Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BERLIN3542
2006-12-20 09:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:  

FOUNDATION REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS MIDDLE EAST

Tags:  PGOV PREL KMPI GM 
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DE RUEHRL #3542/01 3540913
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 200913Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6467
INFO RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 003542 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/PI FOR KIRBY, NEA/FO FOR MALLORY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KMPI GM
SUBJECT: FOUNDATION REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS MIDDLE EAST
PROJECTS WITH NEA SENIOR ADVISOR MALLORY


Classified By: Political Minister Counselor John A. Bauman for reasons
1.4(b)/(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 003542

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/PI FOR KIRBY, NEA/FO FOR MALLORY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KMPI GM
SUBJECT: FOUNDATION REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS MIDDLE EAST
PROJECTS WITH NEA SENIOR ADVISOR MALLORY


Classified By: Political Minister Counselor John A. Bauman for reasons
1.4(b)/(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: NEA Senior Advisor Charles King Mallory
and NEA/PI Political Pillar Manager Owen Kirby met with
representatives from two German political foundations
December 6-7. In separate meetings, representatives of the
Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF) and Friedrich Ebert
Foundation (FEF) presented their organizations' general
principles, reviewed current projects in the Middle East, and
discussed possible cooperation between MEPI implementers and
their respective foundations. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) NEA Senior Advisor Charles King Mallory and NEA/PI
Political Pillar Manager Owen Kirby met with Frank Spengler,
Deputy Head of International Cooperation, Konrad Adeneauer
Foundation (KAF),on December 6. The KAF is affiliated with
the conservative Christian Democratic Union party. Spengler
outlined the KAF's core activities as parliamentary work,
political development, unions, and the media, adding that the
Foundation is careful to avoid overlap or competition with
other German institutions. When new funding appears, the KAF
prefers to expand its global presence, opening a new office
in another country rather than increasing the capacity of a
pre-existing office. In the broader Middle East, the KAF
focuses on Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Turkey,
Morocco, and Tunisia. Spengler added that they will at times
decline to work on some issues (human rights, refugee issues)
or with some organizations if such work threatens other
aspects of their work within the country/region.

--------------
KAF Projects in the Middle East
--------------


3. (C) Palestinian Authority: According to Spengler, the
KAF focuses on contributing to reconciliation and reform,
both in terms of the Palestinian-Israel relations and within
Palestinian society itself. Spengler noted that the KAF
tries to advance these issues through NGOs rather than the
Palestinian political scene, focusing particularly on young
people and women. Party development remains at the heart of

the KAF's mission; NGO support, said Spengler, is "not just
for the NGO's sake" but is a means to create a reservoir of
future political actors. The KAF is currently building
contacts in the Palestinian political scene, but has not yet
chosen specific targets for dialogue or partnership.
Spengler noted that Hamas is officially a red line for the
KAF, but that the Foundation does not thoroughly scour
contacts' backgrounds for Hamas connections. Spengler added
that the Israeli political establishment, with which the KAF
enjoys close ties, has only recently recognized the
importance of political party development in the PA.


4. (C) Jordan/Lebanon/Syria: The KAF office in Amman has
become a hub for regional activities and networks, including
countries where the KAF is currently not represented. The
foundation is unable to operate in Lebanon due to security
concerns and will not operate in Syria as this would be a
"wrong signal" to the SARG. Spengler expressed skepticism
about the Syrian situation noting that internal dissidents
have no influence on the internal debate. As part of its
regional programming, a large Syrian parliamentary delegation
took part in an exchange with German CDU parliamentarians.
The KAF plans no activities for the 2007 Syrian election.


5. (C) Iran: The KAF does not have an office in Iran due to
the lack of a bilateral cultural agreement, which would
include a security guarantee for staff members. The current
political situation in Iran has only further contributed to
the KAF's decision not to pursue opening an Iranian office.
Asked for examples of other international NGOs present in
Iran, Spengler cited the case of Dutch NGOs that had ceased
operations after encountering problems with their local
partner NGOs' financial controlling and transparency. Even
KAF efforts to include Iranians based in Iran are difficult
as Iranian participants of KAF events abroad face
difficulties in receiving exit permits from the GOI.


6. (C) Egypt: The KAF anticipates facing problems with
re-registering its Cairo office next year. A variety of
registration models exist, ranging from technical agreements
(the KAF's preferred option) to local registration. Spengler
predicted that the KAF will probably opt for a technical
agreement with the GOE, adding that they cannot accept a
special deal with the GOE while simultaneously demanding that
their partner Egyptian NGOs be transparent.

--------------

KAF Cooperation with MEPI Implementers?
--------------


7. (C) As for potential collaboration between KAF and
MEPI-sponsored program implementers like the National
Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican
Institute (IRI),Spengler emphasized working first on a
cooperative basis before creating any broader strategic
plans. Due to KAF's decentralized system, it is imperative
that any further discussion be conducted at the grassroots
level in order to "identify where we can't work together,
where we can work together, and where we must work together."
As for possible financial assistance from MEPI or its
implementers, Spengler said that the KAF has no problem
taking money from the U.S. but it must be very clear that it
is on a partnership basis, not as a mechanism for funneling
money. Working with the U.S. is not a question of funding
but of political implications and what effect such
cooperation would have on achieving the project's objective.


--------------
FEF in the Middle East
--------------


8. (C) Mallory and Kirby met on December 7 with Andrae
Graeber, Head of the Department for Middle East and North
Africa, Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FEF). The FEF, which is
closely associated with the German Social Democratic Party
(SPD),works with host government entities on issues like
media institutional reform, family/personal status law
reform, truth and reconciliation processes),tripartite trade
union work. Noting that its status as a nongovernmental
entity makes gaining access to governmental agencies more
difficult, it has succeeded in gaining a foothold by working
with reform-willing ministries (e.g. Lebanese Ministries of
Environment and Culture) and "sister" (i.e. social
democratic) parties. It also works with reform-oriented
nongovernmental organizations as a means to accomplishing its
larger goal of building (preferably Social Democratic) party
structures.


9. (C) During an in-depth exchange of information about
programs and experiences in the region, Gaerber outlined in
detail a variety of FEF's projects:


10. (C) Palestinian Authority: According to Gaerber, the
FEF is the only German foundation trying to transform Fatah
from a resistance movement into a bona fide political party.
The current program has been in place since March 2006 at the
explicit request of the German MFA following the Palestinian
elections. The project seeks to strengthen (social)
democratic, secular forces in the PA while weakening others.
In addition to its Fatah efforts, the Foundation is also
working closely with Mustafa Barghouti and his Mubathara
party. The FEF works primarily with Fatah on a top-down
basis, via a variety of access points including the
Presidential Office, the head of International Cooperation,
and a number of younger Fatah leaders. Noting that the
National Democratic Institute (NDI) also works with Fatah,
albeit on a grassroots level, Gaerber added that more
intensive communication between NDI and FEF was necessary, as
the Palestinians could otherwise take advantage of this lack
of communication.


11. (C) Lebanon: FEF's work, noted Gaerber, is based on an
assumption that Shi'ites are underrepresented and
underprivileged. The FEF works on topics included
decentralization; civil society, particularly women and youth
groups; contributing to the National Dialogue, including
Hizbollah and their research centers; electoral reform;
parliamentary system reform, including the creation of the
second parliamentary chamber and improvement in a
confession-based distribution of seats; economic reform,
particularly boosting Shi'ites; and reform of the security
system (particularly its confessional fractionalization).


12. (C) Syria: Gaerber noted that the FEF had been
considered an "organization non grata" until 2005, when the
Syrian Prime Minister offered to allow FEF to return to
Syria, a gesture apparently engineered as a means to reopen
relations with Europe after the Syria's EUROMED Association
Agreement was stalled. In addition to government, business
and civil society figures, the FEF has maintained some
contact with the Ba'th Regional Command, in part because the
Ba'th Party has requested contacts with the German SPD. The
FEF is only willing to cooperate on a working level, but not
with Syrian leadership.


13. (C) Jordan: Gaerber expressed frustration at the lack
of progress in democracy programming in Jordan, but cautioned
against pushing the Jordanians too hard. "Despite our
disappointments and that they are not fulfilling our
expectations, they are the only friend we have left."
Gaerber added that the FEF is critical of the work of its
local office there: too much focus on the GOJ's National
Agenda reform initiative and on the same "usual suspects" as
contacts. In addition, Jordan-specific efforts have suffered
as the Amman FEF office has been focused on work in Iraq.
The FEF needs to revisit the landscape, find new actors, said
Gaerber. On a regional level, Gaerber added that it has been
extremely difficult to expand cooperation in Jordan on
Israel/PA issues.


14. (U) This message was cleared by Mallory and Kirby.

KOENIG