VZCZCXRO3069
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHGI RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDO #0458/01 2030445
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220445Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9241
INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 09 DOHA 000458 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
FOR POLICY PLANNING STAFF - GREG BEHRMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON OEXC OSCI PREL SCUL SENV SOCI TNGD TSPL
XF, XI, ZP, ZR, QA 
SUBJECT: EMBASSY DOHA'S FOLLOW-UP TO THE PRESIDENT'S CAIRO SPEECH 
 
REF: (A) SECSTATE 71325 
(B) 2008 DOHA 664 
(C) DOHA 205 
(D) DOHA 268 
(E) DOHA 446 
(F) DOHA 130 
(G) DOHA 159 
(H) DOHA 413 
 
---------- 
KEY POINTS 
---------- 
 
-- Ambassador and Embassy officers followed up the President's 
speech with a variety of engagements to hear feedback directly from 
Qataris. 
 
-- Qatar is already a progressive force in the three priority areas 
listed Ref A.  Enhanced U.S. engagement efforts should focus on 
specific gaps in Qatar's human development such as English language 
education and opportunities for women and girls. 
 
-- Qatar could be a valuable regional partner and force-multiplier 
in furthering human development, entrepreneurship and interfaith 
partnership, and science and technology throughout the Muslim world. 
USG engagement of Qatar would most usefully be focused on creating a 
partnership to advance our shared region-wide goals. 
 
-- However, many of these goals will not be achievable without more 
attention and resources given to visa issuance, particularly 
eliminating the long wait times for security clearances. 
 
-- Embassy Doha's new linguistic capabilities could help the U.S. 
policy community advance its strategic communication goals in the 
region. 
 
END KEY POINTS. 
 
¶1. OVERVIEW: This cable is structured to provide Embassy Doha's 
assessment - based on consultations with key stakeholders - of the 
best ways to engage on the three priority areas listed in the 
President's speech and in Ref A.  After describing how we sought 
feedback to the speech, we call for building a partnership with 
Qatar to promote regional development and underscore the importance 
of solving the visa clearance backlog. We then outline priorities 
and opportunities for USG engagement of Qatar in the three priority 
areas of human development, entrepreneurship and interfaith 
partnership, and science and technology. We conclude with some 
thoughts about how to integrate Embassy Doha's new linguistic 
capabilities with the USG's broader efforts toward Muslim 
engagement. 
 
------------------------------------ 
METHODS OF CONSULTATION AND FEEDBACK 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. Since the President's Cairo speech on June 4, Embassy undertook 
several efforts to enhance dialogue with the Muslim community in 
Qatar and to solicit input from Qataris on how best to follow up on 
the President's words with actions on the ground. 
 
-- On the afternoon of the President's speech, Embassy held a public 
viewing and discussion in conjunction with the Brookings Doha 
Center.  After brief remarks drawn from the speech's key points, the 
Ambassador answered questions and took comments from over 50 
audience members. 
 
-- The Ambassador has hosted a series of events at his residence 
with local educational leaders and exchange program participants. 
These interactions have provided valuable feedback on the state of 
educational institutions and human development in Qatar.  Media 
coverage of the events emphasized the U.S. desire to hear Qatari 
voices. 
 
-- The Ambassador has begun meeting with local religious leaders to 
gauge their reactions to the speech and develop a greater 
understanding of their priorities. 
 
-- The Ambassador made a series of visits to tribal elders at Doha's 
main souq (market).  These individuals helped provide a broader 
historical perspective of Qatar's development, its culture, and 
opportunities for U.S. engagement. 
 
-- Emboffs canvassed their contacts for reactions to the speech. 
Contacts generally responded positively, noting they were looking 
forward to the programs/actions which would flow from the rhetoric. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The above activities supplement the regular efforts by 
Embassy's Country Team to engage with Qatari society.  Embassy Doha 
holds regular (twice a year) interagency off-sites to integrate the 
 
DOHA 00000458  002 OF 009 
 
 
collective outreach efforts of the interagency in the field, to 
analyze key trends in Qatar, and to assess the U.S. policy 
implications. (Note: See Refs B and C for full descriptions of these 
off-sites' conclusions.) These forums enhance our strategic 
planning, and they serve as an internal sounding board for 
evaluating the input we receive from a diverse set of partners in 
Qatari government and society. Moreover, Embassy is establishing 
several "interagency synchronization" groups to address key issues 
in Qatar; this model could easily be applied by Embassy's Country 
Team to implement long-term U.S. engagement with Qatar in the field, 
consistent with the potential activities and programs listed Ref A. 
 
 
---------------------------------- 
PARTNERSHIP BEYOND QATAR'S BORDERS 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. Qatar's development vision extends far beyond its own borders, 
and Qatar is a progressive force in the Arab region, at least in the 
three priority areas highlighted by the President. 
 
-- For example, to advance human development efforts in the 
education field, Qatar's Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) charity provides 
assistance across the Muslim world; it is a good example of a Qatari 
organization we should approach in partnership as we implement the 
President's initiative.  ROTA currently has a partnership with U.S. 
NGO Mercy Corps and is working on educational initiatives in such 
high-priority areas as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Northern Iraq. 
 
-- Qatar is carving out a leadership role in both entrepreneurship 
and interfaith activities.  Silatech, a new organization, is 
promoting youth employment across the 22 Arab countries, with an 
initial focus on Qatar, Morocco, Syria, Yemen, Tunisia, and Bahrain. 
The GOQ recently founded an interfaith center and holds regular 
conferences with leaders from the three monotheistic traditions. 
 
-- On science and technology, Qatar's Education City, with branch 
campuses of 6 U.S. universities and students from around the region, 
and a Science and Technology Park with 22 tenants so far, including 
major U.S. firms, has the potential to become a regional scientific 
"center of excellence." 
 
¶5. Beyond supporting Qatar's domestic efforts (see sections below), 
the USG could most usefully focus its Qatar-specific efforts on 
partnering with Qatar in other parts of the Muslim world. Thanks to 
enormous wealth dependent on its large natural gas reserves -- the 
world's third largest -- Qatar seeks to play a significant regional 
role greater than its geographic or demographic size would suggest, 
but partnership is the key to unlocking the money for use in USG 
initiatives. 
 
-- Embassy's records indicate we have approached Qatar at least 22 
times in the past year to ask for money, for everything from 
reconstruction of Georgia to a clean technology fund to support for 
the Somali army.  Qatar generally does not respond to these requests 
because they are not done as part of a coordinated policy process. 
Likewise, feedback from our interlocutors suggests that Qatar will 
only respond to donation requests when they are packaged as part of 
senior-level consultations.  For example, the Minister of State for 
Foreign Affairs recommended bilateral coordination of specific 
development aid projects (Ref D). 
 
-- Our current "tin cup" approach of repeated requests for financial 
contributions to various causes has proven ineffective because they 
are not done in the spirit of a true partnership.  Qatar does not 
want to just write a check - it wants to be involved in the 
formulation and implementation of programs.  Thus, the USG should 
tailor its requests to specific development projects in which Qatar 
can play a prominent role and present these requests as part of an 
ongoing political consultative process. 
 
------------------------------- 
FIXING VISA SYSTEM THE LYNCHPIN 
TO ALL OTHER EFFORTS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶6. Before providing Embassy's assessment of the key subject areas 
for engagement, we note that much of our current and future success 
hinges on the USG's ability to provide visas to legitimate travelers 
in a timely manner. The lengthy and opaque visa process is the most 
common complaint from Qatari citizens who are otherwise favorably 
inclined toward the U.S. 
 
-- Many opportunities have been lost when the clearance process is 
too slow to clear legitimate travelers going to the U.S. for 
exchanges, study, business, or other travel.  This hampers our 
efforts to build bridges. 
 
-- More resources are necessary at the interagency level in 
Washington to review the usefulness of CLASS hits with common names 
 
DOHA 00000458  003 OF 009 
 
 
but no other identifying criteria and clear expeditiously Security 
Advisory Opinions. 
 
----------------- 
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 
----------------- 
 
¶7. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - QATARI PRIORITIES: Qatar's stunning 
economic progress depends primarily on the exploitation of its oil 
and gas resources. However, the GOQ is aware that the country's 
hydrocarbon resources will eventually run out and is working towards 
diversifying its economy and enhancing education as the foundation 
for the future generation. 
 
-- The Government of Qatar announced earlier this year "Qatar Vision 
2030," which is intended to guide creation of a comprehensive action 
plan to further Qatar's development efforts.  The vision's four 
pillars are Economic, Social, Human, and Environmental Development. 
(Note: The full document is available online at Qatar's General 
Secretariat for Development Planning website: www.gsdp.gov.qa). 
 
-- The Economic Development priorities described in the vision 
include delivering prosperity while mitigating the effects of 
economic imbalances; strengthening the private sector; balancing 
hydrocarbon reserves and production to ensure benefits are available 
for the next generation; and balancing economic development and 
protection of the environment. 
 
-- One of the most notable aspects of this vision is the strong 
encouragement of both male and female Qataris from various levels of 
the public and private sectors to speak their minds and collaborate 
on fleshing out strategies during conferences and working group 
sessions.  This process will result in publication of a National 
Development Plan for 2010-2015. 
 
¶8. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT: While Qatar 
is working hard to develop and implement its vision, Qatar is 
acutely aware of its own need for capacity-building and assistance 
at all levels. 
 
-- For example, the GOQ recognizes its dependence on food imports 
and would like to develop a domestic agricultural and regulatory 
industry (Ref E).  Embassy is helping Qatar's Task Force on Food 
Security establish connections with USDA and other agencies which 
could provide advice, capacity-building, and other assistance. Such 
efforts are welcome as they support Qatar's self-identified 
priorities. Enabling more exchanges and assistance programs, as 
envisioned in the President's speech, would help support Qatar's 
economic development and diversification efforts. 
 
¶9. EDUCATION - QATARI PRIORITIES: Qatar aims to build a modern 
world-class educational system that prepares Qatari students for 
success in a globalized, knowledge-based conomy. Qatar's approach 
to education reform is uique in the world, because it is not only 
seekin to modernize its educational system on an America model 
but through a series of partnerships is ctually importing 
high-quality U.S. institutionsto help them achieve that goal. 
 
-- (SBU) Indepenent Schools.  The GOQ has formed 186 schols which 
operate similar to U.S. charter schools by allowing local control of 
the curriculum.  The RAND Corporation, which has closely advised the 
GOQ and has one of its two overseas branch offices in Doha, tells us 
that Qatar is undertaking the most ambitious educational reform 
project it has seen anywhere in the world.  However, the GOQ's bold 
reforms have received negative feedback from the public due to a 
widespread belief that the independent schools sap resources from 
the standard public schools, that they provide few academic 
improvements over the public school system, and that their English 
language focus will contribute to the erosion of the Arabic language 
and Qatari culture. 
 
-- Qatar Foundation (QF). The QF is the primary vehicle for 
the GOQ's massive investments in education, science and 
technology, and related social programs.  QF and a 
constellation of affiliated organizations and initiatives are run by 
Shaykha Mozah and other royal family members.  (More information is 
available at: www.qf.edu.qa). 
 
-- Education City.  QF's flagship project is a 2,500-acre 
campus in Doha which hosts branch campuses of six U.S. 
universities, each focused on a particular academic specialty. 
 
¶10. Despite the extensive resources at their doorstep, many high 
school graduates still see higher education as inaccessible and 
reserved for the elite. Many Qataris view the problem as stemming 
from Qatar's efforts to "Americanize" or "internationalize" its 
college education system in the past two years and quick 
implementation of a bilingual English and Arabic curriculum. 
 
¶11. EDUCATION - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT: Successful engagement 
 
DOHA 00000458  004 OF 009 
 
 
with Qatar calls for showing respect for its leaders' vision for 
education and creating partnerships to address areas of joint 
interest.  The U.S. private sector is already the leading partner in 
Qatar's efforts, and expanded USG involvement should be tailored to 
complement this successful partnership. 
 
-- While it has quickly built an impressive higher-education 
capability, as noted, K-12 educational preparation lags behind and 
not all Qataris will have the talent or desire to study at Education 
City's elite universities. The USG may be able to help by devoting 
resources to boosting Qatar's K-12 reform efforts and helping Qatar 
import community colleges. 
 
-- Qatar has a critical need for quality textbooks and learning 
resources.  For example, the head of the Independent School 
Committee recently told us that Qatar needs 180,000 new, quality 
books in science and math for its preparatory schools. The U.S. 
Foreign Commercial Service and its affiliated domestic offices could 
liaise with U.S. book publishers to partner them with Qatari 
buyers. 
 
-- Embassy already has multiple programs to support English language 
instruction in Qatar. Scaling up resources for such efforts, 
however, would be well received in Qatar and help meet a pressing 
need. 
 
-- To highlight Qatar's educational achievements and the key U.S. 
role, Embassy would also suggest revisiting the idea of a 
Congressional field hearing at Education City, a concept supported 
by Shaykha Mozah (see Ref G). 
 
-- Beyond Qatar, the Qatar Foundation recently opened a Washington 
office to work on implementing educational projects across cultures. 
 The organization receives its funding from the Qatar Foundation but 
is technically a separately registered 501 (c)(3) organization with 
its own U.S.-majority board.  The Executive Director of QF-U.S. is a 
former FSO and is eager to engage the USG on collaborative 
projects. 
 
¶12. WOMEN AND GIRLS - QATARI PRIORITIES: Qatar, despite its 
outwardly modern appearance, remains a tribal society with 
conservative Islamic mores.  However, Qatar's leadership has 
endorsed education of its female citizens at all levels including 
higher education. Qatari females not only attend universities and 
colleges but also consistently outperform their male counterparts. 
Female students comprise 60% of the student population of Qatar 
University and most Education City schools have similar ratios. 
 
-- Qatar's National Vision 2030 calls for ensuring women's 
participation in all parts of life and enhancing their abilities. 
 
-- At the same time, most Qatari families place travel restrictions 
on young females (they are not allowed to travel without a 'mahram' 
or male chaperone), making it difficult for them to study abroad or 
participate in exchange programs. 
 
¶13. WOMEN AND GIRLS - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT:  By all 
accounts, Qatari female students are intelligent, hard-working, and 
dedicated to achievement.  To get around the travel requirements, 
the USG should make allowances for chaperone travel with exchanges 
(by both permitting such accompaniment and reducing the length of 
some programs) and scale-up successful outreach efforts within 
Qatar. 
 
-- For example, Embassy is sponsoring five Qatari girls this month 
on an intensive English study and cultural visit to the U.S. Embassy 
worked closely with the Doha Youth Center to design a program that 
would satisfy the 'Mahram' requirements by sending two Qatari 
chaperones with the girls. 
 
-- Embassy recently sent its first Qatari female Fulbright scholar 
to the U.S. Finding Qatari women to participate in the Fulbright 
program has been difficult, and we believe programs shorter then the 
typical one-year requirement would be more successful in attracting 
Qatari females. 
 
-- Expansion of the well-received 3-week International Visitor 
Leadership Programs would allow us to expand our exchange 
opportunities with a program length that is more acceptable to many 
Qataris. 
 
¶14. While Qatari male youth benefit immensely from GOQ youth sports 
programs, GOQ does not make similar resources and opportunities 
available to girls. 
 
-- Embassy is striving to change these practices by example through 
programming for Qatari females. For example, two NBA/WNBA envoys 
recently ran a clinic for the Qatari Girls National Basketball team. 
The event was the first of its kind and received considerable media 
coverage. Scaling up these efforts in Qatar would be a low-cost way 
 
DOHA 00000458  005 OF 009 
 
 
to reach Qatari females without the problematic travel restrictions 
mentioned above. 
 
¶15. YOUTH - QATARI PRIORITIES: Qatar has undertaken several large 
initiatives to ramp up programs targeting youth. 
 
-- For example, the GOQ launched a health and sports campaign to 
target youth obesity. Prompted by hosting the Asian Games of 2006, 
Qatar enhanced its sports facilities, and every Qatari male now has 
free access to joining any one of the 16 Qatari sports clubs and 
participating in a range of sports including soccer, swimming, and 
martial arts. 
 
¶16. Qatar has undertaken regional initiatives as well. 
 
-- For example, the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) sponsors a 
regional office of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 
(UNODC). In 2005, these two organizations established the Global 
Sport Fund which provides grants to NGOs in the region for projects 
that use sport to prevent drug use and criminal behavior among young 
people.  The GSF also sponsors events, youth camps, and exhibitions, 
and holds training seminars for coaches and youth. 
 
¶17. YOUTH - OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE ENGAGEMENT: Qatar's desire for 
youth-centered cultural and athletic programs opens the door for 
increased public diplomacy activities which promote a positive image 
of the U.S. in Qatar. 
 
-- For example, Embassy has capitalized on the presence of over 
10,000 U.S. service members in Qatar to organize face-to-face 
activities between U.S. service members and Qatari youth, such as 
joint basketball and ice-skating programs. One of our most 
successful efforts involved bringing a visiting U.S. Air Force band 
to local schools to play American contemporary music for special 
needs children and other Qatari students. 
 
-- The USG should also consider a contribution or partnership with 
the Global Sports Fund described above. 
 
¶18. HEALTH - QATARI PRIORITIES: Enhancing the country's health 
systems and overall health of the population is one of the GOQ's top 
priorities. 
 
-- Qatar has formed a partnership with Weill Cornell Medical School 
which has established a satellite campus in Education City. Qatar 
hopes that Weill Cornell will serve as a feeder school for medical 
professionals in its health care system. 
 
-- Qatar is constructing an $8 Billion, 250 bed research and 
teaching hospital ("Sidra") and is investing in new technology for 
existing hospitals. However, Qatar has struggled to match these 
facilities with a qualified medical workforce competent in using the 
latest technologies. 
 
-- Hamad Hospital is currently partnering with the University of 
Pittsburgh Medical Group to improve its emergency services. 
 
-- The March 2008 Fulbright Academy Conference on Nursing and 
Healthcare was held at the Qatar Foundation with participation from 
many U.S. medical experts. 
 
¶19. HEALTH - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT:  Several discrete health 
areas would be ripe for further engagement. 
 
-- Despite the impressive investments in infrastructure detailed 
above, medical management skills are lacking in Qatar. 
 
-- Embassy is working closely with the Qatar National Cancer Society 
to raise breast cancer awareness in Qatar, which is viewed as a 
taboo in Qatari society. Embassy organized several speaking 
engagements for the Ambassador's wife which received extensive press 
coverage.  Qatari males (who are in large part responsible for 
generating the stigma surrounding breast cancer in Qatri culture) 
reacted positively to the campaigns while gaining a new perspective 
on breast cancer. Expanding MEPI's Breast Cancer Awareness program 
to Qatar could build on these successful initial efforts. 
 
-- Embassy works closely with several local centers for individuals 
with special needs by providing speakers and gifts, and sponsoring 
interactive events for children. Considering the significant 
proportion of special needs individuals in Qatari society, future 
USG outreach programs should be designed with this need in mind. 
 
¶20. ENVIRONMENT - QATARI PRIORITIES: Environmental Management is a 
key concern of the Qatari leadership and also a growing concern for 
multiple stakeholders in Qatar.  As the USG considers programs 
related to human development, it should consider Qatar as a 
potential partner on matters of environmental protection. 
 
-- Qatar Vision 2030's environmental development priorities are: 
 
DOHA 00000458  006 OF 009 
 
 
striking a balance between economic development and environmental 
protection, improving the legal framework, encouraging the emergence 
of an environmentally-aware population, and designing a sustainable 
urban development strategy. 
 
-- Qatar has recently hosted several notable environmental 
conferences, from the November 2008 Montreal Protocol conference to 
a regional MEPI-supported workshop on hazardous waste management. 
 
¶21. Qatari leaders are also eager to invest in initiatives which 
will enhance technology transfer to Qatar and support its 
development goals in an environmentally-sustainable manner. 
 
-- One example of the sort of partnership Qatar prefers is a joint 
British Pound 250 million fund established between the Qatar 
Investment Authority (Qatar's sovereign wealth fund) and the 
UK-based Carbon Trust.  The QIA contributed 150 million and the fund 
intends to invest in clean energy technology and technology transfer 
to Qatar.  The fund is the result of high-level political engagement 
between the British and Qatari Prime Ministers, and the agreement 
was signed during Gordon Brown's November 2008 visit to Doha. 
 
¶22. ENVIRONMENT - OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE ENGAGEMENT: USG efforts 
should focus on supporting Qatar's current environmental management 
initiatives. 
 
-- Significantly, the GOQ established last year a new Environment 
Ministry with wide authority.  Embassy is working with the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency on a proposal (via the State 
Department Science Fellows program) to place a senior advisor at the 
Ministry for several months next year. However, funds are scarce and 
greater investment in this program would make it much more 
effective. 
 
-- The rapid pace of development in Doha has raised the concern of 
many in the government and construction industry over the 
environmental sustainability of new buildings, and several 
stakeholders recently formed a Green Building Council.  U.S. advice, 
expertise, and technology could be crucial in helping Qatar's 
development proceed in an eco-friendly and technologically-advanced 
manner. 
 
¶23. RULE OF LAW - QATARI PRIORITIES: The significant swell of 
expatriates and Qatar's growing role as a transport hub has 
increased its vulnerability to crime and extremist violence. 
Modernization has also brought with it scourges like drug abuse and 
financial crime. 
 
-- Qatar's National Vision 2030 calls for establishing the rule of 
law in Qatar by regularizing judicial procedures and harmonizing 
Qatar's legal code with international norms.  Moreover, Qatar 
adopted a constitution in 2003 for the first time. 
 
¶24. RULE OF LAW - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT: The USG has many 
resources for legal advice at its disposal and should build on 
successful assistance provided to Qatar in recent years. 
 
-- For example, the Qatari Attorney General would like to expand FBI 
training of Qatari prosecutors.  In the last three years, Embassy 
arranged two-week training programs for two groups of Qatari 
prosecutors in the U.S. and sent five U.S. prosecutors to a similar 
program in Qatar. 
 
-- Embassy has hosted several visits by the Department of Commerce's 
MEPI-supported Commercial Law Development Program in recent years. 
These expert advisors contributed to training programs and new 
procedures at the Qatari Ministry of Justice and Qatar University 
Law School.  While such short-term interventions are useful, 
long-term secondments or advisory roles could be even more effective 
and are worth evaluating as a scalable opportunity in the region. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶25. ENTREPRENEURSHIP - QATARI PRIORITIES: Encouraging 
entrepreneurship is a priority shared by the GOQ.  The leadership's 
vision extends not only to their small country, however, but across 
the Arab world. 
 
-- In 2008, the Amir's consort Shaykha Mozah founded "Silatech" 
("Your Connection" in Arabic) to promote youth employment across the 
22 countries of the Arab region.  The organization has held two 
large conferences in Doha and is now working on pilot programs in 
six countries (Qatar, Morocco, Syria, Yemen, Tunisia, and Bahrain). 
For now, Silatech is focused on three areas: improving access to 
skills training and placement services, the promotion of policies to 
stimulate increased employment and enterprise opportunities, and 
changing the "mindset" in the region to improve society's 
recognition and support for youth employment. 
 
DOHA 00000458  007 OF 009 
 
 
 
-- Silatech recently signed a number of agreements with other 
organizations working on youth employment issues in the Arab world, 
including the Brookings Institution, Dubai School of Government, 
Manpower, and Pearson Education, among others.  (More information 
can be found at www.silatech.com).  As follow up to Ref G, which 
recommended USG engagement with Silatech, Embassy recently connected 
the organization's representatives with both MEPI and the Small 
Business Administration to discuss potential areas for partnership. 
 
-- The Ministry of Business and Trade recently established a $550 
million fund to build an institution dedicated to diversifying the 
Qatari economy (particularly encouraging SMEs) and promoting a more 
entrepreneurial business culture. Embassy has established 
connections between the Financial Services Volunteer Corps (FSVC) 
and Qatar's Ministry of Business and Trade and other GOQ entities 
working on SME development and other efforts to expand the Qatari 
private sector. 
 
¶26. ENTREPRENEURSHIP - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT: Embassy 
believes creating partnerships to promote entrepreneurship with both 
Silatech and the Ministry of Business and Trade offers the best 
chance of programmatic success in the near term.  These 
organizations could help to implement a new business volunteer corps 
and their senior representatives should be invited to the 
President's summit on entrepreneurship. Also, FSVC's successful 
training programs in the region should be linked to new ideas such 
as the Business Volunteer Corps. 
 
¶27. Separately, Embassy will launch this fall an American Chamber of 
Commerce in Qatar which will create a ready platform for business 
opportunities and development of Qatar's private sector. 
 
-- Membership in the AmCham is open to local companies, and there 
will be great potential for technology transfer, joint business 
opportunities, and better cultural understanding. 
 
-- Several U.S. companies offer long-term internships in the U.S. to 
Qatari students, efforts which could be expanded by partnering USG 
resources with the AmCham and its constituent companies in Qatar. 
 
¶28. INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP - QATARI PRIORITIES: The GOQ hosts two 
major conferences each year which incorporate interfaith dialogue 
and partnership: the Brookings-organized U.S.-Islamic World Forum 
(which has an interfaith sub-group) and an Interfaith Dialogue 
conference. Both conferences attract high level visitors from around 
the world. 
 
-- In mid-2008, Qatar established the Interfaith Dialogue Center to 
build a cohesive effort among monotheistic faiths to tackle common 
issues in the Middle East. 
 
¶29. INTERFAITH PARTNERSHIP - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT: Embassy 
has attained significant public diplomacy success by harnessing the 
visits of both USG and private representatives at these conferences. 
 For example, Congressional Representatives and American Imams have 
been prominent participants in these conferences, garnering 
significant media coverage.  Embassy also took advantage of the 
events to bring the visitors to local schools for speaking 
opportunities. 
 
---------------------- 
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
---------------------- 
 
¶30. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - QATARI PRIORITIES: Ref H provides a 
detailed Scenesetter on Science and Technology issues in Qatar.  In 
writing that cable, Embassy surveyed S&T stakeholders in Qatar 
specifically in response to the President's Cairo speech.  Qatar is 
using its current hydrocarbon-fueled wealth to invest in educational 
reform (as described earlier) and this vision extends to science and 
technology.  The Qatar Foundation is the primary vehicle for these 
initiatives. 
 
-- The Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) is another of QF's 
major entities and formally opened in March 2009. The park has 22 
high-profile tenants, including major U.S. firms such as ExxonMobil, 
ConocoPhillips, GE, and Microsoft. QSTP is intended to foster 
industry-university collaboration at Qatar's Education City and is 
focused on promoting research, commercialization, and 
technology/knowledge-transfer to Qatar from these firms in four 
areas: energy, environment, health care, and 
information/communication technology.  (More information is 
available at: www.qstp.org.qa) 
 
-- The Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) provides millions in 
funding to original research in natural sciences, engineering and 
technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural services, 
social sciences and humanities.  USD 45 million was made available 
for awards in 2008.  During the 2007-2008 cycle, 47 collaborative 
 
DOHA 00000458  008 OF 009 
 
 
research applications were approved involving 33 international 
institutions. 
 
¶31. Qatar does not generally need USG money.  The state provides 
full educational funding for all of its citizens and has obligated 
itself to providing 2.8 percent of its GDP to research. (Note: This 
would comprise just under USD 3 billion in 2008, though the 
mechanics of how this money will be spent remain unclear to us.) 
 
-- Qatari leaders have expressed their need, however, for help in 
addressing systemic weaknesses in human capacity.  While almost 2 
million people live in Qatar, a mere 225,000 are Qatari nationals. 
There is little indigenous scientific capacity (i.e., there are few 
Qatari scientists to engage). 
 
¶32. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT: Given its 
significant domestic investments, Qatar could be most valuable to 
USG efforts as a regional partner in furthering S&T in the Muslim 
world.  Specific partnerships determined through political 
engagement are most likely to garner Qatari interest, participation, 
and funding. 
 
-- Enhanced USG engagement on S&T would be welcomed by Qatar and 
boost two of the strongest parts of our bilateral relationship: the 
commercial and educational pillars. 
 
-- Qatar has significant hotel, conference, and exhibition capacity 
and would be a logical leader to host large conferences or summits. 
 
¶33. Qatar's successful efforts to engage - even import - the U.S. 
educational model and U.S. private sector expertise indicate the USG 
would be pushing on an open door by further pursuing such 
engagement.  Education City has all the makings of a scientific 
"center of excellence" as called for in the White House initiatives. 
 However, if the USG were to approach QF or Education City under any 
new initiative, we would need to think through exactly what 
"value-added" could be provided by the USG. 
 
-- At a minimum, the novel experiment of importing U.S. 
higher education at QF's Education City calls for rethinking the 
current framework and restrictions on USG funding, such as through 
the National Science Foundation (NSF).  A recent visit to Qatar by a 
senior NSF official revealed a strong interest at Education City in 
applying for USG funding. However, the current funding system may 
not be positioned to accommodate collaborative research projects 
abroad, even those involving U.S. institutions and researchers. 
 
------------------------------------- 
SYNCHRONIZING LINGUISTIC CAPABILITIES 
WITH OUTREACH EFFORTS 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶34. U.S. Embassy Doha is a key stakeholder in the Integrated 
Linguistic Activity-Doha (ILiAD), the USG's premier Middle East 
regional center for linguistic expertise, providing intelligence 
derived from collected foreign materials and publicly available 
information, and delivering accurate translation services for 
national and operational customers.  The ILiAD is a confederation of 
three USG agencies: 
- DIA Combined Media Processing Center-Qatar (CMPC-Q) 
- DNI Open Source Center-Doha (OSC-D) 
- FBI National Virtual Translation Center-Qatar (NVTC-Q) 
 
¶35. As U.S. missions gear up to support the President's initiatives 
to constructively engage with Muslim communities, the ILiAD can be a 
significant resource for the U.S. policy community by helping to 
produce timely and accurate strategic communications.   Not only 
could the ILiAD provide high quality translation support -- both 
from English to target languages and from target languages to 
English -- but it also will play a prominent role in monitoring 
local and regional media reactions to the consultative process 
launched by U.S. Missions in the region. 
 
-- The ILiAD provides extensive news monitoring throughout the Gulf 
and Yemen.  At present the Open Source Center component monitors 
over 50 regional newspapers -- 8 in Qatar, 6 in Bahrain, 9 in 
Kuwait, 8 in UAE, 3 in Oman, and 19 in Yemen.  This coverage will 
expand further through FY10 -- extending to Afghanistan, Pakistan, 
Iran, and the Horn of Africa -- as the ILIAD continues to add and 
train additional Arabic, Urdu, Pashtu, and Farsi linguists. 
 
-- The ILiAD also monitors selected satellite TV broadcasts in Iraq 
and Yemen. 
 
-- In addition to traditional TV channels and newspapers, ILiAD/OSC 
monitors daily over 75 key violent extremist Sunni and Shia websites 
to identify claims of responsibility for attacks, ideological 
statements, and reactions to international initiatives 
 
¶36. U.S. efforts to engage in Strategic Communication throughout the 
 
DOHA 00000458  009 OF 009 
 
 
Middle East region first requires a thorough understanding of the 
information outlets, their biases, their sponsors, and other 
background information. 
 
-- The ILiAD, in concert with other ODNI Open Source Center bureaus 
in London, Tel Aviv, and Amman, are meeting in August to develop a 
region-wide Concept of Operations for this media outlet 
characterization effort. 
 
-- President Obama's specific initiatives, as defined in Ref A, 
provides an obvious, shared interagency framework to guide the 
strategic communications CONOPS for collection and production across 
the Terrorism Near East Program. 
 
¶37. The U.S. Central Command (US CENTCOM) is expanding its selection 
of "tools" designed to improve communication and engagement with 
Muslims throughout the Middle East and South Asia.  This is part of 
their ongoing effort to shift from kinetic confrontation to cultural 
engagement intended to win over the hearts and minds of the people 
in this region.  Referred to collectively as "human terrain 
analysis," these tools have the potential to reduce cultural 
barriers. 
 
-- The ILiAD has developed resources to support U.S. CENTCOM 
efforts, such as tribal databases in Iraq and Afghanistan that 
assist USG entities in partnering with the local population. 
 
LEBARON