OMAN: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE MAJLIS AL

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000011 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/11 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KWMN OEXC MU SUBJECT: OMAN: AMBASSADOR'S CALL ON THE PRESIDENT OF THE MAJLIS AL DAWLA REF: A. 09 MUSCAT 1087; B. 09 MUSCAT 1021; C. 09 MUSCAT 1117 CLASSIFIED BY: Richard Schmierer, Ambassador, Department of State, Embassy Muscat; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) Summary: In the Ambassador's December 9, 2009 wide ranging courtesy call with His Excellency Yahya bin Mahfidh al Manthari, President of the Majlis al Dawla, they discussed women's issues, exchange programs, Palestine, Yemen and Oman's infrastructure development. Although touching only briefly on each issue, al Manthari seemed eager to engage with the Ambassador and was open and welcoming of the discussion. (Note: The Majlis al Dawla is an appointed chamber, while its sister body, the Majlis al Shura, is an elected chamber. End Note.) End Summary. Women's Issues -------------- ¶2. The Ambassador commended the Sultan on his recent public comments in support of women's issues (Ref A). Al Manthari responded that of the 14 female members of the Majlis al Dawla, 10 hold PhD's and all were extremely active, with two chairing committees. Al Manthari noted that women have traditionally participated in Omani society, stressing that Omani women play key roles in the local community, especially in the interior and desert regions. Therefore, he said, there was "nothing new here." He further explained that there is currently a committee, including representatives of the Majlis al Shura, the Majlis al Dawla, the Ministry of Interior, and women, to prepare for the next Majlis al Shura election and determine "what went wrong with the last one." (Note: He was referring to the fact that no women were elected to the Shura in the 2007 election. End Note.) Exchange Programs -------------- ¶3. (C) Al Manthari lauded exchange programs sponsored by the Embassy and said that it showed America's good faith. He emphasized the positive role of AMIDEAST, saying he had worked with them in the 70s when they took care of Omani students in the U.S. Al Manthari was hopeful that a Senate or Congressional delegation from the U.S. would visit Oman and emphasized that he would be happy to receive them. He was also enthusiastic about President Obama's Cairo speech and was hopeful that it would continue to show positive results. He encouraged U.S. involvement in activities that promote intercultural understanding. The American Jewish Committee and the Arab-Israeli Dispute -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Al Manthari also said that he was very pleased with the November 2009 visit of representatives of the American Jewish Committee (Ref B) and had a good engagement with them. The Ambassador mentioned that the U.S. is looking for Arab countries to undertake confidence-building measures and goodwill gestures vis-C -vis the Arab-Israeli dispute. Al Manthari opined that there was momentum on this issue years ago that was not adequately utilized. He added that the Palestine issue still contributes to most regional problems, and thus needs to be resolved. Oman's Infrastructure -------------- ¶5. (C) Al Manthari thought that Oman would finish funding its major infrastructure projects by 2020, including its first railroad. He said it would go from Sohar to Barka (which would serve as a hub for goods) then to Muscat, Nizwa and Salalah. He said each GCC country would build their own railroad and then link them together. Yemen -------------- ¶6. (C) Echoing criticisms of Yemen given by other Omani leaders, he noted that the Government of Yemen is not properly developing the country. He said he was in Aden recently and that "nothing has changed there, there is nothing new." He also said that he had conveyed a message to President Saleh's son: "don't ignore the south." ¶7. (C) Comment: Al Manthari appeared forward leaning in his comments, which is somewhat unusual as he is of the older generation of Omanis. There are rumors that he has been using his influence to protect one of the young civil rights activists who works for him (who was most recently involved in the illegal women's seminar (Ref C)) from pressure exerted by other parts of the Omani government. If so, his words to the Ambassador are supported by his actions. End Comment. Schmierer