IO/DRL (KESHAP) VISIT BEGINS DIALOGUE ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 001671 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR IO/HR AND NEA/ARP JHARRIS AND JBERNDT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL KISL PGOV KDEM OPDC SA SUBJECT: IO/DRL (KESHAP) VISIT BEGINS DIALOGUE ON DEFAMATION ISSUES REF: A. STATE 128320 ¶B. STATE 128322 RIYADH 00001671 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: During a December 19 meeting Deputy FM for Multilateral Affairs, HH Dr. Torki told IO/HR Director Keshap and Senior Human Rights Policy Advisor Ostermeier that the SAG was prepared to consider working with the U.S. on a new approach to the defamation issue in the UN context. Prince Torki agreed to continue the conversation after the SAG had a chance to more carefully review the U.S. action plan on combating racial and religious intolerance presented during the October 2009 meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Complementary Standards in Geneva. The proposal also resonated with the Human Rights Commission President, who said the proposal "coincides with the King's Policy." The National Society for Human Rights, as an NGO, could not comment on the proposal per se. END SUMMARY. PRINCE TORKI VIEWS U.S. INITIATIVE AS IN LINE WITH INTERFAITH DIALOGUE, WELCOMES COOPERATION -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) A joint IO/DRL Briefing Team consisting of IO/HR Office Director Atul Keshap and Senior Human Rights Policy Advisor Amy Ostermeier travelled to Riyadh December 18 - 19 to discuss defamation issues with senior Saudi officials. In a two-hour December 19 meeting with the Deputy Minister for Multilateral Affairs, HH Dr. Torki bin Mohammad bin Saud Al-Kabeer to discuss the Secretary's letter to Foreign Ministers (ref A),IO/HR Director Atul Keshap outlined U.S. efforts to show leadership in a constructive and productive way at the UN on the issue of how Muslim minorities are treated in various parts of the world. The IO/HR Director discussed U.S. efforts towards a joint resolution with Egypt to reduce tensions between Islamic countries and the West on the issue of freedom of expression. He noted that these issues became politicized in UNGA and UNHCR and expressed the USG's wish to work more closely with Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) countries on issues pertaining to Human Rights. The U.S. hoped they could join in an approach that would encourage actual protection of religious minorities. Keshap said the USG was committed to reducing tensions, enhancing mutual understanding, and finding a way forward that validated Muslim concerns and experiences abroad, and that also did not cross U.S. redlines by calling for mandatory prohibitions on speech. He recalled the U.S. long struggle with racial and religious discrimination and noted the Department of Justice's and the Department of Homeland Security's recent efforts as well as White House and Department of State outreach on the civil rights of Muslims and other religious minorities. He noted the U.S. initiative was in line with the President's Cairo speech by establishing a dialogue and reaching out to U.S. allies to overcome the seemingly insurmountable divide concerning religion, stressing how the U.S. model legally protects the free practice of religion and allows the integration of Muslims across society. ¶3. (SBU) Dr. Prince Torki began the meeting with some friendly chiding for the Briefing Team's waiting so long to visit Riyadh and for coordinating with Egypt first. Prince Torki said he was "very impressed" with what he was hearing and "welcomed working" with the USG on these issues and in particular on the vision of the new administration. He noted the misperceptions about Islam resulting from acts of terrorism and said the international community needed to work together to overcome these issues. He spoke about King Abdullah's Interfaith Dialogue Initiative, which he characterized as designed to protect the rights of religious minorities, noting that the creation of a dialogue and the establishment of bridges would diminish misunderstanding. However, Dr. Torki took a different perspective on the issue of Freedom of Speech. He said that from the Saudi perspective, although the SAG respected Freedom of Speech, it was "too personal" and it "could not be considered freedom" to give a person the right "to start attacking" another. He said "the element of hatred needed to be removed" and that "one should not allow people in the name of freedom to criticize me or you." ¶4. (SBU) Concerning discrimination against Muslims, Prince Torki reaffirmed that while the U.S. had some work to do RIYADH 00001671 002.2 OF 003 (particularly, in his view, on visa and U.S. entry issues), he said his problems, and the problems of most in the OIC, are not with the U.S. but with some key countries in Europe. He noted that the incidents like the Danish cartoons and the minaret ban in Switzerland were humiliating for Muslims and suggested that such negative actions violate their human rights and are unacceptable. He repeatedly referred to the importance of respecting all religions. ¶5. (SBU) Regarding the details of a potential joint initiative at the UNHRC, Prince Torki said he fully respected the U.S. Constitution and recognized that "of course" the United States could not accept any language at the UN that would cross any constitutional red line. Unfortunately, he also said the Durban process was "essential" to the SAG, and believed that it was an important vehicle for the "creation of a constructive dialogue" with Saudi culture and for the recognition of the need to protect religions and religious symbols. ¶6. (SBU) As the Briefing Team explained the U.S. concern with the Durban prohibition language, Prince Torki asked repeatedly why Europe did not understand or respect U.S. red lines. The Briefing Team explained that multiple countries in Europe had bans on certain speech, such as on Holocaust denial, while they did not ban other insulting speech. ¶7. (SBU) Prince Torki was extremely interested in the details of the USG proposals. At his request, the Briefing Team left copies of the U.S. Action Plan and the Freedom of Expression resolution from September for his further examination. ¶8. (SBU) Prince Torki also repeatedly mentioned King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue initiative, and noted that the U.S. should not let too much time pass before building on the U.S. - Saudi cooperation on King Abdullah's interfaith dialogue initiative at the UN in the fall of 2008. ¶9. (SBU) Prince Torki ended the meeting by noting his frustration with the Administration's "inadequate attention" to the Israel-Palestine issue, and the "abuses of human rights committed by Israel." Prince Torki asserted that the "illegal settlements" and the enlargement of settlements in Israel were a "stumbling block" to peace and stressed that from the SAG's perspective the U.S. was "the only country that can stop them." He mentioned the Goldstone report and noted it had been hoped that the new U.S administration would bring a new approach to solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The SAG felt the "U.S. had not used its strength" and had "not said what was acceptable and what wasn't." The SAG would like to see the U.S. in the role of "a neutral mediator." He said that not being forceful on this issue was giving Iran and Hamas more room to achieve their objectives. ¶10. (SBU) Prince Torki concluded the meeting by stating the SAG's relationship with the U.S. is a broad friendship not only based on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and noted that "is the instruction we have from our bosses." HRC SAYS U.S. INITIATIVE COINCIDES WITH KING'S POLICY -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Keshap and Ostermeier had a separate meeting on December 19 with Human Rights Commission (HRC) President Bandar Al-Aiban, who said the action plan and U.S. resolution looked to be "taken from the text of King Abdullah." He noted that the SAG delegation had raised discrimination, interfaith dialogue and Human Rights education issues at the last UN session and was taking concrete steps to implement them. He assured the Briefing Team of the HRC's "sincere consideration" of the resolution and action plan, praising U.S. efforts as "practicing leadership in the right direction." He promised that the HRC would support the U.S. in its advocacy for greater dialogue and said he appreciated the U.S. presence on the Human Rights Council and was "looking forward to greater coordination in Geneva on matters of mutual concern." Al-Aiban said he wanted a program to "enhance the relationship," a program that would "resonate with the rest of the European capitals" which would then "emulate the Americans." Keshap noted that if the document were turned into a resolution, it could include language from the King's initiative. Dr. Al-Aiban agreed, noting this RIYADH 00001671 003.2 OF 003 would make it a document "all of us can be proud of." ¶12. (SBU) Al-Aiban raised a few SAG concerns with U.S. culture and policy. He said Saudi Arabia had taken tremendous risks in standing by the U.S. as an ally when others did not and noted that in spite of this, the U.S. media and political culture were hostile to Saudi Arabia. He said this affected the standing of the U.S. in the eyes of the Muslims. Moreover, he noted that the SAG's efforts to promote Human Rights should be reflected in the reporting by the State Department. (Comment: In an earlier conversation with PolOff, Al-Aiban had opined that the Human Rights-related reports were highly political and did not reflect the true state of affairs in Saudi Arabia. However, Al-Aiban has been instrumental in implementing Saudi Arabia's new Trafficking in Persons law passed as head of a committee appointed to build an enforcement infrastructure to improve Saudi Arabia's performance on these issues.) Al-Aiban asserted that the reports must be viewed in the context of the Muslim world as a whole and go beyond the borders of Saudi Arabia. Lastly, Al-Aiban said the SAG was "disappointed" with the lack of implementation of President Obama's Cairo speech concerning the Israeli-Palestinian question, noting that this was a Human Rights issue that the U.S. needed to address. ¶13. (SBU) When Keshap mentioned that the U.S. had drafted a joint resolution with Egypt after being seated on the Human Rights Council, Al-Aiban also claimed disappointment, saying the team should have come to Riyadh and Pakistan first because they were at the forefront of fighting for a "moderate" position in a "proper context." Al-Aiban also noted Iran was using the treatment of Muslims in the U.S. and Europe to incite hatred against the U.S. and Europe. NSHR NEUTRAL ON THE ISSUE, RAISES OTHER CONCERNS -------------- --- ¶14. (SBU) National Society for Human Rights President Mufleh Al-Qahtani welcomed the Briefing Teams' ideas more cautiously, noting that President Obama could greatly improve the U.S.'s reputation in the Arab world if he would make good on the promises of his Cairo speech, including solving the Palestinian - Israeli conflict. He expressed his dismay at the U.S. non-support of the Goldstone Report, noting the U.S. was clear on its position on the defamation of Israel and Jews but unclear when it came to Muslims. NSHR hoped the USG would protect human rights of all individuals regardless of its political ambitions or interests. ¶15. (SBU) Al-Qahtani asked for information on Saudi detainees in Guantanamo and raised the Homaidan Al-Turki case involving a Saudi doctoral student sentenced to 28 years in prison by a Colorado District Court. Al-Qahtani asserted the case was unjust and the sentence extreme and asked about the possibility of a prisoner exchange that would allow Homaidan Al-Turki to serve his sentence in Saudi Arabia. "We don't have any Americans yet who have this long a sentence, thirty years, but maybe we can have some in the future," he said. He claimed that the case, which is known in every Saudi household and is attributed to "hatred of Islam," is a stumbling block in the path of improved Saudi-U.S. relations. SMITH