CONFIDENTIAL
112275
MDLIAN 070
A SUMMIT. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO AVOID ANTI-US POSITIONS, WHICH THE ACTIONS OF CONGRESS WERE MAKING POPULAR IN THE ARAB WORLD. THE ADMIRABLE UK/EC POSITION NEEDED TO BE MORE STRONGLY EMPHASISED. WE SHOULD TELL THE AMERICANS THAT BY SUPPORTING JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN THE OTS THEY WERE HEADING FOR CATASTROPHE. THE PUS COUNTERED THAT WE HAD MADE OUR POSITION CLEAR TO ALL, INCLUDING THE ISRAELIS. BAKER WAS, IN YOUR VIEW, MORE STRONGLY COMMITED TO FINDING A SOLUTION THAN HIS PREDECESSORS. IRAQI AGGRESSIVENESS WOULD BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE.
6.
THE PRIME MINISTER CLAIMED TO BE WORKING TO AVOID AGGRESSIVE TALK. BUT, HAVING BEEN UNABLE TO PREVENT THE ISRAELI ATTTACK IN 1982, IRAQ UNDERSTANDABLY WANTED TO DEFEND ITSELF CHE DREW A PARALLEL WITH BAHRAIN-QATAR) AND WAS SENSITIVE ABOUT SPIES (IE BAZOFT). THE PUS RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY ON BOTH COUNTS BUT WAS THEN TREATED TO A TIRADE AGAINST THE AMERICANS, INCLUDING THEIR APPARENT WILLINGNESS TO NEGOTIATE WITH IRAN OVER THE HOSTAGES. THE PUS EXPLAINED OUR READINESS TO RESPOND TO ANY IRANIAN SIGNAL THAT THEY WANTED TO IMPROVE RELATIONS. SHAIKH KHALIFA SAID IRANIANS LOOKED NATURALLY TO THE WEST AND WOULD TURN TO US EVENTUALLY IF WE MAINTAINED OUR STRONG
POSITION.
THE AMIR TOLD THE PUS ON 9 MAY THAT THE IRAQI AMBASSADOR HAD JUST DELIVERED TO HIM A COPY OF A MESSAGE TO RAFSANJANI PROPOSING DIRECT PEACE TALKS IN MECCA. HE COMMENTED THAT IN THE CURRENT STATE OF IRAN-SAUDI RELATIONS THAT DID NOT SEEM PRACTICAL BUT AGREED THAT THE
MESSAGE ITSELF WAS A HOPEFUL SIGN.
O THE REGIONAL ISSUES
8. (I) JORDAN: THE FOREIGN MINISTER THOUGHT THE SAUDIS HAD JUST AGREED SOME DOLLARS 300 MILLION AID. BUT HE WAS VERY CRITICAL OF CORRUPTION IN JORDAN WHICH SEEMED TO HAVE ADOPTED ALL THE ARAB WORLD'S WORSTS CHARACTERISTICS.
(II) SOVIET UNION: THE FOREIGN MINISTER WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY CURRENT SOVIET PRESSURE FOR DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH SAUDI ARABIA OR BAHRAIN. THE CHINESE WERE MAKING THE RUNNING.
HUMAN RIGHTS
9. THE PUS URGED SHAIKH MUHAMMAD TO BE OPEN AS POSSIBLE TO ORGANISATIONS LIKE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL. (A.I.). MINISTERS WERE GIVING MORE ATTENTION TO HUMAN RIGHTS. WE DID NOT WANT TO FIND OURSELVES AT ODDS WITH OUR FRIENDS. SHAIKH MUHAMMAD SAID THAT AI SHOULD NOT APPLY IDEAL STANDARDS AND SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE PROGRESS
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