US SPEAKER PHILIP REEKER DISCUSSES REGIONAL

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 005428

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; ECA; IIP/G/NEA TSCOTT;
NEA/PI; PA/FO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP OEXC KPAO TC
SUBJECT: US SPEAKER PHILIP REEKER DISCUSSES REGIONAL
ISSUES WITH UAE MEDIA



1. SUMMARY: PHILIP REEKER, SPOKESMAN-AT-LARGE AND
FORMER DOS DEPUTY SPOKESMAN AND DAS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS,
VISITED THE UAE ON DECEMBER 15. HIS PROGRAM INCLUDED A
VISIT TO THE EMIRATES INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY, A VISIT TO
THE EMIRATES CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND RESEARCH, A ONE-ON-
ONE WITH THE UAE SEMI-OFFICIAL ARABIC "AL ITTIHAD"
DAILY, A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH NEWS EDITORS AND
PRODUCERS OF AL-ARABIYAH SATELLITE CHANNEL, AND TWO TV
INTERVIEWS WITH AL-ARABIYAH AND THE MIDDLE EAST
BROADCASTING CENTER (MBC). BY ADDRESSING A LARGE NUMBER
OF DIFFERENT MEDIA, DAS REEKER GAINED THE ATTENTION OF
UAE AND REGIONAL AUDIENCES TO EXPLAIN U.S. POLICIES ON
SEVERAL IMPORTANT REGIONAL ISSUES. END SUMMARY.


2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM: POST HOSTED PHILIP
REEKER, SPOKESMAN-AT-LARGE AND FORMER DOS DEPUTY
SPOKESMAN AND DAS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS ON DECEMBER 15.
THE PA SECTION ARRANGED A VISIT TO THE EMIRATES
INSTITUTE OF DIPLOMACY AND A MEETING WITH ITS DIRECTOR
DR. YOUSUF AL-HASAN. AFTER DISCUSSING CURRENT TRENDS IN
THE GCC AND THE UAE, REEKER OUTLINED THE US
ADMINISTRATION'S COMMITMENT TO PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
HE ALSO DISCUSSED THE ISSUE OF CONTRACTING IN IRAQ AND
EXPLAINED THE US DECISION TO BAN CERTAIN COMPANIES FROM
PRIMARY CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS.



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SYRIA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
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3. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE PROGRAM WAS THE ROUNDTABLE WITH
NEWS EDITORS AND PRODUCERS AT AL ARABIYAH. DURING THIS
EVENT, DAS REEKER DISCUSSED THE SYRIA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
AND EXPLAINED SYRIA'S FAILURE TO FIGHT TERRORISM AND
DISCLOSE ITS PROGRAM OF WEAPONS OF WMD. LATER, DAS
REEKER REITERATED THESE POINTS IN SEPARATE INTERVIEWS
WITH SATELLITE TELEVISION STATIONS MBC AND AL ARABIYAH.
DAS REEKER'S INTERVIEWS WERE CARRIED ON SEVERAL NEWS
BROADCASTS AND NEW PROGRAMS ON BOTH CHANNELS.


4. AS A RESULT OF HIS INTERVIEW, AL-ITTIHAD CARRIED A
QUARTER-PAGE STORY WITH THE HEADLINE: "REEKER TELLS 'AL-
ITTIHAD': DAMASCUS HAS FAILED TO MEET ITS COMMITMENTS TO
EXPEL TERRORIST GROUPS.'" IN THIS ARTICLE, DAS REEKER
EXPLAINED THAT HIS CURRENT TRIP CAME IN RESPONSE TO
INSTRUCTIONS BY SECRETARY POWELL, WHO WANTED HIM TO GET
FIRST-HAND IMPRESSIONS OF PUBLIC OPINION IN THE REGION.
AT THE SAME TIME, SECRETARY POWELL URGED HIM TO EDUCATE
HIS AUDIENCE ON HOW A VARIETY OF U.S. INSTITUTIONS PLAY
A ROLE IN THE POLICY-MAKING PROCESS, THUS BOOSTING
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND THE REGION. IN REFERENCE
TO THE MIDDLE EAST PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE, DAS REEKER
WAS ALSO QUOTED AS SAYING, "THE U.S. DOES NOT INTEND TO
IMPOSE ITS DEMOCRACY ON THE REGION BUT TO ENCOURAGE
DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES THAT ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE
NATURE OF EACH NATION ..."

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COMPLEXITIES OF US FOREIGN POLICY FORMULATION
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5. RESULT/IMPACT: EXCELLENT. AS A FORMER DEPUTY
SPOKESMAN WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THE REGION, DAS REEKER SPOKE
WITH AUTHORITY ON A WIDE RANGE OF REGIONAL ISSUES
INCLUDING THE ROADMAP, IRAQ AND THE SYRIA ACCOUNTABILITY
ACT. DAS REEKER EXPLAINED HOW U.S. POLICY IS
FORMULATED, THE VARIOUS CURRENTS OF PUBLIC OPINION AND
THE WAY IN WHICH LOBBIES AND INTEREST GROUPS INFLUENCE
THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES,
AND THE U.S. DECISION ON RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS IN
IRAQ. AT A TIME OF CONTINUED HOSTILITY TOWARDS U.S.
POLICIES IN THE REGION, DAS REEKER GAINED THE ATTENTION
AND UNDERSTANDING FROM SEVERAL AUDIENCES ON KEY USG
ISSUES. POST COMMENDS PA FOR ESTABLISHING POSITION OF
SPOKESMAN AT LARGE AND HOPES TO HAVE SIMILAR VISITS IN
THE FUTURE.

WAHBA