Cable No. 705 from Ambassador Obara Takeshi (Oman) to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 'The Prime Minister’s Visit to the Middle East (Meeting with Sultan Qaboos)'

Secret

Telegraphic Copy        [blacked out]               04-035

The Prime Minister’s Visit to the Middle East (Meeting with Sultan Qaboos)

No. 705                       Secret              Top Urgent      [blacked out]

On October 8, Prime Minister Kaifu had a meeting with Sultan Qaboos at the Sultan's palace from 7 p.m. for approximately one hour. Following is a summary of the meeting’s main points. (Attending the meeting from our side were Owada Hisashi, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Obara Takeshi; and Watanabe Makoto, Director, Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau. Attending from the other side were; Sayyid Thuwaini bin Shihab, personal representative of the Sultan; Qais al Zawawi, Deputy Prime Minister; Omar al Zawawi, advisor to the Sultan; and Haitham bin Tariq, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs. Interpreter: Tsuruoka Koji).

Prime Minster Kaifu: I offer you heartfelt congratulations on the 20^th anniversary of your accession to the throne. I saw on the car trip from the airport the modernization of Oman over these 20 years.

Sultan Qaboos:  Thank you for your visit at a time when you are so busy. Of those 20 years, I had to spend the first five pacifying a civil war. The development is something from the past 15 years. Consequently, it was necessary to run.

Prime Minister: Japan and Oman, both maritime nations, are in a relationship of cooperation. I hope that this visit serves as an opportunity to further advance relations of mutual dependence between our two countries.

Sultan: I thank you for your kinds words. Japan is surrounded by the sea on four sides. Oman is surrounded by the sea on three sides and the sea that is the desert on the fourth side. I hope, on the occasion of your visit this time, that the Japan-Oman relationship, which has a strong base, makes further progress like that of laying bricks atop one another.

You may not be aware of this, but my grandfather lived in Osaka after he abdicated. My family has a long relationship with Japan.

Prime Minister: I am aware that His Excellency your grandfather resided in Kobe for three years and that he was with a Japanese woman. In Japan, people continue to speak of it with a sense of familiarity. The Japanese people have warm feelings towards Oman. That is why I would like extend an invitation to you to visit Japan at your convenience sometime between autumn next year and the spring of the following year.

Sultan: Thank you. I truly wish to consider accepting it. There are some factors that I must consider. Should God allow me to visit Japan, I would be delighted to do so. I thank you for your invitation. 

Prime Minister: I had planned to invite you earlier but postponed the invitation due to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. Please understand. Also, I thank you for kindly welcoming me on this occasion.

Sultan: The invitation at that time was not suitable. I appreciate Foreign Minister Nakayama’s being sent here. Your visiting this region at this time shows that Japan is interested in the Middle East and is seeking to deepen its understanding of the region. It gives us a sense of security that Japan, even though geographically far away, is close to us in the sense of your way of thinking and standing together with your friends.

Prime Minister: I respect your efforts as president of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Japan fundamentally cannot accept armed invasion. We believe that, in accord with United Nations resolutions, the matter must be settled in a just and peaceful manner. I came here from a desire to offer political support to countries that have the same position. I would like to take this opportunity to ask you, Your Majesty, about your views on the future of this situation and the prospects for a peaceful resolution of it.

Sultan: There are two ways of thinking about it in the Arab world. One is the thinking that, with some give and take, a peaceful resolution is possible. This is the thinking of a minority. The other, the majority’s way of thinking, is that, because of Iraq’s stance, with no sign of withdrawal or negotiation, there is no hope for a peaceful resolution. Neither the minority nor the majority accepts the invasion of Kuwait. Both criticize this act and call for withdrawal. The first way of thinking sees a way to settle the issue by bargaining with Iraq. The second way of thinking is that of the general position around the world, the position of the United Nations Security Council, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and other organizations, which is that Iraq must unconditionally withdraw and that there is no path of dialogue with Iraq. Personally, I do not know whether or not Iraq will withdraw peacefully. There is no sign of that at present. As seen in Saddam Hussein’s recent visit to Kuwait, Iraq is strengthening its occupation and adhering to its position. What Iraq is probably hoping is that, with the passage of time as things stand now, the occupation of Kuwait will become accepted. Therefore, Iraq is trying to link this issue with Palestine and other issues and so divert attention elsewhere. I believe that the world will not accept that and will continue to apply pressure for Iraq’s withdrawal. I believe in the possibility of withdrawal. Iraq could make a U-turn. In that case, because there are hostile plots against Iraq throughout the world, Iraq may withdraw in order to remain independent. There exists the view that we cannot exclude this possibility.

Prime Minister: I am deeply concerned about the future of this matter. Iraq is considered to be a self-righteous country that does not heed the views of others. However, the problem now is not one of Arabs alone. It is the whole world’s problem. The United States, the Soviet Union, and Japan all support the United Nations resolution for the restoration of peace in the Gulf. In Amman, I met with Iraqi First Deputy Prime Minister Ramadan and stressed repeatedly that the world would not accept subjugation by military force and that Iraq must decide to withdraw and restore Kuwait’s legitimate government. He did not respond, however, and we remained far apart. For the sake of justice in international society, there is a need for international society to join together and press Iraq to repent.

Sultan: My sentiments are exactly the same. The Iraqis think that it will be impossible for the Americans and the Europeans, with their democratic systems, to continue to apply pressure. They think that public opinion and the business community will not tolerate the continuation of sanctions and that they will change the thinking of those governments, which will result in a favorable situation for Iraq.

As for how the crisis will end, this is only a guess, but I believe that, from the viewpoint of opinion in the region and among the countries sending military forces, the military forces and number of troops developing at present in Saudi Arabia and the region are not sustainable in the long term. Waiting for action, without it they will lose confidence. I sincerely hope that the issue will be settled peacefully. I hope that it will be settled within the next two months. If that turns out to be impossible, then we will have to consider another way. Otherwise, terrorism and other problems will occur. I cannot confirm it, but there is information that there exists the possibility of military men who escaped from Kuwait firing the first shots and sparking military action. This is likely a sign that people are trying to come up with a way to break the deadlock. There is smuggling in Iraq, and they may think that the sanctions are not a problem. Frustrations are likely to grow at the end of the year. Iraq and others are saying that the United States and other nations are seeking not a resolution of the crisis but  a strengthening of their influence over oil. People will believe such remarks as they are repeated, so it is necessary to argue that they are not true.

Prime Minister: King Hussein of Jordan offered his regards to Your Majesty. King Hussein has been making every effort since the crisis arose to try and settle it somehow. What do you think about the resolution that King Hussein has in mind? Jordan, which borders Iraq and Israel, is in an extremely difficult position. On the other hand, I think Jordan is important for regional stability in the medium to long term.

Sultan: King Hussein, as a fellow Arab monarch, is a brother to me and a close friend. I imagine that King Hussein will do his best as long as there exists the possibility of a peaceful settlement. Unfortunately, however, as far as this issue is concerned, King Hussein has lost the confidence of his Arab brothers. The reason is that he has praised Saddam Hussein for being kind, thoughtful, wise, magnanimous, and for having the Arab cause in his heart. King Hussein probably believes this, but it is a mistaken judgment. After seeing Saddam Hussein’s actions in Kuwait and his tearing Arab unity apart, nobody in the Arab world listens to King Hussein. Relations now between Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf countries are, in a word, bad. King Hussein is not appreciated in the Gulf Arab world. Jordan will survive as a buffer zone between Iraq and Israel so long as it seeks to play that role. If Jordan should stop and side with Iraq, and should Iraq’s influence grow, then domestic extremists will emerge and Jordan’s role will change.

Iraq’s armed invasion is unacceptable for international legal and humanitarian reasons. The international community must unite and, following Security Council resolutions, force Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait, restore the legitimate government, and let the foreigners there go free. Japan opposes the settlement of international conflicts by force and is cooperating with the actions of the United States, Arab countries, and the international community to call on Iraq to repent. Part of that is giving two billion dollars for the multinational forces and two billion dollars in support of the surrounding countries. I hope that, by continuing to put pressure on Iraq, and with the united efforts of the international community, Iraq will accept the demands of the international community.

Prime Minister: I hope so, too. However, if that is not possible by the end of the year, the situation will be out of our hands.

Sultan: I would like at this point to raise a separate issue. First, after the crisis, I would like to work to stabilize energy prices for the benefit of both oil producing and consuming countries. Second, I would like to express thanks for Japan’s technical cooperation. I hope that we will continue to cooperate for the benefit of both sides. The details will be discussed separately by ministers and others.

Telegram passed to [Japan’s] diplomatic missions in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, United States, OECD. (End)