CODEL BOYD MEETING OCTOBER 5 WITH QATARI HEIR

UNCLAS DOHA 000982 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV QA SUBJECT: CODEL BOYD MEETING OCTOBER 5 WITH QATARI HEIR APPARENT SHEIKH TAMIM ¶1. (SBU) A congressional delegation led by Rep. Allen Boyd of Florida, and accompanied by charge, met Qatar's Heir Apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, October 5 in Doha. In addition to Boyd, the Delegation included Rep. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Rep. Wayne Gilchrist of Maryland, Rep. Betty Sutton of Ohio, and Rep. Stephen Cohen of Tennessee. Sheikh Tamim was joined by his sister, Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, his office director, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa, and Amb. Abdulla Jaber of the Qatari Foreign Ministry. The two sides shared views on Iraq, Iran, and U.S.-Qatar relations. ¶2. (SBU) Sheikh Tamim called U.S.-Qatar relations very good "in several sectors," singling out our military relationship. He said over the past few years, the U.S. and Qatar have not agreed on everything, "but that's normal, and as a friend Qatar will tell (the U.S.) what we believe, what we think is right and wrong. The U.S. and Qatar are all in the same boat and we must stick together." Rep. Wicker noted that this was his first trip to Qatar and appreciated the friendship Qatar has shown. He commented that Qatar is in a "very interesting neighborhood" and solicited Sheikh Tamim's assessment of the situation in Iraq since the start of the surge. Rep. Wicker also remarked that Qatar maintains relations with Israel and asked for Sheikh Tamim's views of the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. ¶3. (SBU) Tamim responded that Qatar believes that peace with Israel is the only solution and that people in the region are starting to understand that progress in the peace process requires relations with Israel. This, he said, is what Qatar has done and what other countries should do as well. Whether or not they agree with Israel, he said, the whole region should negotiate with Israel. ¶4. (SBU) Regarding Iraq, Tamim said the violence is down, but there is a long way to go. The solution is ultimately in Iraqi hands. But if U.S. troops pull out quickly, "Iran will come in." Tamim said it was a positive development that the U.S. is now "talking to the tribes" since earning tribal support is critical to reducing violence. The key, he said, is to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis, which will cause support for foreign fighters to dry up. ¶5. (SBU) Rep. Sutton said she shares Tamim's view that the unity of Iraq will be determined by the Iraqis, but asked Tamim how to go about winning Iraqi hearts and minds. The Iraqis, Tamim responded, want to see economic development and need to fulfill their basic needs - see their sons and daughters go to school, be healthy. In this regard, he said it is partly the responsibility of the Gulf countries to help. ¶6. (SBU) Sheikh Tamim suggested that the U.S. didn't listen to its friends back in 2002; if they had many things could have been different. Rep. Gilchrist commented that the U.S. Congress has a lot of influence on U.S. foreign policy and an important way for Qatari views to be heard is through Congress, agreeing that the U.S. should lend a more open ear to Qatari views. ¶7. (SBU) Rep. Cohen asked how long it will be before Sunnis and Shia can get along with one another. Tamim said one problem is the government of Iraq. Control of the government does not lie in Iraqi hands, he said, but elsewhere (implying Iran). Tamim said there have been Shia in Qatar for 70 or 80 years, and "like in Kuwait and Bahrain (sic) they have lived here without problems." But Iraq, he said, is different. The divide, however, is not a religious one, and the violence is not a civil war. Rather, it is outside powers fighting one another. Americans, Tamim said, came to Iraq and concentrated on building democracy. Caveating that "Qatar is 100 percent in favor of democracy," he said Iraq first needs a government that can save Iraq, before it begins to move towards democracy. ¶8. (SBU) Asked by Rep. Wicker about the Qatari Government's relationship to Al Jazeera, Tamim said the GOQ funds the network but it is run by an independent board. Al Jazeera is a reflection of Qatar's commitment to freedom of speech and "no one can close it." Tamim commented that some countries, particularly Jordan, are "saying bad things (to the U.S.) about Qatar and, in particular, criticizing Al Jazeera. But Qatar is committed to freedom of speech, so Al Jazeera is something "they need to accept." ¶9. (SBU) Tamim explained to Rep. Wicker that although Qatar totally disagrees with Iran regarding development of nuclear weapons, Qatar shares with Iran its major natural gas field and so must have "normal" relations. Qatar is worried about Iran's development of nuclear weapons but believes the issue must be resolved diplomatically. If not, he said, "God knows what will happen." War, he said, "would create big problems for the region - including Israel." ¶10. (U) Codel Boyd did not have an opportunity to clear this cable. RATNEY