ARAB-SOUTH AMERICA SUMMIT: THE AL-BASHIR FACTOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000192 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DHAKA FOR P/E E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2019 TAGS: PREL KPAL AL XR QA SUBJECT: ARAB-SOUTH AMERICA SUMMIT: THE AL-BASHIR FACTOR REF: DOHA 188 Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (C) In a March 18 conversation with Ambassador, MFA Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed bin Abdulla Al-Mahmoud indicated that Qatar would be happy if Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir decided not to attend the Arab-South American Summit to be held in Doha March 31. ¶2. (C) But, as with the Arab League Summit to be held the day before, Qatar believes it must adhere to Arab League rules and protocols and invite Al-Bashir (see septel on the Arab League Summit) and so it has. ¶3. (C) Al-Mahmoud believes that at least some South American leaders could pull out of the March 31 Arab-South America Summit, if Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir decides to attend, despite the International Criminal Court indictment against him. ¶4. (C) Ambassador expressed U.S. concern that the meeting would degenerate into a forum used by some attendees for anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rhetoric (see reftel). Al-Mahmoud said that Qatar had worked to ensure that would not be the case. The official statement to be issued at the Summit already had been drafted, and it would not contain such rhetoric, he said. Qatar, however, could not control what South American leaders themselves might say, despite Qatar's best efforts, Al-Mahmoud added. LeBaron