AHMADI-NEJAD REACHES OUT TO IRANIAN DIASPORA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 IRAN RPO DUBAI 000035 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/15/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON IR SUBJECT: AHMADI-NEJAD REACHES OUT TO IRANIAN DIASPORA REF: A. ABU DHABI 0780, B. RPO DUBAI 0011, C. 2006 RPO DUBAI 0016 RPO DUBAI 00000035 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Jillian Burns, Director, Iran Regional Presence Office - Dubai, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (d) 1.(U) This cable was cleared by Embassy Abu Dhabi and ConGen Dubai. 2.(C) Summary. On the sidelines of official meetings in the UAE May 13, Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad met with Iranian business executives in Dubai and gave a public address to a large crowd of mostly Iranians. Ahmadi-Nejad, in a closed session for "elites," reportedly encouraged Iranian expatriates to invest in Iran and said current privatization efforts will open "avenues" for increased private sector involvement in Iran's economy. Ahmadi-Nejad then gave a speech to a crowd of reportedly up to 3,000 in an atmosphere that seemed reminiscent of his provincial political rallies. A journalist told IRPoff that Ahmadi-Nejad handled himself "like a rock star." He led the crowd with chants and stressed nationalist themes. Two audience members said that despite press reports to the contrary, Ahmadi-Nejad never named the US by name but made clear insinuations about "Western oppression," "enemies," and Western reluctance to share technology with the rest of the world. What was most striking about the visit was the authorization by the UAE to allow such a large-scale public address at a politically sensitive time by a controversial head of government. While there is no proof, it is possible that Iran's goal was to counteract IRPO's own public outreach in Dubai. End Summary. 3.(U) While on the first visit by an Iranian head of government to the UAE (Ref A),Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad traveled to Dubai to meet with Iranian expatriates. He held two events at the Iranian Social Club, which is owned by Iran's largest bonyad: a closed session with the Iranian business community and a public address at the club's soccer stadium. Private investment -------------- 4.(C) Ahmadi-Nejad met with roughly 200 "Iranian elite," for about 35 minutes in the Iranian club auditorium. According to IRNA, Ahmadi-Nejad reportedly appealed to Dubai-based businesspeople's sense of duty to Iran, inviting them to "invest in their homeland." He predicted Iran would be the "economic power of the region in the near future." Ahmadi-Nejad claimed 
that in line with Article 44 of the Iranian Constitution -- a reference to current privatization efforts (Ref B) -- "a fertile ground is being prepared for the private sector to invest in the country's major industries." He also invited scientists and researchers living abroad to "contribute to their motherland's scientific efforts." While none of the contacts we have pulsed so far attended the meeting, IRPoff heard anecdotally that representatives from the Al Aqili Group, a major local corporation that reportedly stalled plans to buy a private Iranian bank because of the political climate, were sitting in the front row. Political rally -------------- 5.(C) Following the private session, the president then moved to the club soccer stadium where, according to press reports, he addressed a crowd of about 3,000. A journalist covering the event later told IRPoff that Ahmadi-Nejad looked "like a rock star" on stage. He wound the crowd up by asking them questions like "Are you happy to be here?", to which the crowd screamed back "Yes." Another participant told IRPO the event resembled Ahmadi-Nejad's provincial tours in Iran. Striking nationalist themes, Ahmadi-Nejad reportedly mesmerized the crowd with sentimental descriptions of the country's natural beauty. He said Iran is a peaceful, loving nation that wants to share its technology and resources with the international community to make the world a better place. One female attendee reportedly yelled out "I love you," to which Ahmadi-Nejad responded with a calm "thank you." 6.(C) In contrast to Iran's peaceful, loving nature, there are some countries that "are trying to provoke dissension among the nation of the region in a bid to dominate their wealth," IRNA quoted the president. Repeating the same message as Supreme National Security Council Secretary Larijani gave in Dubai in December 2006 (Ref C),Ahmadi-Nejad called for regional countries to safeguard their own security. He said the region "will leave no place for those powers to remain in the region." According to two audience members, Ahmadi-Nejad did not refer to the US by name. He claimed "some countries" want to keep technology and progress for themselves and therefore these countries "oppose" the advancement of Iran and its "peaceful nuclear activities." Chants of "down with the USA" and "nuclear RPO DUBAI 00000035 002.2 OF 002 energy is our right" frequently interrupted Ahmadi-Nejad, according to the Associated Press. 7.(C) One contact asserted that she saw few people at the rally like her, meaning from the Dubai-based Iranian community. She believed that based on the buses outside, many participants were students bused in from Iranian schools around the UAE. She said the students were given "cakes," and the atmosphere was very festive. Several prominent members of the Iranian community in Dubai told IRPO said they would not attend "such an event." Asked if non-Iranians attended, she claimed she saw "Palestinians" in the crowd when she saw the speech replayed on Iranian TV. Another Iranian said he heard that tourists from Iran were brought in to supplement stadium numbers. When IRPO Director asked an organizer of an Iranian cultural festival if she knew her event would coincide with a presidential visit, she vehemently expressed her displeasure, saying the last thing she wanted to see in the UAE was Ahmadi-Nejad. 8.(C) Comment: The most remarkable aspect of Ahmadi-Nejad's visit was the unprecedented nature of the large rally by a visiting head of government, particularly from a country with which the UAE has such a complex relationship. The timing -- a day after Vice President Cheney had departed the UAE -- made the event all the more surprising. Large crowds were clearly expected; the major street in front of the club was closed to most traffic that night and attendees went through security-screening. The event was advertised in local Farsi press as well as with posters in shop windows. While it is not surprising that Iranian school children would be brought in to see such a historical event, we will continue to try to get a sense of who attended. We will also report septel any readout we get of the closed session. We do not get the sense from our contacts, however, that the visit will have any lasting consequences, either to the Iranian community or in the UAE-Iran bilateral relationship. Iran's plea to replace the US in regional security arrangements continues to get little traction. While we have no proof, we think the primary goal was classic public diplomacy; the president's Dubai events may even have been planned to try to counteract IRPO's own public outreach to the Iranian community here. 9.(C) Comment (continued): The fact that no UAE officials were present at the May 14 Abu Dhabi press conference and reportedly none at the Dubai speech would seem to indicate an attempt by the UAE to distance itself from Ahmadi-Nejad's predictable rhetoric. The UAE obviously is trying to balance its relationship with Iran, a large, powerful and economically important neighbor, with its close ties to the US. One Embassy contact remarked today that many Emiratis saw Ahmadi-Nejad's using the UAE as a platform for such a speech as a sign of arrogance and a breach of hospitality. They were offended by Ahmadi-Nejad's apparent assumption that he had the right to be here and that he felt little need to temper his message. End comment. BURNS