Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ABUDHABI1781
2004-05-31 12:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Cable title:
UAE - Reactions to POTUS War College Speech,
how-tonull Diana T Fritz 03/15/2007 12:21:54 PM From DB/Inbox: Search Results Cable Text: CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS TELEGRAM May 31, 2004 To: No Action Addressee Action: Unknown From: AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 1781 - ROUTINE) TAGS: PREL, PGOV Captions: None Subject: UAE - REACTIONS TO POTUS WAR COLLEGE SPEECH, IRAQ PM NOMINATION Ref: None _________________________________________________________________ C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 01781 SIPDIS CXABU: ACTION: POL INFO: P/M ECON RSO AMB DCM DISSEMINATION: POL CHARGE: PROG APPROVED: A/DCM:HOLSIN-WINDECK DRAFTED: POL:JFMAYBURY CLEARED: NONE VZCZCADI656 RR RUEHC RUCNRAQ RHMFISS DE RUEHAD #1781 1521255 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 311255Z MAY 04 FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4576 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/HQ COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTH BAGHDAD
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001781
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ TC
SUBJECT: UAE - Reactions to POTUS War College Speech,
Iraq PM nomination
Classified by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Hilary
Olsin-Windecker, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 001781
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ TC
SUBJECT: UAE - Reactions to POTUS War College Speech,
Iraq PM nomination
Classified by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Hilary
Olsin-Windecker, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: The President's War College speech has
elicited no public reaction from the UAE leadership,
and only a tepid response from lower-level government
interlocutors. For Iraqi expatriates, however, it is
a different story. They are still dissecting the War
College speech a week after its delivery, and they
plan to do the same with the speeches the President is
expected to give in the run-up to the June 30 transfer
of sovereignty. Iraqi expats have generally been more
comfortable than UAEG officials in offering their
opinions about the new political appointees in Iraq.
End Summary.
2. (C) Iraqi expatriates told us they are searching
for clues in the President's speeches about what the
future Iraq will look like when neither Saddam Hussein
nor the Coalition Provisional Authority is calling the
shots. As they see it, the U.S. has a chance to help
the Iraqis "get it right," but they want the President
to be more explicit in defining, for instance, the
civilian and military authority structures, and the
role of the proposed multinational force. "The
President did not touch specifically on who is going
to be in command of these forces. If they are 100
percent under U.S. command, this will put the new
government in a very very critical situation as it
will be hard for the government to justify its actions
to the people of Iraq," said Imad Al-Jebouri, an Iraqi
employed as an engineer at the Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company.
3. (C) Rafil Hammoudi, a manager at the General
Exhibitions Corp., and other Iraqi expatriates who
spoke with us about the speech, were upset with the
President's repeated references to terrorism and
"expected trouble" in the months ahead. They would
like future speeches to place less emphasis on the
potential for violence in Iraq because they fear some
people might use that as a pretext to commit more acts
of terror. "Otherwise, the speech was on the mark and
we look forward to more as we get closer to June 30,"
Hammoudi said.
4. (C) MFA comments about the President's speech were
very guarded, like those of Yacub Al-Hosani, who
manages the UN portfolio as director of the
International Organizations Department. "What I will
tell you is my personal reaction. We are all very
worried for the region and all of our interests.
Lakhdar Brahimi is on the right track" with the
political appointments, "but this is the first step."
Al-Hosani said he worries that there is very little
time to adopt a UNSCR that will address all the
salient issues, including the question of how long a
multinational force will stay in Iraq.
5. (C) On the subject of nominations to the new Iraqi
government, once again it is the Iraqi community that
is more willing to talk openly. All of our contacts
seem to have become armchair analysts on this subject.
Iyad Allawi's nomination as the next Prime Minister,
for example, has generated a generally positive
response from Iraqi expats. Al-Jebouri and his Iraqi
friends like Nabil Al-Tawil, Adnan Naji, and Laith
Gabriel have been getting together at least once a
month over dinner to discuss political developments in
their homeland. For them, Allawi is the right
candidate for the job. "I'd like to see more people
like Allawi in the government. He is very educated,
comes from a well-known family, and has an acceptable
personality," Al-Jebouri said. "He is strong enough
to take the country at this time. He was with the
Baath Party and knows their ways and means." Hammoudi
also likes Allawi's toughness. "He doesn't get scared
quickly. We need a guy who is strong." Polchief's
contacts in the UAEG either said they did not know
enough about the Iraqis being nominated, or stated
that these were decisions for Iraqis to make.
6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
WAHBA
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/NGA AND NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/09
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ TC
SUBJECT: UAE - Reactions to POTUS War College Speech,
Iraq PM nomination
Classified by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Hilary
Olsin-Windecker, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)
1. (C) Summary: The President's War College speech has
elicited no public reaction from the UAE leadership,
and only a tepid response from lower-level government
interlocutors. For Iraqi expatriates, however, it is
a different story. They are still dissecting the War
College speech a week after its delivery, and they
plan to do the same with the speeches the President is
expected to give in the run-up to the June 30 transfer
of sovereignty. Iraqi expats have generally been more
comfortable than UAEG officials in offering their
opinions about the new political appointees in Iraq.
End Summary.
2. (C) Iraqi expatriates told us they are searching
for clues in the President's speeches about what the
future Iraq will look like when neither Saddam Hussein
nor the Coalition Provisional Authority is calling the
shots. As they see it, the U.S. has a chance to help
the Iraqis "get it right," but they want the President
to be more explicit in defining, for instance, the
civilian and military authority structures, and the
role of the proposed multinational force. "The
President did not touch specifically on who is going
to be in command of these forces. If they are 100
percent under U.S. command, this will put the new
government in a very very critical situation as it
will be hard for the government to justify its actions
to the people of Iraq," said Imad Al-Jebouri, an Iraqi
employed as an engineer at the Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company.
3. (C) Rafil Hammoudi, a manager at the General
Exhibitions Corp., and other Iraqi expatriates who
spoke with us about the speech, were upset with the
President's repeated references to terrorism and
"expected trouble" in the months ahead. They would
like future speeches to place less emphasis on the
potential for violence in Iraq because they fear some
people might use that as a pretext to commit more acts
of terror. "Otherwise, the speech was on the mark and
we look forward to more as we get closer to June 30,"
Hammoudi said.
4. (C) MFA comments about the President's speech were
very guarded, like those of Yacub Al-Hosani, who
manages the UN portfolio as director of the
International Organizations Department. "What I will
tell you is my personal reaction. We are all very
worried for the region and all of our interests.
Lakhdar Brahimi is on the right track" with the
political appointments, "but this is the first step."
Al-Hosani said he worries that there is very little
time to adopt a UNSCR that will address all the
salient issues, including the question of how long a
multinational force will stay in Iraq.
5. (C) On the subject of nominations to the new Iraqi
government, once again it is the Iraqi community that
is more willing to talk openly. All of our contacts
seem to have become armchair analysts on this subject.
Iyad Allawi's nomination as the next Prime Minister,
for example, has generated a generally positive
response from Iraqi expats. Al-Jebouri and his Iraqi
friends like Nabil Al-Tawil, Adnan Naji, and Laith
Gabriel have been getting together at least once a
month over dinner to discuss political developments in
their homeland. For them, Allawi is the right
candidate for the job. "I'd like to see more people
like Allawi in the government. He is very educated,
comes from a well-known family, and has an acceptable
personality," Al-Jebouri said. "He is strong enough
to take the country at this time. He was with the
Baath Party and knows their ways and means." Hammoudi
also likes Allawi's toughness. "He doesn't get scared
quickly. We need a guy who is strong." Polchief's
contacts in the UAEG either said they did not know
enough about the Iraqis being nominated, or stated
that these were decisions for Iraqis to make.
6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
WAHBA