State Department cable summarizes the American Ambassador's Presentation of U.S. Policies on Iraq to 80 Mid-Level Arab Military Personnel. The officers also posed questions concerning U.S. visa policy, but the tone of the questioning was "mild".
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86D00E 190423Z /38
R 190410Z JUL 03
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0322
INFO «IRAQ» COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 001570
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, NEA/PPD (JDAVIES), NEA/NGA,
NEA/IPA, IIP/NEA/G, PM
SECDEF FOR OSD, CENTCOM
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO, PREL, OIIP, MU
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR ENGAGES ARAB MILITARY OFFICERS
SUMMARY
1. THE AMBASSADOR TOOK ADVANTAGE OF A SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT AT
THE OMANI COMMAND AND STAFF COLLEGE JULY 15 TO PROVIDE A
MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATION OF USG POLICY POINTS ON «IRAQ» TO AN
AUDIENCE OF 80 MID-LEVEL ARAB MILITARY PERSONNEL. THE
OFFICERS ALSO POSED QUESTIONS TOUCHING UPON CHANGES IN U.S.
VISA POLICY, PERCEPTIONS OF ARABS AND MUSLIMS AS TERRORISTS,
\ THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI DISPUTE, AND U.S. «MMUMMWT» OF
V DETAINEES» AT CAMP X-RAY. WHILE THE OFFICERS HAVE ADDRESSED
SHARP QUESTIONS TO SPEAKERS IN THE PAST, THEIR TONE WITH THE
AMBASSADOR REMAINED SURPRISINGLY MILD. END SUMMARY.
CREATING A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY: SHARON E AHMAD DOS-002348
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DATE/CASE ID: 19 OCT 2004 200303827
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2. AT THEIR INVITATION (AN ANNUAL EVENT), THE AMBASSADOR
ADDRESSED THE OMANI MINISTRY OF DEFENSE'S COMMAND AND STAFF
COLLEGE JULY 15 ON FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES. THE ENTIRE STUDENT
BODY OF OFFICERS FROM VARIOUS OMANI MILITARY BRANCHES,
INCLUDING A FEW.FOREIGN OFFICERS (FROM GCC STATES, JORDAN,
YEMEN, EGYPT, FRANCE AND THE. U.S.), PLUS FACULTY MEMBERS AND
OTHER GUESTS ATTENDED. THE ROUGHLY HOUR-LONG SPEECH AND
VIDEO PRESENTATION WAS FOLLOWED BY A 30-MINUTE
QUESTION/ANSWER PERIOD. POST'S PUBLIC DIPLOMACY SECTION
ORGANIZED THE VIDEO PRESENTATION AND INFORMATION PACKETS FOR
EACH AUDIENCE MEMBER, AND ALSO COMPILED A SELECTION OF
ARABIC-LANGUAGE AMERICAN TITLES FOR DONATION TO THE COLLEGE'S
LIBRARY. -AFTER THE AMBASSADOR'S SPEECH ON AMERICA'S GENESIS
INTO A WORLD POWER, U.S. RELATIONS WITH THE ARAB WORLD, AND
AN OVERVIEW OF U.S.-OMANI RELATIONS, THE ATTENDING OFFICERS
POSED QUESTIONS RANGING FROM VISA POLICY, TERRORISM,
ISRAEL-PALESTINE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND «IRAQ».
«IRAQ» SLIDE SHOW SETS TONGUES WAGGING
3.
ON «IRAQ», A CIVILIAN ENGINEER WITH THE OMANI-MINISTRY OF
DEFENSE ASKED WHY THE USG HAD SOLICITED EGYPT AND INDIA FOR
SECURITY PERSONNEL TO PATROL BAGHDAD, WHETHER THIS INDICATED
THE U.S. WAS INCAPABLE OF PROVIDING SECURITY, AND WHETHER
THERE WERE ULTERIOR MOTIVES IN SEEKING AN EGYPTIAN AND INDIAN
PRESENCE. THE AMBASSADOR TOOK THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT
OVER 100 SLIDES PROVIDED BY THE BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL
INFORMATION PROGRAMS (IIP) WITH IMAGES OF COALITION FORCES'
WORK IN «IRAQ» THAT RARELY GETS COVERAGE IN ARAB MEDIA, AND
FACTS ABOUT SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS, FOOD DISTRIBUTION,
ELECTRICAL POWER PRODUCTION, ETC. HE OUTLINED U.S.
PRIORITIES IN «IRAQ», OFFERING EXAMPLES OF PROGRESS IN EACH
FIELD. THE AMBASSADOR LIKEWISE DESCRIBED THE INTERNATIONAL
COALITION ON «IRAQ» AS BEING FAR BROADER THAN MERELY THE U.S.
WHILE COALITION PARTNERS SUCH AS INDIA AND EGYPT ARE
PROVIDING WHAT HELP THEY DEEM APPROPRIATE, THE ULTIMATE AIM
IN «IRAQ» IS TO TURN RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL MATTERS, INCLUDING
SECURITY, TO IRAQIS THEMSELVES. THIS MULTI-MEDIA
PRESENTATION ON «IRAQ» STIRRED MORE ANIMATION FROM THE AUDIENCE
THAN ANY OTHER PORTION OF'THE PROGRAM.
ON PALESTINE-ISRAEL
4.
A MAJOR FROM THE ROYAL AIR FORCES OF OMAN (RAFO) CHARGED
THAT, POST-SEPTEMBER 11, THE U.S. HAD TAKEN UPON ITSELF THE
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DOS-002349
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RIGHT TO PROJECT ITS SELF-DEFENSE INTERESTS THROUGHOUT THE
WORLD, ASKING WHY AT THE SAME TIME PALESTINIAN EFFORTS TO
PROTECT THEMSELVES IN THEIR OWN LAND IS BRANDED BY WASHINGTON
AS TERRORISM. HE LIKEWISE ASKED HOW THE U.S. COULD LABEL
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER SHARON "A MAN OF PEACE." THE
AMBASSADOR REMINDED THE AUDIENCE OF PRESIDENT BUSH'S HISTORIC
CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN STATE. LABELLING CHARGES
THAT U.S. CRITICISM IS RESERVED ONLY FOR THE PALESTINIAN SIDE
AS UNFOUNDED, THE AMBASSADOR INVITED THE AUDIENCE TO READ THE .
DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS SECTION ON ISRAEL
AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES. HE HIGHLIGHTED THE
ADMINISTRATION'S ROADMAP FOR PEACE AS OFFERING CLEAR STEPS
FOR AN END TO THE CONFLICT.
VIEWS ON CAMP X-RAY
5. AN OMANI ARMY MAJOR CITED AMERICA'S HIGHLY ADVANCED
JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND RENOWNED RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND
ASKED HOW IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ARAB AND MUSLIM PRISONERS IN
MUSCAT 00001570 002 OF 002
ORTS CITING SOME
PRISONERS AT CAMP X-RAY ARE AS YOUNG AS 16 YEARS OLD. IN REPLY, THE AMBASSADOR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CAMP X-RAY «DETAINEES» FALL OUTSIDE THE NORMAL SCOPE OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE FACT THE DETENTION FACILITY IS LOCATED OUTSIDE THE «UNITED» «STATES», AND THAT KEY ISSUES PERTAINING TO THEIR STATUS ARE STILL WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH THE COURTS. THE AMBASSADOR ALSO NOTED THAT A NUMBER OF e..DETIUMMES» HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED BACK TO THEIR NATION OF ORIGIN, A PROCESS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UNTIL THE FACILITY IS ULTIMATELY EMPTY.
PUTTING VISA PROCEDURES INTO CONTEXT
6. ANOTHER OMANI ARMY MAJOR TOOK NOTE OF THE AMBASSADOR'S EXTENSIVE TRAVELS AND EXPERIENCES IN THE ARAB WORLD AND ASKED IF HE PERSONALLY FOUND ARABS TO BE AS INCLINED TOWARD TERRORISM AS THE USG APPARENTLY VIEWS THEM TO BE. THE AMBASSADOR REPLIED THAT TERRORIST ACTS ARE THE CRIMES OF INDIVIDUALS, IRRESPECTIVE OF RACE OR RELIGION. A RAFO MAJOR FOLLOWED WITH A SIMILAR QUESTION, ASKING WHY OMANIS ARE SUBJECTED TO GREATER OBSTACLES AND SECURITY SCRUTINY WHEN SEEKING VISAS FOR THE «UNITED» «STATES». THE AMBASSADOR PUT
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RECENT CHANGES IN U.S. VISA POLICIES IN HISTORICAL
PERSPECTIVE AND COMPARED THE NEW SYSTEM WITH THOSE LONG IN
PLACE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING EUROPE AND THE
MIDDLE EAST. HE ALSO EMPHASIZED THAT THE NEW SECURITY
PROCEDURES PUT IN PLACE AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS EFFECT
AMERICAN CITIZENS JUST AS THEY DO FOREIGN VISITORS. WHILE
CONDEMNING ISOLATED INSTANCES WHERE INS OFFICERS ALLEGEDLY
POSED INAPPROPRIATE QUESTIONS TO ARAB AND MUSLIM VISITORS AT
PORTS OF ENTRY, THE AMBASSADOR DEFENDED USG EFFORTS TO
REASONABLY ENSURE THE SECURITY OF ITS CITIZENS AND FOREIGN
GUESTS ALIKE.
COMMENT
7. COMPARED TO OUR PAST EXPERIENCES, QUESTIONS FROM THE
STUDENTS WERE SURPRISINGLY MILD IN THIS SESSION. EXPECTING A
PREOCCUPATION WITH «IRAQ» AND ISRAEL-PALESTINE, THE OFFICERS
RESEMBLED MANY OF OUR CIVILIAN AUDIENCES IN RAISING QUESTIONS
ABOUT PERCEIVED U.S. HOSTILITY TO ARABS AS REFLECTED IN
CHANGES IN VISA POLICY AND THE WAR ON TERROR. POST EXPRESSES
STRONG APPRECIATION TO IIP FOR SUPPLYING IMAGES TO GO WITH
OUR WORDS IN COMBATING THE ARRAY OF NEGATIVE PERCEPTIONS.
END COMMENT.
BALTIMORE
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