SHEIKH ABDULLAH ON SYRIA, GAZA, SAUDI BORDER

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 003272 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2015 TAGS: PREL PTER UNSC PHUM PINR EAID SY IZ GZ SA IR, TC SUBJECT: SHEIKH ABDULLAH ON SYRIA, GAZA, SAUDI BORDER DISPUTE REF: A. ABU DHABI 3244 ¶B. STATE 136754 ¶C. ABU DHABI 3161 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. On July 24, UAE Minister of Information Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan and Ambassador discussed UAE attention to halting the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq; Abdullah's planned travel to Damascus to meet with Syrian President Bashar Al Asad; Gaza disengagement and the UAE's Gaza aid projects, UAE-Saudi border tensions; Iran; the UAEG's new national strategy for condemning extremism in the mosques; UN reform; and trafficking in persons. Abdullah took on board USG concerns regarding high-profile travel to Syria, the need for Syria to halt the flow of foreign fighters across its border into Iraq, and the urgency of ending Syrian interference in Lebanon. He has postponed his plans to travel to Damascus the week of July 25, although the trip may go forward later. Sheikh Abdullah voiced UAEG appreciation for the Secretary's statement that Israel should not seal off or isolate Gaza following its proposed withdrawal next month. He described the UAE's continuing assistance to the Palestinian people, including the UAE's offer to fund a $100 million construction project in Gaza. Although he formally heads the UAE's Information and Culture Ministry, Abdullah has taken on a number of sensitive missions recently (visit to Gaza in May, attendance at the Hariri funeral in Beirut in February). Abdullah will be attending the UNGA in September as the UAE's senior substantive member. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) After having shared lunch with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan and CENTCOM Commander General Abizaid July 20 (ref A),Ambassador and Information Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan agreed to meet July 24 for lunch to follow up on a number of issues. Abdullah was joined by his Under Secretary for Information, Saqr Ghobash (the latter remained silent throughout most of the meal). HALTING THE FLOW OF FOREIGN INSURGENTS AND TERRORISTS TO IRAQ -------------- / ¶3. (C) Picking up on General Abizaid's discussion of the alarming increase in suicide bombings in Iraq, Ambassador raised with Sheikh Abdullah the need for all countries in the region to prevent the flow of foreign insurgents and terrorists into Iraq, highlighting points provided ref B. Aware that a handful of young Emirati men are in MNF custody in Iraq, Abdullah pledged his government's vigilance in preventing Emirati citizens or expatriate residents from traveling to Iraq directly or indirectly to join the insurgency. Abdullah noted security service monitoring of ferry traffic to Um Qasr (passengers and cargo),as well as security service and police attention focused on anyone exhibiting signs of extremist sympathies. Abu Dhabi's State Security Directorate (headed by his brother, Sheikh Hazza) and Dubai's State Security Organization monitored the travel of Emirati nationals and expatriate residents to Iraq, Iran, and Syria, he reported, although much of this travel was found to be for legitimate commercial purposes. He expressed particular concern about young men entering Iraq through Iran. ¶4. (C) The UAE's sophisticated iris-scan technology, installed at seventeen ports of entry, as well as a new national ID card and passport program were designed to combat both terrorism and illegal migration, Abdullah emphasized. He agreed with Ambassador's point that foreign fighters might eventually seek to return to their home or neighboring countries "credentialed" with terror experience garnered in Iraq. The UAE would not allow this to occur, he vowed. Sheikh Abdullah then recounted the story of an unfortunate Sudanese who had been spotted by a police officer the day before with a UBL picture affixed to the back of his motorcycle. The Sudanese was promptly arrested. Although the police investigation revealed that the picture had been attached by his brother-in-law as the result of a family dispute, Abdullah noted with satisfaction the swift police response. UBL, Zarqawi and others might still have some admirers, he said, but the UAE's national strategy on prayers in the mosques was aimed at putting out the message to the UAE nationals and large expatriate population that there was nothing in Islam that encouraged violence. PLANNED TRAVEL TO DAMASCUS -------------- / ¶5. (C) During the July 20 luncheon with General Abizaid, Sheikh Abdullah had mentioned his plans to travel to Damascus to meet with President Bashar. The conversation had then turned to the USG's view that Syria was expending minimal efforts to combat terrorism and that Syrian territory was being used to support the Iraqi insurgency. During the July 24 session with Sheikh Abdullah, Ambassador noted the USG's concern that international high-level or high-profile visits to Damascus only legitimized the SARG and its actions. She also highlighted USG concerns over Syrian interference in internal Lebanese affairs, including the economic blockade, noting the Secretary's recent call on Syria to restore the free flow of trade. Abdullah listened closely to Ambassador's description of the need for the SARG to expel Palestinian rejectionist groups, agreeing that such groups undermine Abu Mazen and the peace process. Abdullah noted that he had the "unfortunate distinction" of heading the now-moribund "UAE-Syria Friendship Committee" on the Emirati side. There had been one meeting of the committee in Damascus and one in Abu Dhabi, but activity had ceased in ¶2002. President Bashar had invited him to Damascus to relaunch the initiative, but he had demurred, said Abdullah. The Committee would remain dormant. ¶6. (C) At the end of the two hour meal, Abdullah said that he would not be departing for Damascus this week, but left open the possibility of travel to Syria in August. However, there would be no press fanfare if and when he did travel to Syria, Abdullah reassured Ambassador; the visit would be low-profile. GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, UAE ANNOUNCES NEW $100 MILLION PROJECT -------------- -------------- / ¶7. (C) Sheikh Abdullah then turned to Gaza disengagement, noting that his meetings in Gaza in May had convinced him that this was an issue "even more important than Iraq" in terms of peace and stability in the Arab world. Abdullah had traveled to Gaza two months ago to cut the ribbon for Zayed City, a new residential complex north of Gaza that the UAE had constructed at a cost of $62 million to house some 25,000 Palestinians. Abdullah noted that the UAE had also decided to construct a $100,000 project in Gaza, Khalifa bin Zayed City (named after his oldest brother, the new President). The new project would meet the residential needs of between 30,000 and 40,000 Palestinians and would be coordinated with UNRWA. ¶8. (C) Abdullah urged the USG to provide additional assistance to the Palestinian people. Ambassador noted that the USG would be providing some $50 million to the Palestinian Authority for projects in Gaza as part of Quartet Special Envoy for Gaza Disengagement Wolfensohn's $100 million fundraising effort. She added that the USG continued to coordinate closely with the PA to ensure that the most pressing needs of the Palestinian people were addressed. Sheikh Abdullah praised the Secretary's support for the free movement for Palestinians, citing her public statement that when the Israelis withdraw from Gaza, the Palestinian people should not be sealed in or isolated. (Comment: During NEA PDAS Cheney's recent visit to Abu Dhabi, she offered to brief Special Envoy Wolfensohn about the UAE's positive experience in providing aid to the Palestinians in Gaza and to recommend that he meet with the UAE leadership to consult further. Embassy believes that MFA, Red Crescent, and Abu Dhabi Development Fund officials would welcome such a meeting after the traditionally quiet month of UAE August vacations. End Comment). UAE-SAUDI BORDER ISSUE -------------- / ¶9. (C) Sheikh Abdullah noted that not only the Al Nahyan brothers (including President Khalifa, Crown Prince MbZ, MinState Foreign Affairs Hamdan, and Minister for Presidential Affairs Mansour) but also Dubai's Al Maktoum brothers were focused on the ongoing Saudi-UAE border dispute. In fact, said Abdullah, Dubai Crown Prince Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum was "rabid" on the issue. The fact that Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah had personally signed an "inflammatory" letter in May addressed to President Khalifa had made clear to the UAE side that this issue was not going to be easily or quickly resolved. The future of the Gulf Cooperation Council was up in the air due to Saudi bullying of the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar. The UAE wondered where Kuwait stood on the UAE border issue and the Saudi issues affecting the smaller Gulf states -) the Kuwaitis had not yet clearly expressed their stance. Abdullah said that he hoped the USG understood the importance of the border issue to the UAE. (Note: We have since learned that the UAEG raised the Saudi-UAE border issue with the Canadian and U.K. missions in Abu Dhabi recently, indicating a growing effort to garner international support for the UAE's stance. End note.) IRAN -------------- / ¶10. (S) Abdullah turned the conversation to UAE's neighbor across the water, Iran. He mentioned that Hassan Rowhani (Secretary of Iran's National Security Council) had complained bitterly during his June conversation with President Khalifa about the UAE's action in late 2004 with regard to a container ship of Iran-bound cargo en route from China. Rowhani expressed displeasure that the shipment had been returned to China, Abdullah noted. Abdullah said he was convinced that Iran was intent on developing nuclear weapons, echoing statements he made earlier this year during former U/S Bolton's visit to Abu Dhabi. UAE'S NEW NATIONAL STRATEGY IN THE MOSQUES -------------- / ¶11. (C) Ambassador congratulated Sheikh Abdullah on the July 15 UAE-wide sermon condemning acts of terrorism in London and Iraq, and noted the positive feedback Embassy had heard regarding the July 22 sermon, which emphasized that there was nothing in the culture of Islam nor its teachings that encouraged violence. Sheikh Abdullah underscored the UAEG's intention that Sunni and Shi'a mosques nationwide criticize publicly any form of extremism or violence. Ambassador then raised an al-Sakifah website posting which had warned the UAEG to exact non-Muslims and American citizens within ten days or risk attack (ref D). Abdullah noted that this appeared to be a re-posting of a March 2005 internet message. UN REFORM; G-4 UNSC -------------- / ¶12. (C) Ambassador raised the G-4 framework resolution on UN reform, noting that we understood that the UAEG had already taken the decision not to support the resolution. Had there been a final call as to whether the UAEG would vote against it or abstain? Abdullah did not answer directly, but noted the UAEG's disagreement with the resolution. He added that he found the African Union position to be "ludicrous." (Note: With the Foreign Minister, MinState Foreign Affairs, and MFA U/S out of the country on vacation, Abdullah appears to be the senior UAEG rep focusing on foreign affairs during the Abu Dhabi's summer lull.) TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS -------------- / ¶13. (U) Sheikh Abdullah noted the UAEG's focus on combating trafficking in persons, adding that he and other leaders understood the need to push hard for greater law enforcement attention to the issue. The government was working to put together statistics on prosecutions. MEDIA LAW -------------- / ¶14. (U) Ambassador asked about the status of a draft media law, noting Sheikh Abdullah's public encouragement for the initiative. Abdullah replied that he had asked the UAE Journalists Association to present him with suggestions for the new law, and that he was still awaiting a response. He asked Information U/S Ghobash to follow up. SISON