OMANI MINISTERS VOICE INCREASING CONCERNS OVER REGION’S

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000433
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/05/12
TAGS: PREL MOPS KDRG YM PK AF IZ MU
SUBJECT: OMANI MINISTERS VOICE INCREASING CONCERNS OVER REGION’S
STABILITY
CLASSIFIED BY: Gary A. Grappo, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)
Summary
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1. (C) In separate farewell calls by the Ambassador May 9-11,
Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud bin Mohammed Al
Sa’id, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusef bin Alawi,
and Minister of Health and Deputy Central Bank Governor Ali Moussa
expressed Oman’s growing anxiety over disconcerting developments in
Yemen, Pakistan and Iraq with potentially adverse repercussions on
Oman. The comments by the three suggest the matter has risen to
the level of discussion within Oman’s Cabinet of Ministers. End
summary.
Yemen on Their Minds
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2. (C) All three of the ministers started off with dire
references to the situation in Yemen. Variously highlighting
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s uncertain grip on his
government, rising discontent among southern Yemenis, increasing
anti-government activities by tribes, growing corruption, declining
economic fortunes, and continuing government "incapacity," the
ministers spoke apocalyptically of Yemen’s future and implications
for Oman. Of gravest concern, was the uncertain succession
question and mounting fortunes of Al Qa’ida in Yemen. All three
expressed dread at the prospect of Abdullah Saleh leaving the
scene, Sayyid Fahd wondering aloud, "Who else is there that anyone
trusts or has confidence in?" FM bin Alawi said that the Yemenis
have asked for more GCC aid, but lack the capacity to spend and
haven’t been able to tap what the GCC has already made available.

3. (S) Bin Alawi confirmed that General Ali bin Majid
al-Ma’amari, Minister of the Royal Office and Chief of the Office
of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, had recently visited
Sana’a and had succeeded in convincing Abdullah Saleh to allow
Yemeni Guantanamo detainees to be returned to Saudi Arabia and not
Yemen. Said bin Alawi, "Otherwise they would have been walking the
streets of Sana’a or, more probably, joining Al Qa’ida." Both bin
Alawi and Sayyid Fahd voiced doubts about the ability of Yemeni
security forces to deal effectively with Al Qa’ida or even unruly
tribes and about the future of Yemeni leadership. In his visit
with Abdullah Saleh in Sana’a, Ali Majid was told that governing
Yemen was akin to "standing on the edge of a pit full of snakes."
Ali Majid reportedly counseled, "Then, kill the snakes."
Foreboding over Pakistan
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4. (C) The three ministers were especially interested in the
recently concluded trilateral meeting (U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan)
in Washington and actions the U.S. will take to mitigate the crisis
in Pakistan. Bin Alawi counseled that in formulating a strategy,
the U.S. must take care to separate Al Qa’ida from the Taliban.
The former doesn’t speak for the latter but essentially seeks to
use the Taliban to further its aims worldwide. The Taliban has no
interests outside of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Health Minister
Moussa underscored the importance of U.S. military might in
confronting the Taliban but also urged that we formulate a "social
marketing" program to convince Pakistanis in the tribal areas to
abandon the "backward ideology" of the Taliban. He suggested
employing respected moderates and getting them the necessary "air
time" to voice moderate views to Pakistanis and Afghans. Each of
the three referred to "chaos" in the region in the event of a
Taliban incursion into Islamabad, however short-lived.
Apprehension over U.S. Military Withdrawal from Iraq
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5. (C) Sayyid Fahd and Minister Moussa sounded misgivings over
the U.S. military’s intended withdrawal from Iraq. All three
wondered if Iraq would be able to manage its own security after
U.S. forces withdraw in 2011. "I don’t think they will be able,"
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asserted Moussa, "and you or someone else would have to come back."
Moreover, he allowed, only the U.S. could ensure that Iraq’s
meddling neighbors -- specifically referring to Iran, Saudi Arabia,
Turkey and Syria -- keep their distance. The Ambassador
interjected that Iraq’s Arab neighbors, especially GCC states,
could ameliorate post-withdrawal apprehensions by acting
collectively to support the current government and incorporate Iraq
into regional affairs. Moussa argued that it would not be enough.
Comment
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6. (C) The ministers’ comments are noteworthy for two reasons.
First, that they all spoke similarly in tone and language on all
three issues suggests that the issues have risen to the level of
discussion within the Council of Ministers. Second, with the
exception of references to its interests in Iraq, Iran was never
mentioned. In fact, Iran represents a far greater existential
threat to neighboring Oman, but the government seems mollified for
the present given recent U.S. statements about initiating a dialog
with Tehran. However, Oman’s historical bC*te noire of instability
in Yemen may force Oman to dust off old plans for dealing with
terrorists and refugees moving closer to its borders.
GRAPPO