT
DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL PLURALISM" AND NOTED THAT "WITH
POLITICAL FREEDOM, WE SHALL BE ABLE TO FREE OUR ECONOMY."
THE IGC FURTHER PLEDGED TO "RESTRUCTURE THE POLICE AND ARMY
ON A SOUND BASIS WHICH SERVES THE CITIZENS AND THE COUNTRY,"
SET OCTOBER 15TH AS THE DATE FOR A UNIFIED CURRENCY, AND
ANNOUNCED REFORMS TO ALLOW DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT.


9. DURING THE BRIEFING'S Q&A SESSION, THE PRESS CRITICIZED
THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ALLOW DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND
ASKED WHY THE CPA WOULD MAKE THE DECISION NOW, BEFORE IRAQIS
ELECTED A GOVERNMENT. IRAQI OFFICIALS REFUTED THE ASSERTION
THAT THE CPA ACTED PREMATURELY AND ILLEGITIMATELY, NOTING
THAT THE IGC REPRESENTED ALL RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC, AND TRIBAL
GROUPS IN IRAQ. MOST NOTABLY, MINISTER OF PLANNING DR.
MEHDI AL HAFEDTH RESPONDED "WHY NOT? THE TIME FOR IRAQ'S
FUTURE IS NOW!"


10. FOLLOWING THIS EVENT, IRAQI AND CPA OFFICIALS WORKED
WITH PA STAFF TO IDENTIFY JOURNALISTS FOR EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEWS:

--IGC MEMBER DR. ADIL ABDUL MEHDI: ABU DHABI TV, AL
JAZEERA, CNN
--MINISTER OF TRADE DR. ALI ALLAWI: CNN, ARABIAN BUSINESS,
BLOOMBERG, CNBC ARABIYA, DUBAI TV, AL SHARQ AL AWSAT
--MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE DR. ABDUL AMIR AL ABOOD: DOW
JONES, ABU DHABI TV
--MINISTER OF FINANCE KAMIL AL GAILANI: RADIO SAWA, DUBAI
TV, EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY, NY TIMES, ABU DHABI TV, RADIO FREE
EUROPE, DUBAI BUSINESS CHANNEL
--MINISTER OF HEALTH DR. KHIDR ABBAS: DUBAI TV
--MINISTER OF PLANNING DR. MEHDI AL HAFEDH: REUTERS, AL
KHALEEJ
--MINISTER OF EDUCATION DR. ALADIN ABDUL SAHIB ALWAN: DUBAI
TV
--CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR DR. SINAN AL SHIBIBI: CNBC ARABIYA,
FINANCIAL TIMES, REUTERS


11. DURING THE INTERVIEWS, DR. ALLAWI AND DR. SHIBIBI
PROVED PARTICULARLY ARTICULATE COMMENTATORS. IN THEIR
INTERVIEWS, THEY ASSERTED THAT THE IGC WAS A FULL PARTNER
WITH THE CPA, THE DRIVING FORCE IN RECONSTRUCTION, AND
COMMITTED TO IRAQ'S FUTURE. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ON
RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL, DR. ALLAWI CALLED THE QUESTION A "RED
HERRING" AND POINTED OUT THAT THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT IS
"FOCUSED ON THE RECONSTRUCTION OF IRAQ AND A BETTER FUTURE
FOR THE IRAQI PEOPLE." THE MINISTERS OF PLANNING AND
AGRICULTURE, DR. MEHDI AL HAFEDH AND DR. ABDUL AMIR AL ABOOD
ALSO EXPLAINED THE GOALS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE MINISTRIES
EFFECTIVELY.


12. PA ABU DHABI STAFF ALSO INTRODUCED HAYDAR AHMED, THE
NEW IGC SPOKESPERSON, TO A WIDE RANGE OF MEDIA AT THE IMF/WB
CONFERENCE. THE LIST INCLUDED ABU DHABI TV, DUBAI TV, DUBAI
BUSINESS CHANNEL, AL ARABIYA, AL SHARQ AL AWSAT, AL HAYAT,
AL JAZEERA, AND UAE DAILIES. AS A RESULT, MR. AHMED GAVE
INTERVIEWS TO AL JAZEERA AND AL HAYAT TO EXPLAIN THE IGC'S
DECISION TO BAN INTERACTION WITH AL JAZEERA AND AL ARABIYA
FOR TWO WEEKS.

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A CRITICAL RESPONSE AT A CRITICAL TIME
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13. COMMENT: AT A CRITICAL MOMENT, THE IMF/WB CONFERENCE
AFFORDED USG AND IRAQI OFFICIALS A KEY OPPORTUNITY TO BATTLE
MISPERCEPTIONS ON AND ELICIT SUPPORT FOR IRAQ'S
RECONSTRUCTION. WITH PA ABU DHABI ASSISTANCE, USG AND IRAQI
OFFICIALS TACKLED MANY OF THE NEGATIVE MYTHS ABOUNDING IN
THE REGION'S PRESS, INCLUDING QUESTIONS ON THE IGC'S
LEGITIMACY. THE MEETINGS ALSO PROVIDED IRAQI OFFICIALS A
CHANCE TO BUILD CONTACTS WITH THE MEDIA, PARTICULARLY FOR
THE NEW IGC SPOKESPERSON. END COMMENT.

WAHBA