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7/29/2019 US Embassy Cables_ Saudis Fear 'Shia Triangle' of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan _ World News _ Guardian.co
1/4
9/23/12 US embassy cables: Saudis fear 'Shia triangle' of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan | World news | guardian.c
1/4www.guardian.co.uk/world/usembassycablesdocuments/201549
Thursday, 09 April 2009, 04:22
S E C R E T STATE 034688
EO 12958 DECL: 04/07/2019
TAGS OVIP">OVIP (CLINTON, HILLARY), UAE
SUBJECT: (U) Secretary Clinton's April 7, 2009 meeting
with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin
Zayed
1.(U) Classified by Bureau Assistant Secretary
Jeffrey Feltman. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d)
2. (U) April 7, 2009 1:30 p.m. Washington,
DC.
3. (U) Participants:
U.S.
----
The Secretary Acting Assistant Secretary
Jeffrey Feltman Jake Sullivan, S staff Barbara
Masilko, NEA Notetaker
UAE
---
UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ)
Ambassador Yousef al Otaiba Abdullah al Saboosi, UAE Notetaker
4. (S) SUMMARY. The Secretary reviewed the status of the US-
UAE 123 agreement and additional action the UAE can take to
encourage a positive Congressional review. The UAE request for
participation in the Major Economies Forum on Energy and
Climate (MEF) is under serious consideration. The Secretary
expressed her interest in participating in a GCC plus three
meeting in Baghdad in the near future. The UAE ForeignMinister Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ) also suggested a GCC plus 3
and P5 plus 1 joint meeting to discuss Iran. AbZ confirmed his
intention to participate in the Pakistan Donors conference in
Tokyo and expressed concerns about Saudi back peddling. The
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US embassy cables: Saudis fear 'Shiatriangle' of Iran, Iraq and Pakistanguardian.co.uk, Friday 3 December 2010 14.58 GMT
Summary
Regional rivalries over
Pakistan surface during
Hillary Clinton's visit to
the Gulf. The UAE
foreign secretary tells
her that the Saudi
government is
discriminating againstAsif Ali Zardari , the
Pakistani president,
because the Saudis fear
he is a Shia allied with
Iran. Key passage
highlighted in yellow.
Read related article:
Saudis want military
rule in Pakistan
7/29/2019 US Embassy Cables_ Saudis Fear 'Shia Triangle' of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan _ World News _ Guardian.co
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9/23/12 US embassy cables: Saudis fear 'Shia triangle' of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan | World news | guardian.c
2/4www.guardian.co.uk/world/usembassycablesdocuments/201549
Secretary thanked the UAE for the positive support for both
the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Palestinian Authority. AbZ
noted that Qatar wants the Arab League to request a meeting
with the Quartet focused on settlements and East Jerusalem.
END SUMMARY.
--------------------------------------
Nuclear Cooperation and Export Control
--------------------------------------
5. (S) The Secretary expressed the Administration's commitment
to the U.S.-UAE Agreement for Cooperation on the Peaceful Uses
of Nuclear Energy (aka 123 Agreement). She emphasized that our
goal is to get the agreement completed as smoothly as
possible. AbZ said that he is delighted with the progress on
the agreement. He added that the UAE's goal is to create a
gold standard for a nuclear power program. Then, because of
the strong commitments the UAE has made, it will be impossible
to have improper use of its nuclear facilities.
6. (S) Turning to the need to be prepared to respond to
Congress, the Secretary committed to form a State Department
committee including H, NEA and ISN to work on the
notification. The Secretary noted the importance of
implementing the UAE export control law and continued UAE
efforts against illicit Iranian trade and Iranian front
companies. The Secretary encouraged action on nonproliferation
treaty commitments as especially helpful actions the UAE could
take to support our efforts. AbZ noted that the UAE would
formally join the additional protocol on April 8.
7. (S) AbZ agreed that the August 2007 export control law had
some "loopholes" and said that the UAE Cabinet "revisited" the
issue last week. Otaiba said that AbZ had personally
intervened to ensure timely action. Otaiba elaborated that the
committee charged with implementing the export control law
will have its first meeting later this month to begin
operations.
8. (S) Otaiba noted that, even in the absence of a formal
implementation committee, the UAE is taking action - citing a
recent case involving German-made Siemens computers and a
Chinese ship bound for Iran interdicted in port in the UAE.
---------------------
Major Economies Forum
---------------------
9. (S) The Secretary noted UAE interest in the Major Economies
Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF). While noting that the UAE
does not technically meet the criteria for the meeting, based
on size of the economy alone, the Secretary said there are
many criteria that make it important for the UAE to attend,
adding she will make a recommendation for UAE participation as
an observer. AbZ said the UAE bid to host the International
Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) headquarters would be very
difficult to achieve if the UAE is locked out of the MEF
preparatory meeting in Washington and promised "we will
remember your help."
7/29/2019 US Embassy Cables_ Saudis Fear 'Shia Triangle' of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan _ World News _ Guardian.co
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9/23/12 US embassy cables: Saudis fear 'Shia triangle' of Iran, Iraq and Pakistan | World news | guardian.c
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----
Iran
----
10. (S) The Secretary said the U.S. is looking to see if Iran
can be engaged in any productive manner and noted that Special
Advisor Ross would travel to the region soon for
consultations. AbZ told the Secretary that UAE feels
threatened by Iran today, even though Iran does not yet have a
nuclear capability. AbZ asserted that the UAE is even more
worried about Iranian intentions than is Israel. AbZ
encouraged the U.S. to consider a GCC plus 3 and P5 plus 1
joint meeting.
----------------
Iraqi GCC plus 3
----------------
11. (S) The Secretary expressed interest in the Iraqi
invitations for a GCC plus 3 meeting in Baghdad, at a date to
be determined. She noted the value of the GCC plus 3 mechanism
not only for furthering Arab engagement with the Iraqi
government during a time of transition, but as a way to send a
message to Iran that Iraq has broad support in the Arab world.
--------------------
Afghanistan/Pakistan
--------------------
12. (S) The Secretary told AbZ that the U.S. needs help to
stem the flow of funds from the Gulf to the Taliban. She noted
that one area of potential action is reviving training related
to bulk cash smuggling.
13. (S) Thanking the UAE for hosting the Friends of Pakistan
preparatory meeting, the Secretary said she hopes AbZ would
attend the April donors conference in Tokyo. AbZ confirmed
that he plans to attend and said that the UAE will make a
"strong" pledge, but no decision has been made on an exact
dollar figure.
14. (S) AbZ express concern over Saudi Arabia's decision not
to make a pledge at the Tokyo conference. AbZ said that the
Saudis have never liked the Pakistan Peoples Party, and
support Nawaz Sharif. In addition, AbZ posited that Saudi
Arabia suspects that Zardari is Shia, thus creating Saudi
concern of a Shia triangle in the region between Iran, the
Maliki government in Iraq, and Pakistan under Zardari. Feltman
noted a pattern of Saudi behavior of withholding financial
assistance - not supporting March 14 in Lebanon, not sending
funds to the PA, and not planning a pledge for Pakistan.
Otaiba added that Saudi Arabia also failed make a commitment
at the G20 meeting.
-------
Lebanon
-------
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15. (S) The Secretary noted the need to support Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) in the run up to the elections with concrete
displays of support. Feltman added that the UAE had been
particularly helpful already by funding the delivery of the
first ten refurbished tanks for the LAF. AbZ noted that he
would meet with visiting Lebanese Minister of Defense Murr
later on April 7. AbZ said the UAE will purchase additional
munitions for LAF helicopters, donated by the UAE to LAF last
year, but is waiting for France to provide a price estimate.
-------------------------
Middle East Peace Process
-------------------------
16. (S) The Secretary thanked the UAE for its strong financial
support for the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Secretary
asked if AbZ had an update on the status of Palestinian unity
talks. Acknowledging that Hamas and Fatah are not coming to an
agreement, AbZ replied with a smile that things are "going
well."
17. (S) AbZ said that in addition to financial support for the
PA it is important that the new Israeli government reach out
to President Abbas. AbZ said that the Secretary should expect
the Qatari Prime Minister to request an Arab League meeting
with the Quartet focused on settlements and East Jerusalem.
AbZ said the Quartet will need to use the same standards for
the new Israel government as already applied to the
Palestinians regarding respecting previous agreements. The
Secretary agreed. AbZ said that it is important to create a
road map of Israeli and Palestinian actions towards an end
game. The Secretary agreed on the importance of simultaneous
reinforcing actions in support of negotiations. AbZ said that
the UAE candidacy to host IRENA could yield political
benefits, if successful. Israel is already a signatory to the
agreement, so it would have a representative IRENA mission in
Abu Dhabi should the UAE be chosen to host headquarters.
CLINTON
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