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