NEA DAS GRAY MEETS FOREIGN MINISTRY SECRETARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAKAR 000617

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA, AF/W, AF/RSA AND INR/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2017
TAGS: PREL KISL KPAL IR SG
SUBJECT: NEA DAS GRAY MEETS FOREIGN MINISTRY SECRETARY
GENERAL DIALLO


Classified By: DCM ROBERT P. JACKSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

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

1. (C) Summary: During a March 14, 2007 meeting, Senegalese
Foreign Ministry Secretary General Claude Absa Diallo and NEA
DAS Gordon Gray discussed Senegal,s hosting of the next
Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) Summit, the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran. Ambassador Diallo
urged the U.S. and Israel to engage more with the
Palestinians. For his part, Gray made it clear that Iran
needs to halt its nuclear program. END SUMMARY.

IRAN
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2. (C) Underlining that the United States has always
differentiated between the Government and the people of Iran,
Gray emphasized that the U.S. has been using public diplomacy
tools to broaden its outreach tothe Iranian people. He
continued that there is broad international support to force
Iran to halt its nuclear program. He encouraged Senegal to
do what it could in this regard. Highlighting Senegal,s
friendly relations with Iran, Ambassador Diallo said that an
international crisis would not be conducive as Senegal
believes that the more the world threatens Iran the more
obstinate it, especially President Ahmadinejad, will become.
She urged patience to try to moderate Iran,s position. Gray
pointed out that the longer the international community waits
the more likely it will be that Iran will acquire an arsenal
of nuclear weapons.

ISRAEL-PALESTINE
--------------

3. (C) Both agreed that solving the Israel-Palestinian
problem will go a long way in easing regional tensions.
Describing Israel,s attitude as sometimes unhelpful, Diallo
then said that hard-line Israeli policies had created the
vacuum into which Hamas had entered and that at this stage it
was crucial for Israel to release tax revenues so that the
unity government could function. She added that to isolate
Hamas would lead them further away from the path of
moderation. Gray countered that the United States does not
want to penalize the Palestinian people for voting for Hamas
and in fact has provided significant humanitarian aid through
the Presidency. At the same time, Hamas must accept the
Quartet principles by renouncing violence, recognizing
Israel,s right to exist, and accepting previous agreements.
He recognized the crucial role that Senegal, a moderate
Muslim country that has diplomatic relations with Israel,
could play in making sure that Israel does not become
isolated.

OIC
---

4. (C) Diallo confirmed that the next OIC summit will be
held in Dakar sometime in March 2008. While, neither the
dates nor the agenda have been confirmed, she revealed that
President Wade is anxious to promote moderate Islam and
inter-faith dialogue as themes and that he continues to
consider a global Muslim-Christian conference as adjunct to
the OIC meting. Gray welcomed themes that could decouple
Islam with its image of terror.

OTHER MEETINGS
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5. (U) In addition to the meeting with Ambassador Diallo and
the MFA Directors for Africa and for International
Organizations, DAS Gray had a very lively discussion with the
Algerian, Egyptian, Moroccan, and Tunisian Ambassadors about
terrorism and democracy; met with Ambassador Ahmed Khalifa
Niasse, who was until recently President Wade,s Itinerant
Ambassador for the Middle East; and his brother, Sidy Lamine
Niasse, who editor-in-chief of Walfadjri, an independent,
pro-Arab, pro-Islamic daily.


6. (U) This cable has been cleared by NEA DAS Gray.


7. (U) Visit Embassy Dakar,s SIPRNET website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/af/dakar.
JACOBS