Cablegate: Iraqi Participants in Us-Arab Economic Forum Feel Isolated

VZCZCXRO4929
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2704 2110839
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300839Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5967
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0506
INFO RHEHWSR/WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002704

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KWMN IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQI PARTICIPANTS IN US-ARAB ECONOMIC FORUM FEEL ISOLATED

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, PROTECT ACCORDINGLY

1.(U) SUMMARY: Iraqi participants in the US-Arab Economic Forum
(USAEF) told Poloff that they felt isolated from the other
participants at the conference, held in Houston from June 26 to 28.
Although they were grateful for the opportunity to participate and
felt that they made some valuable connections, they were
disappointed by the pessimism they encountered during discussions of
projects in Iraq. On the contrary, they were very upbeat about
their consultations and training sessions in Washington, DC, and
sent heartfelt thanks to Amb. Steven Steiner, Deborah Emmert, and
everyone in the G/IWI office who helped to plan their trip. END
SUMMARY.

--------------------------------
USAEF - "Fighting Stereotypes"
--------------------------------

2.(SBU) Telba Attia Kadoori and Jenan Mubarak, two of post's three
nominees for the USAEF conference met with Poloff on July 20 to
discuss their trip to the United States. (NOTE: The third
participant, Dhuha Rouhi, did not return to Iraq and is currently
staying in Jordan indefinitely. END NOTE.) They said that the USAEF
conference had been sponsored by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, "which was
obvious from the focus" according to Mubarak. Kadoori described
some innovative agricultural ideas she had for developing the desert
area between Anbar and Ninewa provinces, some of which are being
used in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. However, she lamented that
several participants had dismissed these projects as "impossible,"
preferring instead to focus on the success of the Saudi experiment.

3. (SBU) The women commented that many of the other participants
seemed unaware that there were delegates from Iraq at the
conference, and they often found themselves in conversations about
the "ethnic violence" engulfing Iraq, and the impossibility of trade
with or investment in that war-torn country. As a result, they
spent much of their time "fighting stereotypes" and explaining
political realities and economic possibilities province by
province.

4. (SBU) Despite the difficulties, both women were happy with the
opportunity to network and have projects they look forward to
following up. Kadoori met some Houston businessmen interested in
developing hotels and other tourist-oriented projects in the more
stable areas of Iraq, as well as agro-business types interested in
trading soy for dates. Mubarak, who previously worked as a fashion
designer in Lebanon, reported that Sheikha Hessa Al-Sabah of the
Arab Women's Council invited her to participate in a fashion show in
the fall, where they will continue a discussion on exporting Iraqi
handicrafts, among other things.

-----------------------------------------
Washington DC Consultations "Excellent!"
-----------------------------------------

5. (U) When discussion shifted to the consultation and training
sessions organized by G/IWI, the women visibly brightened. They
were clearly energized by their experiences in Washington, and were
full of new and creative ideas. In fact, Mubarak had developed at
least one viable project idea from each meeting she had in
Washington, and was already networking both in the US and Iraq to
move forward on several. Among her ideas is an email translation
service, which will help employ Iraqi women who otherwise may not be
able to work outside the home due to security concerns. Kadoori is
also working on a proposal to form small collective farming groups
for rural women. Both women were grateful to the G/IWI office for
organizing their visit, which they declared "absolutely excellent!"

6. (U) The women concluded that the most valuable and relevant
sessions were the workshop on tenders, presented by the Department
of the Army, and the discussion on microfinance at the World Bank.
They agreed that the session with America's Development Foundation
(ADF) was their least favorite, although they admitted that they had
both had negative experiences with ADF in Iraq that colored their
opinion.

7. (U) Post will continue to follow up with Kadoori and Mubarak as
they pursue their projects, and will report on developments as they
occur. Post thanks G/IWI for its continued commitment to the women
of Iraq.

SCOBEY

© Scoop Media