ADMIRAL WILLIAM J. FALLON MEETINGS WITH OMANI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000915 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS IR IZ MU SUBJECT: ADMIRAL WILLIAM J. FALLON MEETINGS WITH OMANI DEFENSE OFFICIALS Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Alfred F. Fonteneau for Reasons 1.4 (b & d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Admiral Fallon, USCENTCOM Commander, met with Lieutenant General (LTG) Ahmed bin Harith Nabhani, Chief of Staff of the Sultan's Armed Forces (COSSAF) and with Minister Responsible for Defense Affairs Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib al-Busaidi on 19 September in Muscat. Both the COSSAF and the Minister stressed the importance of such meetings in improving the good relations between the Omani and U.S. militaries. They also discussed the situation in Iraq, Iran and other regional issues with the Admiral. End Summary. -------------- U.S.-OMAN RELATIONS -------------- ¶2. (C) USCENTCOM Commander Admiral William Fallon conducted his second office call with LTG Nabhani on 19 September. Following the meeting the Admiral, accompanied by the COSSAF, made his first office call on Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib al-Busaidi (the Minister was out of country on Admiral Fallon's previous visit). Both Nabhani and Busaidi stressed that the two militaries enjoyed a very close and strong relationship, with Busaidi attributing this to the "visionary nature" of the Sultan. The Minister commented that holding meetings between senior U.S. and Omani defense officials was important to maintain and improve these excellent relations, especially in the context of current regional issues. -------------- CYCLONE RECOVERY -------------- ¶3. (C) Responding to Admiral Fallon's inquiry regarding Tropical Cyclone Gonu, Busaidi stated that the Sultan's Armed Forces had been prepared for the storm and executed their duties properly. More importantly, the people of Oman had rallied together to help Gonu victims and clean-up affected areas. Busaidi added that Oman proved itself to be self-sufficient in recovery operations, and claimed that prior planning had been done for disaster relief. He remarked that while the country prayed that another such storm did not occur, the government is preparing new plans and relief operations in case of future natural disasters. -------------- CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM ON IRAQ -------------- ¶4. (C) After receiving an update on the situation in Iraq, Busaidi opined that the Iraqi government needs to accept responsibility for the country's security. He noted Iraq will have to take care of its own issues and problems if it is to become a stable, helpful partner for the region. Busaidi also stated that recent improvements in the security situation in Iraq made him optimistic about the country's future. During his meeting with LTG Nabhani, the COSSAF expressed cautious optimism about the security improvements, but added that coalition forces should not leave Iraq "too quickly." He said that the political situation in Iraq did not seem to be improving as quickly as the security environment, and commented that the central government appears to becoming weaker. -------------- CONCERNS OVER IRAN -------------- ¶5. (C) Regarding other regional issues, Busaidi remarked that the GCC countries closely communicate with each other concerning developments in the region. In particular, they are very concerned with the "saber-rattling" over the Iranian nuclear program and its destabilizing potential for the Gulf. He said that the GCC states are against nuclear proliferation, that any nuclear program in the region must be peaceful in nature, and that dialogue is the best course of action to resolve Iran's nuclear ambitions. After Admiral Fallon noted Iran's unhelpful actions in Iraq and elsewhere, Busaidi asked for a brief summary of the meetings between Iranian and U.S. officials in Baghdad. He showed no surprise when told that the Iranian delegation was composed of intelligence officers, not diplomats, and that little was accomplished. MUSCAT 00000915 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Busaidi stated that Iran has its "pride" and wants to be a respected, strong country. It "needs dialogue" in order to become a regional power, he continued, and thus dialogue is best way to address contentious issues. Busaidi added that other regional problems, such as Hezballah activity in Lebanon, would dissipate if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was solved peacefully. Similarly, Nabhani opined that the best course of action with Iran still lay in diplomatic channels. He stressed that Oman, as the GCC country with the most cordial relations with Iran, has told Tehran that it must comply with international standards and demands to include those dealing with nuclear issues. He also stated that Oman has encouraged Iran to meet with the West to help resolve tensions. While Nabhani noted that the Iranians continued to try to convince countries that Tehran's nuclear program had no military aspect, he quickly added that "nobody believes them." -------------- MIDDLE EAST PEACE CONFERENCE -------------- ¶7. (C) Although not raised by the Defense Minister, the COSSAF directly brought up the proposed U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace conference and expressed that Oman was not optimistic that a break-through in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be achieved at the event. He added, however, that his government was nevertheless hopeful that something positive would come from the conference as the conflict was directly related to all issues in the region, including terrorism. ¶8. (C) In concluding their office calls with the Admiral, both Omani officials re-iterated the "great" relationship between the Omani and U.S. militaries. Busaidi recognized that the U.S. has good relations with all GCC countries and remarked that the Sultan has directed the Omani armed forces to strengthen their relationship with the U.S. military. He further stated that ongoing bilateral exercise, training and equipment programs are on track, and expressed satisfaction with all aspects of the mil-mil relationship. ¶9. (U) Admiral Fallon has reviewed this message. FONTENEAU