Wikileaks: "UAE seeks an 'excuse' to hold SADDIQ for long"

[For those who have not seen this before]

S E C R E T ABU DHABI 000438

SUBJECT: UAE CANNOT HOLD SADDIQ FOR LONG

Classified by Charge d'Affaires Douglas Greene, reasons 1.4 (b) and

(d).

1. (S) As Charge made reftel points (on former Syrian intelligence officer Mohamed Zuhair Siddiq) to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash on May 5, Dr. Gargash said "I know all about the case." The UAE faces a "conundrum," he continued, as it is indeed holding Siddiq for "local offenses" and has received a Syrian request for his extradition. The UAEG recognizes the downside to sending him back to Syria yet is getting no response from either Lebanon or the Hariri tribunal to help the UAEG hold Siddiq much

longer.

2. (S) Elaborating, Gargash said Siddiq had reportedly made repeated trips to the UAE but evaded attention when the Tribunal came looking. Two officers of the Tribunal did eventually succeed in interviewing him in the UAE, after which the UAEG got a note of appreciation from The Hague for its cooperation. Siddiq was subsequently arrested for a "local offense" (nfi) in the UAE and is now being held. Syria has asked formally for Siddiq's return and the UAEG is obligated to respond -- due to bilateral extradition commitments. That said, the UAEG informally reached out to Lebanon and to the Hariri Tribunal

looking for cover (an "excuse") so it can delay the Syrian request.  The UAEG has received no reply from either one.

3. (S) The Tribunal asked again "10 days ago" whether Siddiq had been arrested in the UAE, to which Gargash said they were given four clear points:

--- yes, he was arrested and is detained in the UAE;

--- his arrest was on a local offence and has nothing to do with the

Tribunal;

--- the UAE only has one request for his extradition and that is from Syria (with whom it has a reciprocal agreement on extraditions); and

--- why is the Tribunal not asking for him?

4. (S) The UAEG has been delaying a response to Syria and seeks an "excuse" for not complying with Syria's request. Gargash said the UAEG wants the same outcome as the USG and may write to the Tribunal to ask its preference -- essentially pressing the Tribunal to give the UAE cover to hold Siddiq longer or transfer him to Lebanon.

5. (S) Very aware of the pitfalls of Siddiq returning to Syria prior to Lebanon's June elections, Gargash was not optimistic that the UAE could hold Siddiq that long without help from the Tribunal. MFA cannot make this judgment without the Ministry of Interior and the courts, he said, who only have Siddiq detained on a minor offense.

The UAEG needs a request from the Tribunal stating its interests and asking the UAE to hold him. The UAE "cannot stretch this out for another month" without the Tribunal's help, he insisted.

6. (S) Charge closed the meeting by reiterating our key concerns, and requests, for the UAEG."