VZCZCXRO7994
OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHAD #1123/01 0811253
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 221253Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4125
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0473
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0127
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 5945

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 001123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO NEA/FO, NEA/RA, NEA/IPA, AND NEA/ARPI 
NSC PASS TO ABRAMS AND RAMCHAND 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2016 
TAGS: PREL KPAL WE GZ IS AE
SUBJECT: HAMAS' KHALED MESHAAL VISITS UAE 
 
REF: ABU DHABI 952 
 
ABU DHABI 00001123  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MICHELE J. SISON, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
 ¶1. (C) Summary: Minister of Presidential Affairs Sheikh 
Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan received Hamas political chief 
Khaled Meshaal March 22.  According to Foreign Ministry U/S 
Abdullah Rashid al-Noaimi, the UAEG had originally been 
reluctant to host Meshaal but decided that it was important 
to emphasize to Hamas the need for the new Hamas-led 
government to meet its international obligations, adhere to 
the Roadmap, and help the Palestinian people improve their 
lives.  The UAEG also reiterated its support for Palestinian 
Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as the UAE's 
intent to support the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian 
people. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal met March 22 with Sheikh 
Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, UAE Minister for Presidential 
Affairs, and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed 
al-Sha'ali.  The Emiratis were originally reluctant to 
receive Meshaal, MFA U/S Abdullah Rashid al-Noaimi told 
Ambassador.  Al-Noaimi gave three reasons for the UAE 
leadership's decision to receive Meshaal.  One, they wanted 
to hear what was on Hamas' mind.  Two, they wanted to 
encourage Hamas to take a more moderate course.  Three, they 
wanted to enlighten Meshaal on the UAE's support for PA 
President Abbas and stress the international community's 
demand for the Roadmap to be respected, successful, and "not 
a one-sided policy." 
 
¶3. (C) "We are not in love with Hamas," al-Noaimi told 
Ambassador, but "we need to enlighten them, to educate them. 
These people don,t have experience in international 
politics, just at the community level."  The UAE would 
continue to support the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian 
people, he underscored.  Ambassador highlighted USG's 
continuing concern for these humanitarian needs and noted 
that, as a major donor, the U.S. would look for ways to 
ensure that these legitimate needs would be met. 
 
¶4. (C) Ambassador told al-Noaimi that it was unfortunate that 
the visit had provided Meshaal an Abu Dhabi platform from 
which to highlight Hamas' refusal to renounce armed 
resistance and to decry U.S. policy as "biased."  She noted 
to al-Noaimi that a Reuters wire story with an Abu Dhabi 
dateline quoted Meshaal saying, "Armed resistance is 
legitimate."  The wire story also included this Meshaal 
quote: "So long as there is Israeli occupation in Palestine 
and so long as U.S. policy is biased, the so-called terrorism 
that the United States fears will escalate because the 
mistakes of U.S. foreign policy are pouring oil on fire." 
Ambassador emphasized the need for Hamas to disavow violence. 
 
¶5. (C) The UAE's official news agency announced that Sheikh 
Mansour stressed the importance of continuing "political 
negotiations" to reach a settlement of the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  The UAE would continue to 
"respect the will of the Palestinian Arab people in 
determining their fate, identifying their options and 
choosing their government," and voiced the UAE's "full 
confidence in and support for efforts by the Palestinian 
National Authority in achieving stability and pushing the 
Middle East process forward."  Sheikh Mansour also stressed 
"the importance of remaining on the course of political 
negotiations aimed at reaching a just and comprehensive peace 
in the region."  Ambassador told al-Noaimi that it was 
important for Hamas to hear from the UAEG and others in the 
region about its responsibilities as the elected government 
to help the Palestinian people live in peace, something that 
could only be accomplished via a two-state solution. 
Al-Noaimi reiterated the UAEG's support for the Roadmap and 
the two-state solution. 
 
¶6. (C) As reported ref A, UAE President Khalifa approved a 
$25 million one-time-only transfer to the PA President to pay 
salaries.  The UAE has provided substantial assistance to the 
Palestinian people, through projects via its 
semi-governmental organizations, rather than passing cash 
directly to the PA.  The UAE Red Crescent provided 
Palestinians with $88 million in humanitarian assistance from 
2000 to 2003.  The UAE has built Sheikh Zayed City at a cost 
of $62 million, and is building a $100 million housing 
complex (Sheikh Khalifa City), both in Gaza.  Agence 
France-Presse cited Hamas delegate Ezat al-Reshq, who 
accompanied Meshaal, as saying that the UAE assured Hamas 
 
ABU DHABI 00001123  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
that it would "go on providing financial aid to the 
Palestinian people and their Hamas-led government."  Al-Reshq 
also said that the UAE would "continue to sponsor and support 
infrastructure projects in the occupied Palestinian 
territories." 
 
¶7. (C) Comment: We will follow up with Foreign Minister 
Sheikh Abdullah upon his return to Abu Dhabi regarding a 
statement Reuters attributed to al-Reshq that "Hamas received 
assurances from our brothers in the UAE that they will 
continue political and financial support as well as support 
of infrastructure projects in Palestine."  End Comment. 
SISON