QATARI AMIR'S WIFE VISITS IRAQ, FURTHERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000311

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2019
TAGS: PREL EAID ECIN QA IZ
SUBJECT: QATARI AMIR'S WIFE VISITS IRAQ, FURTHERS
POLITICAL, EDUCATIONAL COOPERATION

Classified By: CDA Michael A. Ratney for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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(C) KEY POINTS
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-- The Amir's high-profile Consort, Shaykha Mozah Bint Nasser
Al-Misned, paid a high-level visit to Iraq May 7 where she
met with Prime Minister Al-Maliki and four other ministers.

-- The visit was the first to Iraq by an Arab "first lady"
and, though ostensibly focused on UNESCO efforts to support
Iraq's educational system, was hailed by the Iraqi embassy in
Doha as an important step in furthering Iraqi-Qatari
political ties.

-- Mozah intends to further open her network of affiliated
organizations in Qatar to Iraqi participation, particularly
jobs for Iraqi scientists at the Qatar Foundation and
scholarships for Iraqi students at Education City, according
to her Science and Technology Advisor.

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(C) COMMENTS
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-- The Qatari government has previously shown reluctance in
advancing its relations with Iraq; Mozah's visit is an
important step in the right direction.

-- The Qatar Foundation, headed by Mozah, has a number of
partnerships and initiatives that could support Iraq's
educational sector. Several prominent Iraqis are currently
engaged in educational and research work at Mozah-affiliated
organizations in Doha. Similarly, Mozah's "Reach Out to
Asia" development organization has partnered with Mercy Corps
to rebuild schools in northern Iraq. A further political
warming could ease the way for Iraq to avail itself of Qatari
money and support as it rebuilds the educational sector.

End Key Points and Comments.

Meetings in Iraq
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1. (SBU) Shaykha Mozah serves in many high-profile roles,
including as a UNESCO Special Envoy for Basic and Higher
Education, and she visited Iraq primarily under those
auspices. She was accompanied on the visit by UNESCO
Director General Koichiro Matsuura, the UNSYG representative
for Iraq Staffan de Mistura, and Director of UNESCO's Office
in Iraq Mohammed Jalid. The delegation met with Prime
Minister Nouri Al-Maliki - who also hosted a luncheon in
Shaykha Mozah's honor - Education Minister Khedair Al-Khuzai,
Higher Education Minister Abd Ziyab Al-Ajaili, Minister of
Science and Technology Raiyed Fahmi, and Culture Minister
Maher Al-Hadaithi. Iraq's new Ambassador to Qatar Jawad
Al-Hindawi traveled with Mozah and the Qatari delegation on
the trip to Iraq and in meetings. Two senior advisors from
the Qatar Foundation also accompanied Mozah.

Embassy of Iraq Views as Positive Political Move
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2. (C) Embassy of Iraq Political Secretary Yasser Abdul Kadir
Al-Mouyed was ecstatic in describing the visit to Econoff
Fabrycky on May 10. He said the GOI views the visit as an
important political step to improve relations between Qatar
and Iraq. Moreover, Shaykha Mozah has control over vast
amounts of Qatari government spending on education and
research and Al-Mouyed hoped Iraq would begin to tap these
resources as a result of the visit.

Potential Scientific Cooperation
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3. (SBU) In describing the visit to P/E Chief Rice on May 11,
Mozah's Science and Technology Advisor Tidu Maini indicated
that using Qatari resources to help Iraq was just what Mozah
had in mind. She wants Iraqi scientists to take part in
joint ventures at the Qatar Science and Technology Park
(QSTP),and participate in projects with or work for the
Qatar Foundation. According to Maini, Mozah also intends to
offer special scholarships for outstanding Iraqi students at
Education City's six U.S. university branch campuses. Though
the scope for future cooperation is significant, Maini said
Qatar Foundation expects only low-level interest from Iraq in
the near-term.


4. (SBU) Beyond QSTP and Education City, press reports also
mentioned discussions on using the Qatar National Research

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Fund (QNRF) to support Iraqi researchers. (Note: QNRF is
headed by two Iraqis of dubious prominence: Dr. Amer
Al-Saadi, a former Chief Scientific Advisor to Saddam Hussein
and the "seven of diamonds" in the U.S. military card deck,
is the Qatar Foundation Research Advisor and QNRF Project
Manager. Dr. Abdul Satter Al-Taie, a former senior scientist
and administrator in Saddam-era Iraq, is the QNRF Director
and responsible for day-to-day management of the
organization.)

Potential Development Assistance
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5. (SBU) Armend Reka, a senior manager at Reach Out to Asia
(ROTA) - a development assistance organization established by
Mozah - told Econoff Fabrycky May 10 that Mozah has been
interested in developing education in Iraq since 2003, and
following her work with UNESCO, the visit is "part two" of
her commitment. (Note: In November 2008, ROTA signed a
5-year MoU with Mercy Corps, one pillar of which is a USD 27
million pilot project to rehabilitate schools and fund other
educational projects in northern Iraq. The ROTA contribution
is USD 1 million and the project has not been publicized by
the USG, at ROTA's request.) Reka explained that ROTA's
future role in Iraq is "still in the works" but the
organization anticipates having a role along with other
QF-affiliated entities in supporting primary and secondary
education in Iraq in the future.

UNESCO Plans for Iraq
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6. (U) Press coverage of Mozah's visit focused on her intent
to follow up on plans set at a UNESCO conference in Paris in
November 2008 on educational systems in crisis. Qatar News
Agency described the following as goals/plans presented by
Mozah to be implemented from 2009-2013:

-- Organizing an international scientific conference in
Baghdad on the Iraqi national education identity.

-- Setting up new Iraqi syllabi and training Iraqi experts
for this purpose.

-- Building the capacity and plans to rehabilitate the higher
education system in Iraq.

-- Creating a plan for training trainers and teachers in all
disciplines.

-- Developing and implementing non-formal and literacy
programs for women, youth, and children.

Ratney