UAEG REACTION TO POTUS DEMOCRACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 004969 SIPDIS STATE ALSO FOR NEA/REA, NEA/ARP USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR GOLDRICH; PARIS FOR O'FRIEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/13 TAGS: PREL TC SUBJECT: UAEG REACTION TO POTUS DEMOCRACY SPEECH Ref: Abu Dhabi 4903 (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) The UAEG has no plans to react publicly to President George Bush's speech on democracy in the Middle East region, Ibrahim Al-Abed, the senior adviser to Information and Culture Minister Shaykh Abdallah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, told Polchief November 12. Al-Abed was quick to add that while Emiratis are generally pleased with the current political system, they are not shy about debating change. "As far as Emiratis are concerned, the speech will go away. However, the debate is open in the UAE. Change is on people's minds," he said. ¶2. (C) Al-Abed told Polchief that Emiratis at all levels do not like it when change is dictated or preached to them by outsiders. This is particularly so in times of crisis when people are preoccupied with the situation of Arabs in Iraq and in the West Bank/Gaza. "One right move" by the U.S. with regard to occupied lands in West Bank/Gaza would make a bigger difference than any speech, said Al-Abed, who is originally from Palestine. In this respect, Al- Abed echoed much of the local press sentiment reported in reftel. Emiratis also believe in gradualism and are not going to change their political system overnight, Al-Abed said. Polchief learned from Khadim Al-Darei, the deputy manager for de facto Foreign Minister Shaykh Hamdan bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, that Shaykh Hamdan had reviewed President Bush's speech. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: We do not expect an official public response to the President's speech. In our view, that would be unusual. WAHBA