U/S HUGHES' MEETINGS WITH QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 DOHA 000293

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARPI AND NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2011
TAGS: PREL PTER KPAO IZ IR QA
SUBJECT: U/S HUGHES' MEETINGS WITH QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER
AND SHEIKHA MOZAH

Classified By: Ambassador Chase G. Untermeyer, reasons 1.5 (b&d)


1. (U) Summary: U/S Karen Hughes visited Doha Feb 17-19 to
attend the US-Islamic World Forum, sponsored by the Saban
Center at the Brookings Institution and the Qatari Ministry
of Foreign Affairs. While in Doha, she met with the Foreign
Minister and Sheikha Mozah, wife of the Amir. This cable
reports on these two meetings. U/S Hughes' Feb 18 Doha
meetings with Al Jazeera management and staff will be
reported septel. End summary.

Meeting with HBJ
--------------


2. (U) U/S Hughes met 18 Feb with Qatari Foreign Minister
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani (HBJ) in the Ritz Carlton
Hotel, Doha, on the margins the US-Islamic World Forum. Also
attending were Ambassador Untermeyer, Qatari ambassador to
the US Nasser al-Khalifa, and staff members from both sides.


3. (U) U/S Hughes began by saying, "The President very much
appreciates the key alliance we have with Qatar and your
letting us have our troops here." They then proceeded to
discuss several topics:

Qatar's Economy
--------------


4. (C) HBJ (whose primary title is First Deputy Prime
Minister) said, "The economy will continue to do well for a
few more years. We doubled GDP three times in the last 10
years, and by the end of this year we will double it again.
We are trying to invest it the right way. We have a team in
the US trying to buy 50% of a big property firm in
Washington, DC. Also, a bank and investments in Europe and
Asia."

Qatar's Membership on the UN Security Council
--------------


5. (C) HBJ said, "It is good to be there, but it is maybe a
bad time, with Syria and Iran coming up. They (the UN) expect
you to do more than you can do."

Iran
--------------


6. (C) In response to U/S Hughes' query on Qatar's view of
what Iran is doing, HBJ said: "We have been telling our
friends in the United States for a long time that Iran is the
biggest threat. I was there last month and saw Ahmadinejad.
He is too proud of himself and his nation. We are worried
about their nuclear program, because if something happens in
Bushehr, it will hit us first. We are nearer to Bushehr than
it is to Teheran.

"The Iranians sneak around. You think you have a deal with
them when you don't have a deal. They are always on the edge.
I don,t trust them.

"We need a signal from Russia and China. If (Amadinejad) gets
the wrong signal, he'll be like Saddam and do the wrong
thing. Unfortunately, they have had some wrong signals (from
Moscow and Beijing). Your position is known.

"I don't see a solution. They want their own weapon, and they
will have it. We need solidarity. I'm not sure about
sanctions and what (the Iranians') reaction will be."


7. (C) HBJ said he is preparing a letter for SecState Rice
saying it is time for her to meet with her counterparts from
the GCC to discuss the situation in Iran. "In the end we'll
(have to) be together on this, so why not talk now? My advice
to the United States is that your friends here need to know
what you are thinking of doing."


8. (C) HBJ expressed some discontent over Sec Rice's visit to
Abu Dhabi, saying, "It was not well planned." He said that if
she came a day later, she could meet with GCC leaders. He
himself had an engagement in Monaco.

Hamas
--------------


9. (C) HBJ said that when he and the Amir met with Hamas
representatives (9 Feb),"We told them, 'OK, you have been
elected. Now you have to change and work for peace, build up
health care and education and take care of people,s needs.'

DOHA 00000293 002 OF 004


They said that is their first priority. But they said if
someone puts a precondition on us, it won't work. They said
they have to respect all (peace) agreements and have to talk
(with Israel). They have a different mentality. We told them
that (governing) is not an easy mater like sending rockets
and killing Israelis. They have got to care about what they
say. They promised this is what they will do."


10. (C) U/S Hughes said the US was pleased with the "free and
fair" election the Palestinians held. "But we are also a
democracy. We have laws, and our laws forbid us to help a
terrorist organization. We want to help the Palestinian
people."


11. (C) HBJ said of such aid, "You are going to have to give
it to the Palestinian Authority. They (Hamas?) say it will be
100% transparent. Hamas will be different (from Fatah). They
are more organized; they are sincere." He said Qatar will
continue to give cash assistance through the Arab League at a
rate of $3 million a month, along with a small-loan bank
"regulated in the right way" as well as some hospitals that
Qatar will build itself.

Al Jazeera
--------------


12. (C) At the end of her visit, U/S Hughes raised Al
Jazeera, calling it 'the only thorn on the rose'. She said
she had "a good visit" with AJ senior management that
morning: "I told them we have seen some improvements but
would like to see more."


13. (C) HBJ said, "They are changing now. They have their
international advisory board that was just here. I told you
before that they would do that." He said there is also a
"small board" in place for only six months to "correct a
fight" at Al Jazeera, which post believes refers to tensions
between Al Jazeera Arabic and the new Al Jazeera
International (in English).


14. (C) U/S Hughes continued, "I told them we need to do a
better job of providing spokespeople" from the USG to go on
the air. HBJ concurred and suggested the USG help Al Jazeera
to do positive stories on US efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"In Bosnia you did great things," he said, "but nobody knows
it or talks about it."

Meeting with Sheikha Mozah
--------------


15. (U) U/S Hughes, accompanied by Ambassador Untermeyer, met
19 Feb with Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, consort of
the Amir of Qatar and chairperson of the Qatar Foundation, in
her office at Education City outside Doha.

America's Image in the Arab World
--------------


16. (U) U/S Hughes asked Sheikha Mozah (SM),"If you had my
job and had to help tell America,s story, how would you do
it?"


17. (C) SM replied: "You have to change your image. We were
always looking to America as a model for democracy. But after
September 11th (2001),things changed. There was the invasion
of Iraq, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo -- it really was terrible. I
know the argument that Saddam was worse than what you have
now in Iraq. But you have to understand the character here.
It's 'you and I against enemies and strangers'. So whatever
harm Saddam did, the feeling was, 'He's an Arab, so OK.' But
after you invaded, we feel we,ve all been attacked in our
homes.


18. (C) "In Iraq, you'll be wasting your time if you try to
rectify your image. I don't think you,re going to win. What
you should try to do is start a good story, and you have the
chance in Palestine. It could change your image in the Arab
world. I've been hearing the rhetoric about Hamas. But you
have to try them, to give them a chance. His Highness (the
Amir) is a big friend of Hamas and can play a great role
there. At least Hamas will be trusted on the Arab street."

The Arc Project for Palestine
--------------


19. (C) Sheikha Mozah spoke of the RAND Corporation study
called the Arc Project, proposing infrastructure and social
services for a Palestinian state made up of disparate

DOHA 00000293 003 OF 004


territories divided by Israel and linked by an arc-shaped
railroad running from Gaza to the West Bank. Sheikha Mozah
said, "We are willing to support this and lead the whole
initiative. But we can,t do it without support from the US.
And nothing came back (from Washington) saying that America
supports this."


10. (C) Ambassador expressed surprise at this, for at no
point was Embassy Doha ever asked to convey the Arc Project
to Washington and seek an endorsement. After U/S Hughes left
Doha, Ambassador learned from RAND that there never was in
fact such a request to the Embassy. It seems that Sheikha
Mozah asked former SecDef Frank Carlucci, when the RAND Qatar
advisory board met in Doha last year, to find out if the USG
would back the Arc Project.


11. (C) Ambassador promised to relay a message to Washington
outlining the Arc Project and asking whether USG is willing
to endorse the plan (at no expense to itself).

Women
--------------


12. (C) U/S Hughes praised Sheikha Mozah for Qatar's efforts
to give women greater opportunities and roles. "President
Bush feels very strongly that women will change the Middle
East," she said, prompting Sheikha Mozah to say, "We
shouldn,t disappoint him!" U/S Hughes said, "With women like
you, that won,t be a problem. But what can we do?"


13. (C) Sheikha Mozah recommended that whatever the US does
for women in the Middle East, it should be done "backstage".
She advised, "Don't show yourself. Whatever you do will be
stamped with the American label and will be rejected. Be
careful."


14. (C) Speaking generally of Qatar's attitude toward women,
Sheikha Mozah said, "We don't believe in a division (between
men and women). We looked at other countries and saw that
male colleagues were scared by (women) showing
aggressiveness. Whatever we do in Qatar in health and
education is for men and women. Our elections were for both
-- not men first, then women. We're a small society, like a
family. Some elements in society here may want to delay
women's progress in society, but they can't stop it. Twelve
percent of our lawyers are women."

Foundation for the Future
--------------


15. (C) Sheikha Mozah said Qatar announced at a Foundation
for the Future organizational meeting in Bahrain that it is
willing to give free land for a FF headquarters in Doha.
Since then, she said with a tone of regret, they have heard
nothing in response to this offer. In fact, she has heard it
may be located in Jordan. She also complained that early
planning for the FF excluded NGOs, which she said "was not
very clever". She also said "to brand (FF) as an American
foundation would not benefit you or us. It was announced as
something supported by America, the EU, and others. It is not
wise for you to be (seen as) the only player."


Education
--------------


16. (C) U/S Hughes asked about Qatar's success with charter
schools, noting that "the educational establishment" in Texas
opposed them at first. Sheikha Mozah said, "Same here! After
a while, they established themselves. The first results show
charter schools are doing much better than other schools.
People have more confidence in them. A delegation from other
Gulf countries will come and see what we"re doing."


17. (U) U/S Hughes said, "You're really a great example
throughout the entire region. I'd love to support it with
anything I can do, maybe by fostering greater exchanges."


18. (C) Sheikha Mozah mentioned her desire to have a branch
of the US Military Academy in Education City. U/S Hughes
said, "This is a really good idea, really interesting. I
think Sec Rumsfeld would be intrigued with it. He"s a big
advocate of international military training."


19. (C) As for a future school of communications in Education
City, Sheikha Mozah said, "We are working with (the
University of) Missouri." (Note: This was the first
indication that she has chosen MU for this role. Only two

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weeks before, Missouri was just one of a list of potential
campuses. End note.)

Other Topics
--------------


20. (C) Sheikha Mozah spoke of her membership on the board of
the UN's Alliance of Civilizations, which soon will meet in
Doha. U/S Hughes said, "The number-one thing we need to do is
undermine the notion that the West is at war with Islam. It
plays to the extremists. I was the one who strongly urged the
President to go to a mosque after 9/11." Sheikha Mozah said,
"That was excellent."


21. (C) U/S Hughes mentioned that USG will soon bring over an
Al Jazeera reporter on an exchange program. This prompted
Sheikha Mozah to say, "They need it!"


22. (C) U/S Hughes closed the meeting by saying, "We need to
make sure you meet the President. He's like you -- very
frank." Sheikha Mozah said, "My husband says he's a very
committed man; you can trust his word."


23. (U) The Hughes' delegation did not have an opportunity to
review this cable.
UNTERMEYER