SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL TO QATAR

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 DOHA 001288

SIPDIS

FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL GONZALES FROM AMBASSADOR UNTERMEYER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV OVIP QA
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR VISIT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL TO QATAR

Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Mr. Attorney General: Embassy Doha is pleased to
welcome you to Qatar. Yours is the highest-ranking visit by a
U.S. official to Qatar since the President himself came in
June 2003, and the first cabinet-level visit to Qatar since
Energy Secretary Bodman came in April 2006. The Qataris
appreciate this visit, as Qatar's leadership often feels
undervalued as a U.S. ally, particularly in its support of
military operations on Iraq and Afghanistan and its
counterterorrism efforts. The often vitriolic coverage on
Al-Jazeera notwithstanding, Qatar is actually doing a lot of
things right that align with the President's freedom agenda:
democratization, human rights, educational reform, among
others.

2.(C) There are several important issues that you could
address with Qatari officials during your visit:

-- Recognize Qatar as an important strategic ally. We have
been able to count on Qatar's military cooperation in ways
that we cannot anywhere else in the region. Qatar's support
has been indispensible.

-- Recognize Qatar's help on the war on terrorism, in
intelligence cooperation, law enforcement cooperation, and
political and social reform. Qatar is making a difference in
the region.

-- Thank Qatar for its humanitarian assistance to Lebanon,
which is ongoing and totals more than $11 million to date.
Immediate and robust security assistance to the Lebanese
Armed Forces is vitally important to the maintenance of a
ceasefire, reconstruction of the nation, and the ultimate
success of UNSCR 1701.

-- Urge a balanced and professional approach to regional
coverage on Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera's coverage of Iraq and of
the Israel-Hezbollah conflict has not met the standards of
professional journalism. On this and other issues, the
channel appears to be hardening around a political agenda. It
needs to return to its professional principles.

-- Urge signing of an Article 98 agreement on the
jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Foreign
Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani (HBJ),whom you will meet
in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister, has insisted on
Qatar's being declared a "major non-NATO ally" before
delivering an Article 98 Agreement. Your visit is an
opportunity to express our continued desire to conclude such
an agreement.

-- Urge responsible action at the UN Security Council. Under
HBJ, Qatar has staked out an independent path on Iran and
Syria, which has had troublesome consequences on the Council.
Qatar sees itself as holding the Arab/Muslim "seat" on the
Council, but they should be reminded that on issues of such
importance as Iran's nuclear program, building and
maintaining an international consensus is vital.

-- Express hope for a rescheduled visit by the Amir of Qatar
to Washington. The Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,
turned down a White House invitation in May for health
reasons (a procedure at the Mayo Clinic); he would appreciate
such a meeting if it can be scheduled, but he and his
advisors would expect to be treated as an ally and regional
partner. We are not in a position to extend an invitation at
this time, because NSC (and the President himself) are upset
at Qatar's voting on the most recent UNSC resolution on Iran.


3. (C) You met Qatar's Attorney General, Dr. Ali bin Mohsen
al-Marri, in Washington in March 2006, when he sought your
support for an Attorneys General initiative for the Middle
East. Since that time, his idea has taken more concrete
shape: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Attorneys General will
gather in Doha or Riyadh in early November. Dr. al-Marri
prefers to make progress on a more limited scope than suffer
the delays a Middle East-wide project would be subject to.

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LAW ENFORCEMENT COOPERATION
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4. (C) Our law enforcement relationship with Qatar is
cooperative, but not extensive. Qatar expelled two
individuals wanted by U.S. law enforcement, in 2003 and in

2005. The latter case came at the personal request of Fran
Townsend. The Qataris had been eager for the FBI to open an
office in Doha, and a legal attache was assigned to the
Embassy in 2005.

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COUNTER-TERRORISM
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5. (U) Qatari security services have an adequate legal
structure in place to pursue terrorists. In March 2004, Qatar
passed the Combating Terrorism Law. The law defines terrorism
and terrorist acts, lists specific punishments for terrorist
crimes (including the death penalty),provides measures
against terrorist financing or fundraising activities, and
gives the Government authority to take action against
terrorist crimes and activities. The law incorporates
existing laws such as Qatar's penal code, criminal procedure
code, judicial law, a law on weapons, ammunitions and
explosives, and an anti-money laundering statute.
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COUNTER-TERRORISM FINANCE
--------------


6. (U) The Qatar Authority for Charitable Works, which
monitors all domestic and international charitable
activities, increased its resources and capabilities during

2005. The Secretary General of the Authority approves
international fund transfers by the charities. The Authority
has primary responsibility for monitoring overseas
charitable, developmental, and humanitarian projects, and
reports annually to Government ministries on the status of
all projects. The Authority is developing measures to exert
further control over domestic charity collection.

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U.S.-QATARI MILITARY RELATIONS
--------------


7. (S) Bilateral military relations between the U.S. and
Qatar continue to be excellent, and the GOQ continues to
demonstrate unwavering support for U.S. military operations.
Currently Qatar hosts approximately 8,000 U.S. forces based
at Camp As Sayliyah and Al Udeid Air Base. Some 86 U.S. and
Coalition fighter and support aircraft operate from Al Udeid
and represent the largest Air Expeditionary Wing in the
CENTCOM AOR. Qatar also hosts both the USCENTCOM Forward
Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center for
theater-wide command and control. Al Udeid Air Base itself
continues to undergo a surge of both GOQ and U.S. funded
construction to support U.S. operational and logistical
requirements.

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ARTICLE 98
--------------


8. (C) The State Department raised signing an Article 98
Agreement with MFA officials during a visit in February. The
MFA said the matter is primarily handled on the military side
and that the GOQ is reviewing the matter. In prior
discussions, HBJ indicated that Qatar would sign an Article
98 agreement right after the U.S. declares Qatar a Major
Non-NATO Ally.

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IRAN
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9. (C) Traditional Qatari regional diplomacy seeks to keep
lines open to all neighbors. Qatar has played the Iran issue
this way since the beginning of the year, with the Amir
meeting the Iranian president in Tehran on May 2. There have
been other senior-level bilateral visits. The policy
culminated in Qatar's vote breaking UN Security Council
consensus on Resolution 1696 in July. When HBJ visited Tehran
in January, he described, in a press conference,
Qatari-Iranian relations as "good in the gas and oil sectors,
especially in terms of the South Pars Field," a reference to
the what Qataris call the North Field, the largest single gas
field in the world and shared by the two countries.


10. (C) Qatari officials are nevertheless extremely concerned
about the role of Iran in the region and about its nuclear
weapons ambitions. In his meeting with Counselor to the
Department of State, Philip Zelikow, on March 20, HBJ agreed
strongly with the U.S. analysis of Iran's revolutionary
motivations and goals, noting Iran's active support for
subversive elements in Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, and eastern
Saudi Arabia. But he believes that Iran's nuclear program is
nearly unstoppable. Qatar is likely to continue trying to
balance its U.S. military cooperation - its ultimate
strategic defense - with diplomatic efforts that seek to
avoid antagonizing Iran.

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IRAQ
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11. (S) Qatar has been a pillar of support for our efforts in
Iraq and Afghanistan. We continue, for instance, to fly
unimpeded combat missions out of Al-Udeid Air Base. The Amir
shares our view that restoration of order and a successful
democratic transition are of paramount importance not only to
Iraq but to the region. However, there is some feeling that
Qatar's efforts over the past three years are not fully
appreciated in Washington. While the Foreign Minister has
expressed concerns of civil war in Iraq, he has stated
publicly that the coalition needs to stay in the country to
establish wider security. The GOQ also points to the
importance of establishing a power structure in Baghdad that
is fully inclusive of the Sunni bloc. HBJ called new Iraqi PM
al-Maliki "a very good guy" and expressed readiness to
receive him in Doha, but the GOQ is not prepared to open an
embassy in Baghdad until the security situation improves
dramatically.

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AL-JAZEERA
--------------


12. (S) Al Jazeera remains a thorn not just in our side, but
in the side of nearly every government in the region. In
response to our repeated protests and appeals about biased
coverage and sloppy fact-checking, Al-Jazeera's management
claims to have reduced the air time given to Al-Qaida and
kidnappers' videos and have made efforts to moderate its
reporting from Iraq. Although their coverage was extremely
inflammatory during the recent Israel-Hizballah conflict, the
channel has stressed to us its coverage of pro-democracy
movements in Lebanon and Egypt as well as broader coverage of
Middle Eastern politics. The Al Jazeera managing director
told the Ambassador, "If the Americans want to find a proper
partner in its effort to get democracy and reform, they won't
find a better one than Al Jazeera."

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POLITICAL REFORM
--------------


13. (U) Qatar's own program of reform, launched by the Amir
after he assumed power in 1995, took a significant step
forward last June when its first constitution came into
force. The constitution calls for a two-thirds elected
national legislature. These elections are expected to take
place sometime in early 2007, and Qatari women will have the
right to vote and will be encouraged by the government to run
for office. In municipal elections in 1999 and 2003, women
here were the first in the Gulf region to cast votes, and one
woman was elected to the Council.

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EDUCATION CITY
--------------


14. (U) Education City is an example of Qatar's efforts to
not just adopt, but actually import, the U.S. model of higher
education. Located on a 2500-acre campus on the outskirts of
Doha, it is managed by Qatar Foundation, the umbrella
organization chaired by Sheikha Mozah, the Amir's consort.
Five U.S. branch campuses are currently represented at
Education City: Virginia Commonwealth University (fashion
design, interior design, graphic design); Weill Cornell
Medical College (medicine); Carnegie-Mellon University
(business, computer science); Texas A&M University
(engineering); and Georgetown University's School of Foreign
Service. Some 800 students are currently enrolled, the
majority Qatari. About two-thirds of the students are women,
since the Education City campuses allow them to live at home
with their families.

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ECONOMY
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15. (U) At USD 61,540, Qatar's per capita income is ranked
fifth in the world and ahead of the U.S. The country's vast
wealth has resulted from the successful development of its
natural gas resources over the past 10 years with plans for
even greater expansion over the next decade. Qatar Petroleum
is maximizing use of Qatar's natural resources to diversify
the economy and provide business and employment opportunities
to Qataris. Qatar is extremely friendly to U.S. energy
companies: Since 1999, there has been $60 billion in foreign
investment in Qatar's energy sector with the majority - about
$40 billion - coming from the U.S. firms. Qatar plans to
invest $70 billion in the natural gas sector over the next
seven years.


16. (U) The GOQ estimates Qatar's oil reserves are at 27
billion barrels. Qatar's daily average production is
currently estimated to be 806,000 barrels per day; at current
production rates, oil reserves are expected to last 20 to 60
years, depending on estimates. Qatar's goal is to increase
overall production capacity to over one million bpd by 2006.
Occidental and Anadarko are the two U.S. companies operating
in this sector.


17. (U) The majority of Qatar's current energy development is
focused on natural gas. Qatar's North Field contains 15.3% of
world natural gas reserves, third behind Russia and Iran. It
is the largest non-associated gas field in the world, and is
expected to support planned production for over 200 years.

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TRADE AND INVESTMENT
--------------


18. (U) Qatar signed a Trade and Investment Framework
agreement with the U.S. in March 2004, but progress toward a
Free Trade Agreement is moving slowly at best. Achieving a
FTA will require Qatar to remove such obstacles as mandatory
majority Qatari ownership of most businesses, the government
telecom monopoly, restrictions on foreign investment in the
financial services sector, labor issues, and transparency in
government procurement.

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BIO NOTES
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19. (C) Dr. al-Marri was educated in France (international
public law),and therefore French is his second language. He
speaks English but can misunderstand some points in English
if they are conveyed too quickly. He has a quiet but
determined demeanor.
UNTERMEYER