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