UAE PROPOSAL TO SEND DOCTORS TO AFGHANISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000618 NOFORN SIPDIS FOR S/SRAP HOLBROOKE DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARP AND SCA E.O. 12958: 06/16/2019 TAGS: EAID MOPS PTER PGOV AF AE SUBJECT: UAE PROPOSAL TO SEND DOCTORS TO AFGHANISTAN REF: ABU DHABI 578 CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR RICHARD G. OLSON FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D. ¶1. (SBU) This cable contains an action request in para 4. ¶2. (C) Following up on Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed's (MbZ) June 6 discussion with Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke (reftel),Ambassador met with Abu Dhabi Health Authority (HAAD) Chairman Dr. Ahmed Al Mazrouei the designated point of contact for MbZ's initiative to send 50 Emirati doctors to Afghanistan as volunteers. Al Mazrouei said the purpose would be to contribute expertise to Afghanistan, while exposing Emirati physicians to foreign counterparts' knowledge, experience and culture. Volunteers would be Emirati male physicians of various specialties, all of whom are fluent in English and Arabic. Al Mazrouei said they could be placed individually, in small groups, or together for periods from a week to two months. ¶2. (C) Al Mazrouei asked for USG advice about how to structure a program, particularly regarding location and duration of service. He noted that the UAE would like to place the first group with US civilian or military counterparts at Afghan health facilities. If the effort was successful, the program could be expanded to other allies. ¶4. (SBU) Action Request: Post requests recommendations from appropriate offices/agencies about how UAE doctors could be placed in Afghanistan. Embassy POC is ECON Chief Susannah Cooper; Phone: +971-2-414-2402; email: cooperse@state.gov (NIPR), cooperse@state.sgov.gov (SIPR). OLSON