(C/NF) IRANIAN VISITS TO QATAR (C-NE9-00371)

S E C R E T STATE 027810 NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/16/2034 TAGS: PINR IR QA SUBJECT: (C/NF) IRANIAN VISITS TO QATAR (C-NE9-00371) Classified By: SUZANNE MCCORMICK, DIR., INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). ¶1. (S/NF) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE READOUTS ON RECENT IRANIAN VISITS AND OUTREACH EFFORTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, PARTICULARLY THREE RECENT TRIPS BY IRANIAN LEADERS TO QATAR. SUCH READOUTS, POST,S TIME AND RESOURCES PERMITTING, WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE FOR EVALUATING IRAN'S EFFORTS IN THE REGION, ANY SHIFTS IN IRANIAN REGIONAL POLICY, AND GULF NATIONS' RESPONSES. ¶A. (S/NF) ANALYSTS WOULD APPRECIATE A READOUT ON ANY MEETINGS VELAYATI OR MEMBERS OF HIS ENTOURAGE HAD WITH QATARI OFFICIALS DURING ADVISOR TO KHAMENEI, ALI AKBAR VELAYATI'S OCTOBER TRIP TO DOHA: 1) (S/NF) WHAT TOPICS WERE DISCUSSED? DID THE MEETING FOCUS MOSTLY ON GAS RELATED ISSUES? WAS GAZA OR HAMAS DISCUSSED? DID THE PARTIES DISCUSS THE US NAVAL PRESENCE IN QATAR? 2) (S/NF) WHAT POSITIONS DID VELAYTI TAKE DURING HIS TALK WITH SHEIKH HAMAD? DID VELAYATI MEET WITH OTHER QATARI OFFICIALS WHILE IN DOHA? IF SO, WHO DID HE MEET? WHAT WERE THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE MEETING? A) (S/NF) WHAT POSITION DID THE QATARI OFFICIALS TAKE? HOW DID QATARI OFFICIALS ASSESS THE MEETINGS FOLLOWING VELAYATI'S DEPARTURE? ¶B. (S/NF) IN EARLY TO MID JANUARY 2009 IRANIAN SCNS SECRETARY SAID JALILI TRAVELED TO QATAR TO DISCUSS IRAN'S PROPOSED CEASE FIRE PLAN FOR GAZA. ANALYSTS WOULD APPRECIATE A READOUT ON ANY MEETINGS JALILI OR MEMBERS OF HIS ENTOURAGE HAD WITH QATARI OFFICIALS, INCLUDING: 1) (S/NF) WHO DID JALILI MEET WITH? WHAT WERE THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE MEETINGS? WHAT POSITIONS DID JALILI OR QATARI OFFICIALS TAKE? 2) (S/NF) WERE OTHER TOPICS DISCUSSED ASIDE FROM THE CEASE-FIRE PLAN FOR GAZA? IF OTHER ITEMS WERE DISCUSSED, WHAT POSITIONS ON THESE TOPICS DID IRANIAN OR QATARI OFFICIALS TAKE? HOW DID THE QATARI OFFICIALS ASSESS THE MEETINGS? ¶C. (S/NF) FOR AHMADI-NEJAD'S ATTENDANCE AT THE JANUARY DOHA SUMMIT, WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ON CONVERSATIONS HE OR MEMBERS OF HIS ENTOURAGE MAY HAVE HAD WITH QATARI OFFICIALS OR REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER STATES IN ATTENDANCE. ANALYSTS WOULD APPRECIATE INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING: 1) (S/NF) DID AHMADI-NEJAD MEET WITH QATARI LEADERS WHILE AT THE DOHA SUMMIT? WHAT WERE THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE MEETINGS? WHAT POSITION DID THE QATARIS TAKE? DID THE MEETINGS INCLUDE SUBJECTS BESIDES THE GAZA CRISIS? ¶2. (U) PLEASE CITE C-NE9-00371 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS. CLINTON