ENGAGING OMAN ON IRAN/IRAQ: OMANI OFFICIALS

S E C R E T MUSCAT 000331

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ MU
SUBJECT: ENGAGING OMAN ON IRAN/IRAQ: OMANI OFFICIALS
UNAVAILABLE FOR GCC BRIEFING

REF: A. STATE 45358

B. MUSCAT 308 (NOTAL)

C. MUSCAT 253

Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)


1. (U) This message contains an Action Request; please see
paragraph 5.


2. (S) The Ambassador extended ref A invitation on April 30
to Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusef bin Alawi
and encouraged him, as well as his counterpart in the Royal
Office, to travel to a GCC capital of his choice to attend a
comprehensive briefing on Iraq-related issues. Without
explanation, bin Alawi stated that he could not accept the
invitation. The Ambassador pushed back, stating that this
briefing initiative came from the Secretary and would prove
useful in addressing concerns or questions that the Omani
government had regarding Iraq. Bin Alawi declined the
invitation, nevertheless. He offered, however, to send
Oman's ambassador to the UAE to attend the briefing in Abu
Dhabi in his place.


3. (S/NF) Post also delivered ref A invitation via GRPO
channels to Lieutenant General Sayyid Munthir bin Majid
al-Sa'id, Head of Liaison and Coordination Service, Royal
Office. Like bin Alawi, Sayyid Munthir declined the
invitation for the Royal Office citing preparations for an
extended trip out of the country.


4. (S) Comment: The response of both interlocutors to the
invitation reflect the intense focus currently placed on the
Sultan's upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi, Sharm el Sheikh and
Europe (refs B, C). The Sultan and his entourage will likely
depart Muscat near the end of the next Omani work week (i.e.
around May 7) for his first stop in the UAE before moving on
to Egypt, where he will likely stay for approximately 10 days
before starting the European leg of his travels.
Accordingly, even if the U.S. briefing team had been able to
include Muscat in its agenda, it is questionable whether the
Omanis would have been able to receive them. End Comment.


5. (S) Action Request: Both bin Alawi and Sayyid Munthir
(along with others) will accompany the Sultan in May to
official meetings abroad, although they will likely return to
Muscat when the Sultan's trip becomes more personal in
nature, i.e. some time in late May. Given the Sultan's
response to the Ambassador's recent appeal for Oman to do
more to engage with Iraq (ref B),Post believes the Omanis
would benefit greatly from the briefing and might be more
interested once the Sultan's official visits are completed.
Therefore, Post proposes that the Department consider
re-deploying the briefing team, or at least some members of
it, to Muscat in late May or early June. Finally, the
Department is asked to confirm whether Oman's ambassador in
the UAE may attend the briefing there. End Action Request.
GRAPPO