VZCZCXRO8241
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHMS #0856 2211235
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 091234Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0679
INFO IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHMS/AMEMBASSY MUSCAT

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000856 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KMDR IR MU
SUBJECT: OMAN/IRAN: A "GOLDEN CHAPTER" ENDS 
 
REF: MUSCAT 823; MUSCAT 835 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  Domestic coverage of the Sultan's visit to Iran 
(Refs A and B) continued through his departure from Tehran, but has 
largely ended, with minimal commentary or other follow-on coverage. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) On Thursday, August 6, all Arabic and English dailies 
prominently featured coverage of the ceremonies marking the Sultan's 
departure from Iran.  Sidebar stories highlighted regional coverage 
of the visit, listed the security, cooperative, economic, and 
cultural agreements signed during the visit, and noted comments by 
Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Allawi that these 
joint initiatives will further regional stability and development. 
 
¶3.  (U) Editorial content remained limited over the weekend to 
columns in the Arabic state daily "Oman" and one private Arabic 
daily, "Al Watan," all praising the visit for its demonstration of 
Omani neighborliness and pursuit of mutual interests within the 
framework of regional stability.  These themes were repeated and 
amplified in the only other commentary to date, the Sunday, August 9 
edition of a weekly column in the Arabic daily "Al-Shabiba" and 
English "Times of Oman" that lavishly praised the Sultan and his 
government for adding " yet another golden chapter to the Sultanate's 
time-tested policies of maintaining good relations with all its 
neighbours, fostering peace with all nations and working for the 
prosperity and welfare of humanity irrespective of nationality or 
religion." 
 
¶4.  (U) Public reaction to the visit continues online, with 
commentary on the Al-Sablah (omania2.net) forum mostly echoing themes 
of the Oman's good relations with all its neighbors.  The lead writer 
on a visit-related thread commented that the trip demonstrates how 
Oman stands apart from regional or international disputes, basing its 
relationship with Iran on its own priorities of peace and stability. 
Several commenters noted the Sultan's choice of headgear while 
visiting Shi'a Iran: for much of the visit he wore a distinctive, 
traditional white turban ("masar") specifically associated with Oman 
and Ibadhism, rather than the colorful version he generally wears. 
Others clucked at the Iranians' choice of backdrop for one meeting - 
a large map with a clearly labeled "Persian Gulf" dead center, 
something jarring to an audience far more accustomed to referring to 
the "Arabian Gulf." 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  For local audiences, the Sultan's visit to Iran 
concluded as it began, wholly within the framework of standard 
coverage for any royal state visit.  If anything, this trip has 
disappeared more quickly from the horizon than usual, with coverage 
of its last day limited to the comparatively little-read weekend 
papers and to standard news coverage on TV and radio, with no added 
live or feature programming.  Absent to date is any discussion of the 
Sultan's current whereabouts or coverage of formalities marking his 
return. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED:  Local audiences will have noted one 
hiccup in an otherwise publicly smooth visit:  while Ahmadinejad gave 
the Sultan a formal farewell at the presidency, Qaboos was seen off 
at the airport only by a member of the presidential staff.  Whatever 
its meaning (if any) in Iran, in Omani protocol the absence of a 
high-ranking representative is a faux pas that, had it occurred here 
to a foreign leader, would have been read as a definite slight.  END 
COMMENT. 
HURTADO