Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10DOHA7
2010-01-07 12:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Doha
Cable title:  

SENIOR APPOINTMENTS UNDERSCORE AL-MAHMOUD

Tags:  PGOV PINR PINB QA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHDO #0007 0071254
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 071254Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9609
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000007 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2020
TAGS: PGOV PINR PINB QA
SUBJECT: SENIOR APPOINTMENTS UNDERSCORE AL-MAHMOUD
INFLUENCE AT MFA

Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b and d).

----------------
(SBU) KEY POINTS
----------------

-- In December, the MFA announced the appointment of
several senior Ministry officials.

-- The list includes new Directors in Asian and African
Affairs, and the Permanent Committee for Organizing
Conferences.

-- The above individuals are among those having experience
working closely with MFA Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Ahmed Al Mahmoud.

------------
(C) COMMENTS
------------

-- Al Mahmoud is Qatar's "de facto Foreign Minister" and
oversees the day-to -day operations of the MFA. He is also
the driving force behind Qatar's diplomatic mediation
efforts in Darfur. That most of those promoted into senior
positions have close ties to him affirms his steady grip on
the MFA.

End Key Points and Comments.


C O N F I D E N T I A L DOHA 000007

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2020
TAGS: PGOV PINR PINB QA
SUBJECT: SENIOR APPOINTMENTS UNDERSCORE AL-MAHMOUD
INFLUENCE AT MFA

Classified By: Ambassador Joseph E. LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b and d).

--------------
(SBU) KEY POINTS
--------------

-- In December, the MFA announced the appointment of
several senior Ministry officials.

-- The list includes new Directors in Asian and African
Affairs, and the Permanent Committee for Organizing
Conferences.

-- The above individuals are among those having experience
working closely with MFA Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Ahmed Al Mahmoud.

--------------
(C) COMMENTS
--------------

-- Al Mahmoud is Qatar's "de facto Foreign Minister" and
oversees the day-to -day operations of the MFA. He is also
the driving force behind Qatar's diplomatic mediation
efforts in Darfur. That most of those promoted into senior
positions have close ties to him affirms his steady grip on
the MFA.

End Key Points and Comments.



1. (SBU) In December, the MFA announced the appointment of
several officials to key positions within the ministry.
Several of those officials, including the new head of Asian
and African Affairs Zayed bin Rashid Al Naemi, have worked
in the office of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Ahmed Al Mahmoud. Al Naemi previously served as Ambassador
to South Africa and in Al Mahmoud's office at the MFA,
where he was responsible for Darfur mediation issues. His
deputy in Asian and African Affairs will be Abdul Aziz bin
Mubarak Al Mohannadi, formerly of the MFA Media Department.


2. (SBU) Other officials with close ties to Al Mahmoud
received promotions, including Yousef bin Khalifa Al Sada,
who will serve as the Director in the Department of
International Organizations and Conferences. Al Sada
served previously in Al Mahmoud's office, in addition to
assignments in Senegal and Indonesia. Abdullah bin Muhammad
Al Marri, another alumnus of Al Mahmoud's office, will be
the new Director of the Department of Research and Analysis
and Information Technology. He served previously at
Qatar's embassy in Khartoum. Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Suwaidi,
who served in Bangkok as well as Al Mahmoud's office in the
MFA, will be the new Director of the Office of the Training
and Development of Human Resources.


3. (SBU) Other appointments include: Abdullah bin Abdul
Rahman Fakroo, previously Assistant Director of the
Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences, to be
Executive Director of the Committee; Abdullah bin Ibrahim
Al Hajji to be Assistant Director of Arab Affairs; Mohammad
bin Abdullah Al Dehaimi, an expert in human rights formerly
at the Qatari Embassy in Switzerland, to be Assistant
Director of European and American Affairs; and Shaykh
Mohammed bin Yousef bin Jassim Al Thani to be Assistant
Director of the Office of Human Rights.


4. (SBU) The MFA also announced the appointment of three
individuals to serve as Acting Directors of various
administrative departments: Jassim bin Ali Obaidli in the
Department of Legal Affairs; Saeed bin Mohammad Al Tamimi
in the Department of Administration and Finance; and Abdul
Rahman bin Saad Al Sulaiti in the Office of Oversight and
Scrutiny.
LeBaron