VZCZCXRO1149
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDO #1725 3441416
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 101416Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5906
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS DOHA 001725 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KPAL EFIN EAID PTER GZ IS QA
SUBJECT: QATARIS WILL USE ARAB LEAGUE OR TEMPORARY 
INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM FOR PALESTINIAN AID 
 
REF: DOHA 1712 
 
¶1. (SBU) P/E Chief spoke to Assistant Minister for Foreign 
Affairs Mohamed al-Rumaihy December 7 regarding the mechanism 
for transfering funds promised by the Qatari government to 
the Palestinian Authority (reftel). Rumaihy said that Qatar 
will "certainly" use the Arab League bank account or the 
Temporary International Mechanism, which he described as the 
"European mechanism." The MFA's Arab Affairs department did 
not have further details. Its director reviewed Qatar's 
previous countributions to the Palestinian Authority: USD 50 
million through the Arab League in March 2006, and in 
September a second USD 50 million for salaries through the 
account controlled by the PA presidency, presumably referring 
again to the Arab League mechanism. 
¶2. (U) Meanwhile, Qatari press hailed the pledge as having 
"broken the embargo imposed on the Palestinians." One paper 
close to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs characterized it as 
a challenge to other nations to meet their obligations toward 
the Palestinians. The issue garnered additional coverage 
because of the Secretary's meeting December 7 with Qatari 
Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani (HBJ); Al Jazeera 
picked up the Department spokesman's remark that funneling 
the contribution to the Hamas-led government would "cross a 
line." After the HBJ's meeting with the Secretary, only one 
local Arabic paper kept the issue on the editorial agenda, 
saying that "It is strange that Washington refuses this 
Qatari initiative. This is a position lacking in both 
courtesy and common sense." 
UNTERMEYER