QATAR'S ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORTS ON CONTACTS WITH

S E C R E T DOHA 000290

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM QA IR
SUBJECT: QATAR'S ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORTS ON CONTACTS WITH
IRAN ON LEVINSON

Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b, d).

(S) KEY POINTS

-- In a meeting with Ambassador on April 27, the Qatari
Attorney General (QAG) summarized his attempts to gain
information on the status of missing American citizen Robert
Alan Levinson during recent meetings in Tehran, Iran with the
Iranian Attorney General and Head of the Judicial Authority.

-- The Attorney General indicated that, although he obtained
no information, the channel of communication on that matter
was still open. His Iranian counterparts had merely promised
to look into the matter. They conveyed little sense of how
much they knew about, or were aware of, the issue.

-- (U) On a separate matter, Dr. Al-Marri pressed for senior
U.S. representation at the Global Forum on Anti-Corruption,
hosted by Qatar November 7-8, 2009. Dr. Al-Marri said he
would like to invite Secretary Clinton and AG Holder to
attend, and he was prepared to deliver personal invitations
during his proposed visit to Washington in May.

(S) COMMENTS

-- In an effort to assist the U.S. in the case of missing
American citizen Robert Levinson, QAG offered to discuss the
matter with his Iranian counterparts during the Conference on
Public Prosecution in the Islamic World, held in Teheran,
Iran April 21-22, 2009. Embassy Doha coordinated with the
Department and FBI in preparing suitable background
information for QAG prior to his meetings.

-- QAG has demonstrated his willingness to work with the U.S.
in a number of counterterrorism and other law enforcement
issues since 2006. Of note, and at the risk of political
fallout from other Ministers within the GOQ, he obtained
Bahrain's criminal file on Al-Qaeda facilitator Khalifa Turki
Al-Subaiy after his January 2008 conviction in absentia there
on terrorism charges, and then ordered his arrest and
subsequent confinement in Qatar in order to serve the six
month sentence handed down by the Bahraini court.

END KEY POINTS AND COMMENTS.


1. (S) On April 27, 2009, Ambassador and Legat met with QAG
Dr. Ali Al-Marri regarding the Ambassador's upcoming meeting
in Washington, DC with U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
Ambassador also inquired as to the results of Dr. Al-Marri's
efforts to obtain information on the status of missing
American citizen Robert Levinson from his Iranian
counterparts during recent meetings in Teheran, Iran.


2. (S/NF) Dr. Al-Marri told Ambassador he did in fact bring
the Levinson matter up during separate meetings with Iranian
Attorney General Qorban Ali Duri Najaf Abadi and the Head of
Iran's Judicial Authority, Ayatollah Sayyed Mahmoud Hashemi
Shahroudi in Teheran on April 21-22. Dr. Al-Marri
characterized the Iranian Government in general as difficult
to deal with politically, with Abadi, who was the former
Minister of Interior, and Shahroudi being among the
hardliners. Dr. Al-Marri likened his meetings with Abadi and
Shahroudi as "shopping at a bazaar, where nothing is for
free." While unable to learn anything about Levinson from
Abadi or Shahroudi while in Teheran, Dr. Al-Marri indicated
the line of communication in that matter was still open, and
said he hoped to receive something from them in the near
future. Dr. Al-Marri was not optimistic as to Levinson's
fate, and opined that he was either incarcerated in Iran or
dead. If incarcerated, Dr. Al-Marri said that Iran would use
him to achieve some political end. Dr. Al-Marri told
Ambassador that his first priority in this matter was to help
the Levinson family through a difficult situation. He also
expressed his willingness to assist the U.S. in opening
channels of communication with other countries when he can.


3. (S/NF) Ambassador told Dr. Al-Marri that there was a
notable increase in counterterrorism cooperation between
State Security, his office and the USG in the last several
weeks, and hoped that it would continue. Dr. Al-Marri agreed
that cooperation was moving in the right direction, and noted
that Ambassador's recent meeting with State Security Director
Mohamed Al-Misnad was well received.


4. (C) Ambassador told Dr. Al-Marri that he was going to
Washington for consultations in early May, and had a
scheduled appointment with AG Holder. Ambassador said that
he would inform AG Holder about how Dr. Al-Marri has taken
important steps to improve counterterrorism cooperation
between the U.S. and Qatar.



5. (C) Ambassador also told Dr. Al-Marri that he would
strongly support a meeting in Washington between AG Holder
and Dr. Al-Marri in May. Ambassador cited both the pending
Judicial Assistance MOU between DOJ and QAG and bilateral
cooperation on counterterrorism as important topics to
discuss. Ambassador stated, and Dr. Al-Marri agreed, that
the U.S. and Qatar might have different views on several
important issues, but that they share a common interest when
it comes to addressing the threat from Al-Qaeda, which is an
area where both countries can and should expand cooperation.
Dr. Marri agreed.


6. (U) On a separate matter, Dr. Al-Marri told Ambassador
that it was very important that the United States be
represented by a senior official at the Global Forum on
Anti-Corruption, hosted by Qatar November 7-8, 2009. Dr.
Al-Marri said he would like to invite Secretary Clinton
and/or AG Holder to attend, and was prepared to deliver
personal invitations during his proposed meetings in
Washington in May.


LeBaron