Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ABUDHABI783
2003-02-18 08:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 06/05/2007 10:26:53 AM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM February 18, 2003 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 783 - UNKNOWN) TAGS: PREL Captions: None Subject: (C) UAE WILL FULFILL TURKISH DEFENSE FUND OBLIGATIONS Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 00783 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: POL INFO: AMB DCM RSO P/M ECON DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA DRAFTED: POL:STWILLIAMS CLEARED: A/DCM:TEWILLIAMS VZCZCADI015 OO RUEHC RUEHAK RUCNRAQ RHEHNSC RUEAIIA RHEFDIA RUEKJCS RUCNDT RUEKJCS RUCJACC RUCQSOC RUEOBBA DE RUEHAD #0783 0490821 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 180821Z FEB 03 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8416 INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5/UNMA// IMMEDIATE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 1136 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC//USDP/J3// IMMEDIATE RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ3/CCJ4/CCJ5// IMMEDIATE RUCQSOC/USCINCSOC MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE RUEOBBA/COMUSCENTAF SHAW AFB SC IMMEDIATE RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0341
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000783
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SEE, NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP
NSC FOR ZKHALILZAD, RHANSON
CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2013
TAGS: PREL IZ TC
SUBJECT: (C) UAE WILL FULFILL TURKISH DEFENSE
FUND OBLIGATIONS
REF: A) STATE 38531 (notal); B) ABU DHABI 236
C) 02 ABU DHABI 6776; D) 02 STATE 248431
E) 02 ANKARA 8791
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000783
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SEE, NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP
NSC FOR ZKHALILZAD, RHANSON
CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2013
TAGS: PREL IZ TC
SUBJECT: (C) UAE WILL FULFILL TURKISH DEFENSE
FUND OBLIGATIONS
REF: A) STATE 38531 (notal); B) ABU DHABI 236
C) 02 ABU DHABI 6776; D) 02 STATE 248431
E) 02 ANKARA 8791
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba
for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (C) MFA Minstate Hamdan Bin Zayid Al-Nahyan
informed the Ambassador on 2/17 that the UAEG has
agreed to fulfill its outstanding obligations to the
Turkish government pursuant to the Turkish Defense
Fund. Following the joint demarche presented by the
Ambassador and her Turkish counterpart on 1/14 (ref
B),Hamdan met with the Ambassador privately on 1/19
to convey that the UAE, i.e. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
(and keeper of the purse strings) Khalifa Bin Zayid,
and UAE COS Shiekh Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) had
consulted and decided not to fulfill this obligation
due to current cash flow constraints. The
Ambassador urged Hamdan to reconsider, noting that
while Turkish support for a military option in Iraq
did not hinge on UAE contributions to the TDF, the
much needed financial support would help Turkey
offset any economic damage. The Ambassador
appreciated UAEG financial constraints and thus
suggested to Hamdan that consideration be given to
payment of the amount owed in several tranches.
Hamdan cottoned to the idea immediately and promised
to make another pass at Crown Prince Khalifa.
3. (C) Upon receipt of ref A oral message from the
Secretary, the Ambassador, upon her return from the
SIPDIS
NEA COM conference, raised the TDF issue with Hamdan
in a 2/15 meeting. Hamdan, who had himself just
returned to the UAE after a two week sojourn in
Europe, promised to take it to Khalifa and MBZ the
next day. In his 2/17 phone call to the Ambassador,
Hamdan said Khalifa had liked the Ambassador's
suggestion and that the UAE was prepared to pay $250
million in installments toward the TDF, not the $350
million claimed by Ankara. According to UAEG
records and correspondence between President Zayid
and then-President Bush, Hamdan elucidated, the UAEG
paid the Turks an initial $100 million (in November
1990),followed by a $100 million payment in 1992
and $50 million in 1994. In his 1/19 meeting with
the Ambassador, Hamdan had noted that following the
Gulf War, the UAE had given $500 million each to the
Brits and the French.
4. (C) Comment: This is a clear success story for
U.S.-UAE relations and yet another signal of how
forward leaning the Emiratis have been on Iraq-
related issues, despite the evident public
opposition here to an armed conflict. Further, in
spite of the fact that they feel stretched
financially (see Abu Dhabi 773 on UAE's domestic
budgetary woes) and have a number of other
international obligations, it is noteworthy that
they have agreed to fulfill this 12 year old pledge.
End Comment.
WAHBA
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EUR/SEE, NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP
NSC FOR ZKHALILZAD, RHANSON
CENTCOM FOR POLAD AMBASSADOR LITT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2013
TAGS: PREL IZ TC
SUBJECT: (C) UAE WILL FULFILL TURKISH DEFENSE
FUND OBLIGATIONS
REF: A) STATE 38531 (notal); B) ABU DHABI 236
C) 02 ABU DHABI 6776; D) 02 STATE 248431
E) 02 ANKARA 8791
1. (U) Classified by Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba
for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).
2. (C) MFA Minstate Hamdan Bin Zayid Al-Nahyan
informed the Ambassador on 2/17 that the UAEG has
agreed to fulfill its outstanding obligations to the
Turkish government pursuant to the Turkish Defense
Fund. Following the joint demarche presented by the
Ambassador and her Turkish counterpart on 1/14 (ref
B),Hamdan met with the Ambassador privately on 1/19
to convey that the UAE, i.e. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
(and keeper of the purse strings) Khalifa Bin Zayid,
and UAE COS Shiekh Mohammed Bin Zayed (MBZ) had
consulted and decided not to fulfill this obligation
due to current cash flow constraints. The
Ambassador urged Hamdan to reconsider, noting that
while Turkish support for a military option in Iraq
did not hinge on UAE contributions to the TDF, the
much needed financial support would help Turkey
offset any economic damage. The Ambassador
appreciated UAEG financial constraints and thus
suggested to Hamdan that consideration be given to
payment of the amount owed in several tranches.
Hamdan cottoned to the idea immediately and promised
to make another pass at Crown Prince Khalifa.
3. (C) Upon receipt of ref A oral message from the
Secretary, the Ambassador, upon her return from the
SIPDIS
NEA COM conference, raised the TDF issue with Hamdan
in a 2/15 meeting. Hamdan, who had himself just
returned to the UAE after a two week sojourn in
Europe, promised to take it to Khalifa and MBZ the
next day. In his 2/17 phone call to the Ambassador,
Hamdan said Khalifa had liked the Ambassador's
suggestion and that the UAE was prepared to pay $250
million in installments toward the TDF, not the $350
million claimed by Ankara. According to UAEG
records and correspondence between President Zayid
and then-President Bush, Hamdan elucidated, the UAEG
paid the Turks an initial $100 million (in November
1990),followed by a $100 million payment in 1992
and $50 million in 1994. In his 1/19 meeting with
the Ambassador, Hamdan had noted that following the
Gulf War, the UAE had given $500 million each to the
Brits and the French.
4. (C) Comment: This is a clear success story for
U.S.-UAE relations and yet another signal of how
forward leaning the Emiratis have been on Iraq-
related issues, despite the evident public
opposition here to an armed conflict. Further, in
spite of the fact that they feel stretched
financially (see Abu Dhabi 773 on UAE's domestic
budgetary woes) and have a number of other
international obligations, it is noteworthy that
they have agreed to fulfill this 12 year old pledge.
End Comment.
WAHBA