(C) UAE LEADERSHIP REACTIONS TO TORTURE

S E C R E T STATE 052186 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2034 TAGS: PINR PGOV AE SUBJECT: (C) UAE LEADERSHIP REACTIONS TO TORTURE ALLEGATIONS (C-NE9-01124) REF: A. ABU DHABI 00423 ¶B. STATE 43058 Classified By: SUZANNE MCCORMICK, DIR., INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). ¶1. (S/NF) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS ARE INTERESTED IN RECENT TORTURE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ISSA BIN ZAYID AL NUHAYYAN, PARTICULARLY WITH THE RECENT PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF A VIDEO IMPLICATING HIM. AS TIME AND RESOURCES PERMIT, ANALYSTS WOULD APPRECIATE REPORTING ON THESE ALLEGATIONS. ¶A. (S) WHAT HAVE UAE SENIOR LEADERS FROM ANY OF THE SEVEN EMIRATES SAID PUBLICLY OR PRIVATELY--PERHAPS AS TRANSLATED THROUGH FAMILY MEMBERS OR LOWER-LEVEL GOVERNMENT TECHNOCRATS--ABOUT THE VIDEOTAPE AND TORTURE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SHEIKH ISSA BIN ZAYID AL NUHAYYAN? ¶B. (S) WHAT DO THE ABU DHABI RULING FAMILY--OR BROADER GOVERNMENT--PLAN FOR SHEIKH ISSA? ARE THERE ANY INDICATIONS THAT THE AL NUHAYYAN WILL ALLOW SHEIKH ISSA TO BE PROSECUTED? ¶C. (S/NF) WHAT HAVE UAE LEADERS SAID PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY ABOUT THE POSTPONED SIGNING OF THE 123 AGREEMENT, AND ARE THEY HOLDING SHEIKH ISSA RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS POSTPONEMENT? ARE THERE INDICATIONS THAT ABU DHABI IS GROWING IMPATIENT WITH THE HOLD-UP AND COULD THIS UNDERMINE US COMPANIES COMPETING FOR THE NUCLEAR TENDER? ¶D. (C) WHAT ARE REACTIONS TO THE TORTURE VIDEO AND ALLEGATIONS FROM THE FOLLOWING: MID- OR LOWER-LEVEL GOVERNMENT TECHNOCRATS, MEMBERS OF THE FEDERAL NATIONAL COUNCIL, NATIVE EMIRATI POPULATION? ¶E. (C) PLEASE PROVIDE ANY BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON SHEIKH ISSA BIN ZAYID. 1) (C) WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP, INCLUDING JOINT BUSINESS VENTURES, DOES SHEIKH ISSA HAVE WITH HIS HALF BROTHERS? IS HE CLOSE TO OR DOES HE HAVE ANY BUSINESS OR OTHER RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER UAE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OR MEMBERS OF THE RULING FAMILIES OF DUBAI, SHARJAH, RA'S AL-KHAYMAH, UMM AL-QUWAYN, FUJAYRAH, OR AJMAN? 2) (C) IF SHEIKH ISSA HAS CHILDREN OR IS MARRIED, IS HE OR ARE ANY OF HIS CHILDREN MARRIED TO MEMBERS OF THE OTHER EMIRATES' RULING FAMILIES? ¶2. (U) PLEASE CITE C-NE9-01124 IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF REPORTING IN RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS. CLINTON