OIC ENVOY SADA CUMBER'S VISIT TO QATAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000359

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/04/2018
TAGS: PREL KISL QA
SUBJECT: OIC ENVOY SADA CUMBER'S VISIT TO QATAR

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael A. Ratney,
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: President Bush's special envoy to the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) met April 29
with Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed
Al-Mahmoud. Al-Mahmoud welcomed U.S. initiatives with the OIC
but cautioned that changing Muslims' views of the U.S. would
also require progress on a peace agreement between Israel and
the Palestinians. Al-Mahmoud also offered to take another
look at how quickly Qatar can move forward to recognize
Kosovo's independence. While in Doha, Special Envoy Cumber
held a press roundtable with journalists, one positive
outcome of which was the placement in a local Arabic-language
daily the day following his visit of an Embassy-placed op-ed
piece on recognizing Kosovo. In addition to addressing high
school students at a local Pakistani school, he received
briefings on the work of the Qatar Foundation, Georgetown
University's Center for International and Regional Studies,
and the Fanar Islamic Center. End Summary.


2. (C) Accompanied by Charge and P/E Chief, Special Envoy
Sada Cumber briefed Al-Mahmoud on developments since their
last meeting in Senegal. He said the OIC leadership
supported a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the
U.S. and the OIC in science and technology, education, and
health. However, the OIC was not keen on enhancing the
status of women as part of the MOU, at least not in the early
stages of cooperation.


3. (C) Al-Mahmoud said while Qatar and the members of the
Gulf Cooperation Council take no issue with including the
role of women in the MOU, other OIC members hold different
perceptions. It is better, advised Al-Mahmoud, to call for
empowering all elements of society, especially youth, to
encourage more positive perceptions. He added that taking
slower, less aggressive first steps under the MOU is the best
way to proceed. Keeping the focus on anything that creates
job, especially for young people, is the best route to
success. Emphasis on education and health, he added,
contributes to creating employment opportunities.


4. (C) Noting that the GDP in many OIC member states is low,
Special Envoy Cumber described an initiative to establish
digital libraries in these countries at a substantial savings
over the USD 3 to 5 million it would cost to construct a
physical library. Special Envoy Cumber hoped that OIC states
would accept to participate in this program, which would make
available one million books without the payment of licensing
fees so long as the countries could provide tables, chairs,
computers, and a broadband Internet connection.


5. (C) Al-Mahmoud responded that Muslims welcome American
initiatives such as those Special Envoy Cumber described.
The larger problem is political positions and perceptions.
It is in everyone's interest for the Palestinians and
Israelis to live side by side in peace and bring about a
Palestinian state. The members of the OIC, said Al-Mahmoud,
would recognize Israel when a peace agreement is finalized.
In the meantime, so long as Muslims continue to see "the
killing of innocents in Palestine" on television, it would be
hard for the Islamic world to get beyond policy differences
with the U.S. The Muslim World, said Al-Mahmoud, expects
fairness from the U.S. Special Envoy Cumber replied that
other prominent Muslims had made this same point and urged
the U.S. in his meetings to show global leadership based on
its values and ethics. Special Envoy Cumber pledged to take
these perspectives back to President Bush.


6. (C) Turning to Kosovo, Special Envoy Cumber encouraged
Qatar to announce its diplomatic recognition very soon, since
early recognition was essential to build the economy and
infrastructure and otherwise ensure that Kosovo does not
become a failed state. Al-Mahmoud responded that "Qatar
appreciates the noble position" the U.S. has taken on Kosovo
from the beginning, when Muslims in the 1990s were dying
there. The U.S., he pointed out, protected Kosovo from a
massacre. This is the U.S. that Muslims love and respect.
With respect to Qatar's recognition of Kosovo, Al-Mahmoud
said he would take another look at how quickly Qatar can move
forward in offering recognition.

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OTHER DOHA ACTIVITIES
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7. (U) Following the meeting with Al-Mahmoud at MFA, Special
Envoy Cumber met with Mehran Kamrava, the Director for the
Center for International and Regional Studies at the
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
Kamrava briefed Special Envoy Cumber on the conferences and
outreach of Georgetown to Islamic figures. Special Envoy

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Cumber also received a briefing on the Qatar Foundation, the
initiative of the Amir's wife, Sheikha Mozah, to encourage
education and social development in Qatar. (Georgetown and
the other U.S. universities located on Education City outside
of Doha are sponsored by the Qatar Foundation.) In the
evening, Special Envoy Cumber received a tour from Imam
Abdesalam Al-Basyouni of a new exhibit at the Fanar Islamic
Center. The exhibit presents Islam as a religion, culture,
and way of life to non-Muslims. Earlier in the day, Special
Envoy Cumber addressed a group of high school students at a
local Pakistani school, where he used his personal journey
from childhood in Karachi to his current duties as the
President's OIC envoy as an example of the positive role the
United States plays in the world.


8. (C) Comment: Al-Mahmoud offered nothing new on Kosovo,
and we continue to believe that Qatar will join GCC consensus
on announcing diplomatic recognition. For some weeks, Post
has attempted to place an op-ed piece in the local press
urging diplomatic recognition of Kosovo. One positive
outcome of Special Envoy Cumber's trip, especially his
roundtable with local journalists, was the successful
placement of an op-ed piece in the April 30 edition of the
Arabic-language "Al Arab."


9. (U) Special Envoy Cumber has cleared this message.
RATNEY