VZCZCXRO5879
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHDIR #0035/01 1351618
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151618Z MAY 07
FM IRAN RPO DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0122
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHDIR/IRAN RPO DUBAI PRIORITY 0115
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 0106
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0072
RUEHAD/USDAO ABU DHABI TC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 IRAN RPO DUBAI 000035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  5/15/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON IR
SUBJECT: AHMADI-NEJAD REACHES OUT TO IRANIAN DIASPORA 
 
REF: A. ABU DHABI 0780, B. RPO DUBAI 0011, C. 2006 RPO DUBAI 0016 
 
RPO DUBAI 00000035  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jillian Burns, Director, Iran Regional Presence 
Office - Dubai, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
1.(U) This cable was cleared by Embassy Abu Dhabi and ConGen 
Dubai. 
 
2.(C) Summary. On the sidelines of official meetings in the UAE 
May 13, Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad met with Iranian business 
executives in Dubai and gave a public address to a large crowd 
of mostly Iranians.  Ahmadi-Nejad, in a closed session for 
"elites," reportedly encouraged Iranian expatriates to invest in 
Iran and said current privatization efforts will open "avenues" 
for increased private sector involvement in Iran's economy. 
Ahmadi-Nejad then gave a speech to a crowd of reportedly up to 
3,000 in an atmosphere that seemed reminiscent of his provincial 
political rallies.  A journalist told IRPoff that Ahmadi-Nejad 
handled himself "like a rock star."  He led the crowd with 
chants and stressed nationalist themes.  Two audience members 
said that despite press reports to the contrary, Ahmadi-Nejad 
never named the US by name but made clear insinuations about 
"Western oppression," "enemies," and Western reluctance to share 
technology with the rest of the world.  What was most striking 
about the visit was the authorization by the UAE to allow such a 
large-scale public address at a politically sensitive time by a 
controversial head of government.  While there is no proof, it 
is possible that Iran's goal was to counteract IRPO's own public 
outreach in Dubai.  End Summary. 
 
3.(U) While on the first visit by an Iranian head of government 
to the UAE (Ref A), Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad traveled to 
Dubai to meet with Iranian expatriates.  He held two events at 
the Iranian Social Club, which is owned by Iran's largest 
bonyad:  a closed session with the Iranian business community 
and a public address at the club's soccer stadium. 
 
Private investment 
--------------------- 
 
4.(C) Ahmadi-Nejad met with roughly 200 "Iranian elite," for 
about 35 minutes in the Iranian club auditorium.  According to 
IRNA, Ahmadi-Nejad reportedly appealed to Dubai-based 
businesspeople's sense of duty to Iran, inviting them to "invest 
in their homeland."  He predicted Iran would be the "economic 
power of the region in the near future."  Ahmadi-Nejad claimed 
that in line with Article 44 of the Iranian Constitution -- a 
reference to current privatization efforts (Ref B) -- "a fertile 
ground is being prepared for the private sector to invest in the 
country's major industries."  He also invited scientists and 
researchers living abroad to "contribute to their motherland's 
scientific efforts."  While none of the contacts we have pulsed 
so far attended the meeting, IRPoff heard anecdotally that 
representatives from the Al Aqili Group, a major local 
corporation that reportedly stalled plans to buy a private 
Iranian bank because of the political climate, were sitting in 
the front row. 
 
Political rally 
--------------- 
 
5.(C) Following the private session, the president then moved to 
the club soccer stadium where, according to press reports, he 
addressed a crowd of about 3,000.  A journalist covering the 
event later told IRPoff that Ahmadi-Nejad looked "like a rock 
star" on stage.  He wound the crowd up by asking them questions 
like "Are you happy to be here?", to which the crowd screamed 
back "Yes."   Another participant told IRPO the event resembled 
Ahmadi-Nejad's provincial tours in Iran.  Striking nationalist 
themes, Ahmadi-Nejad reportedly mesmerized the crowd with 
sentimental descriptions of the country's natural beauty.  He 
said Iran is a peaceful, loving nation that wants to share its 
technology and resources with the international community to 
make the world a better place.  One female attendee reportedly 
yelled out "I love you," to which Ahmadi-Nejad responded with a 
calm "thank you." 
 
6.(C) In contrast to Iran's peaceful, loving nature, there are 
some countries that "are trying to provoke dissension among the 
nation of the region in a bid to dominate their wealth," IRNA 
quoted the president.  Repeating the same message as Supreme 
National Security Council Secretary Larijani gave in Dubai in 
December 2006 (Ref C), Ahmadi-Nejad called for regional 
countries to safeguard their own security.  He said the region 
"will leave no place for those powers to remain in the region." 
According to two audience members, Ahmadi-Nejad did not refer to 
the US by name.  He claimed "some countries" want to keep 
technology and progress for themselves and therefore these 
countries "oppose" the advancement of Iran and its "peaceful 
nuclear activities."  Chants of "down with the USA" and "nuclear 
 
RPO DUBAI 00000035  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
energy is our right" frequently interrupted Ahmadi-Nejad, 
according to the Associated Press. 
 
7.(C) One contact asserted that she saw few people at the rally 
like her, meaning from the Dubai-based Iranian community.  She 
believed that based on the buses outside, many participants were 
students bused in from Iranian schools around the UAE.  She said 
the students were given "cakes," and the atmosphere was very 
festive.  Several prominent members of the Iranian community in 
Dubai told IRPO said they would not attend "such an event." 
Asked if non-Iranians attended, she claimed she saw 
"Palestinians" in the crowd when she saw the speech replayed on 
Iranian TV.  Another Iranian said he heard that tourists from 
Iran were brought in to supplement stadium numbers.  When IRPO 
Director asked an organizer of an Iranian cultural festival if 
she knew her event would coincide with a presidential visit, she 
vehemently expressed her displeasure, saying the last thing she 
wanted to see in the UAE was Ahmadi-Nejad. 
 
8.(C) Comment:  The most remarkable aspect of Ahmadi-Nejad's 
visit was the unprecedented nature of the large rally by a 
visiting head of government, particularly from a country with 
which the UAE has such a complex relationship.  The timing -- a 
day after Vice President Cheney had departed the UAE -- made the 
event all the more surprising.  Large crowds were clearly 
expected; the major street in front of the club was closed to 
most traffic that night and attendees went through 
security-screening.  The event was advertised in local Farsi 
press as well as with posters in shop windows.  While it is not 
surprising that Iranian school children would be brought in to 
see such a historical event, we will continue to try to get a 
sense of who attended.  We will also report septel any readout 
we get of the closed session.   We do not get the sense from our 
contacts, however, that the visit will have any lasting 
consequences, either to the Iranian community or in the UAE-Iran 
bilateral relationship.  Iran's plea to replace the US in 
regional security arrangements continues to get little traction. 
 While we have no proof, we think the primary goal was classic 
public diplomacy; the president's Dubai events may even have 
been planned to try to counteract IRPO's own public outreach to 
the Iranian community here. 
 
9.(C) Comment (continued):  The fact that no UAE officials were 
present at the May 14 Abu Dhabi press conference and reportedly 
none at the Dubai speech would seem to indicate an attempt by 
the UAE to distance itself from Ahmadi-Nejad's predictable 
rhetoric.  The UAE obviously is trying to balance its 
relationship with Iran, a large, powerful and economically 
important neighbor, with its close ties to the US.  One Embassy 
contact remarked today that many Emiratis saw Ahmadi-Nejad's 
using the UAE as a platform for such a speech as a sign of 
arrogance and a breach of hospitality.  They were offended by 
Ahmadi-Nejad's apparent assumption that he had the right to be 
here and that he felt little need to temper his message.  End 
comment. 
BURNS