UAE Foreign Minister on Paris Donors' Conference, Iran, and

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001999

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/IPA (Belgrade),
NEA/ELA (Somerset),and NEA/IR
EEB/IFD/ODF (Demarcellus),and
ISN/RA

E.O. 12958: 12/13/2017
TAGS: PREL KWBG KPAL PARM MNUC KNNP IS IR AE
SUBJECT: UAE Foreign Minister on Paris Donors' Conference, Iran, and
Lebanon

Refs: (A) State 163955
(B) Abu Dhabi 1987
(C) State 162558 and State 165967
(D) Abu Dhabi 1960
(E) State 166405
(F) State 163545

Classified by Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons sections 1.4
(b) and (d).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) In a one-on-one meeting with Ambassador December 13 afternoon,
Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ) covered regional issues,
including support for the Palestinian Authority, the Iranian
President's appearance at the recent GCC Summit, the NIE, and the
need to encourage rapid Lebanese presidential elections. END
SUMMARY.

DECEMBER 17 PARIS CONFERENCE,
SUPPORTING THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY
--------------


2. (C) AbZ said that Minister of State for Federal National Council
Affairs Anwar Mohammed Gargash would represent the UAE at the
December 17 Paris Conference on support for Palestinian reform and
capacity building. AbZ expressed regret that he would not be able to
attend and meet with the Secretary, explaining that he will be with
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed on a long-arranged official visit to
Tokyo. He agreed that the need for direct budgetary cash support to
the PA was urgent, but declined to reveal a dollar figure for UAE's
contribution. Ambassador noted UAE's generosity in supporting the PA
in the past ($80 million in May 2007 and $55 million in 2006). When
pressed, AbZ reported that Gargash was under instruction not to talk
numbers in Paris unless Saudi Arabia came forward with a specific
pledge amount. Ambassador underscored the urgent PA cash
requirements provided ref A.


3. (C) Referring to earlier conversations, Ambassador asked what was
happening with AbZ's idea that Arab League pledges be brought to
Paris for follow-up. AbZ noted that the idea of turning over Arab
League pledges would make the World Bank, rather than internal Arab
League mechanisms, responsible for exposing the failure of "certain
states" to avoid making good on their pledges. Action on this idea
would be held until the March 2008 Arab League Summit in Damascus,
however. There was real concern that much of what had been pledged by
Arab League states never made it to the intended recipients, said
AbZ. He had spoken with the Kuwaitis and the Bahrainis about such an
arrangement for Arab League pledges, said AbZ, and had sensed some
interest on the part of these Gulf neighbors. The Paris conference
was important to give the Palestinians hope. The Foreign Minister
noted his November 22 meeting with QSE Tony Blair in Abu Dhabi,
during which AbZ had urged that attention be focused on developing
quick-impact, specific projects. AbZ added that he appreciated the
update on the Administration's funding requests to the Congress for
PA support.


5. (U) Bio Details on Anwar Gargash: Gargash has been Minister of
State for Federal National Council Affairs since February 2006. He
received his BA and MA in Political Science from George Washington
University and his PhD in Political Science from Kings College
(Cambridge),writing his PhD dissertation on the subject of strategic
approaches of smaller states to larger neighbors. He is fluent in
English, is of Persian heritage, and is married to an American.

IRAN, NIE, AND LEVINSON
--------------


6. (C) AbZ reiterated UAE's displeasure with Qatar at the handling of
the recent GCC Summit. While the Qataris had invited the Iranian
President "as a surprise," President Khalifa had felt uncomfortable
at the way his interaction with Ahmedinejad had been "engineered" by
Doha. AbZ said that he had been irked himself when he saw that he had
been seated next to Iranian Foreign Minister Mottaki at the GCC
Summit dinner. Ahmedinejad had not seriously engaged on Gulf
security issues, said AbZ. Nonetheless, there had been interest in
what Ahmedinejad had to say about Iranian gas for the Gulf region, as
well as his talk of water projects. There had been less interest on
the part of the GCC participants regarding Ahmedinejad's description
of a proposed Iranian trade "corridor" between Central Asia and the
Gulf.


7. (C) Ambassador noted that she had notified AbZ's deputy, Minister
of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed al Sha'ali, of the contents of

ABU DHABI 00001999 002 OF 002


the National Intelligence Estimate non-paper on December 3 while AbZ
was in Doha. She noted that the Embassy had since followed up with
several key UAEG interlocutors (refs C, D). AbZ said that he and
others in the UAE leadership had heard that Israel had received a
"heads-up" regarding the contents of the NIE before countries in the
Gulf had been briefed. AbZ wondered whether this was true. It would
be disappointing if this was so, he continued. He hoped the United
States realized that UAE and other Gulf countries had the most to
lose if Iran gained a nuclear weapon, perhaps even more to lose than
Israel.


8. (U) Ambassador also shared the information contained in ref E
non-paper on American citizen Robert Levinson with AbZ. The Foreign
Minister agreed to follow up via the UAE Embassy in Tehran.

LEBANON
--------------


9. (C) Ambassador raised points contained ref F on encouraging rapid
Lebanese presidential elections without condition. AbZ said he had
spoken to several contacts in Beirut this week who had confirmed that
tensions were running high given yet another postponement of the
parliamentary vote. He deplored the assassination of Brigadier
General Francois al-Hajj the day before. AbZ noted that the UAE had
expressed its condemnation in the statement issued by the GCC
Secretary General, characterizing the attack as a heinous crime that

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targeted the security and stability of Lebanon as well as its unity.
AbZ said he found it curious that the Department's public statement
on the al-Hajj car bombing had not specifically mentioned Syria.
Although there was speculation that Sunni extremists or internal
Lebanese Armed Forces struggles might be at fault, AbZ emphasized his
belief that Syria was to blame and listed the numerous anti-Syrian
figures who had been targeted in the past few years. (Note: The GCC
statement does not mention Syria, either, although it does call for
the Lebanese people to stand together as one front to thwart those
who wish to destabilize Lebanon. End Note.)

SISON