Cablegate: Ahmedinejad to Visit Bahrain in Late November

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OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHMK #1012 3111215
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 071215Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7385
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

S E C R E T MANAMA 001012

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2017
TAGS: PREL IR BA
SUBJECT: AHMEDINEJAD TO VISIT BAHRAIN IN LATE NOVEMBER

Classified By: Ambassador Adam Ereli for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1.(U) The Iranian Ambassador in Manama told local media that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad will pay an official visit to Bahrain later this month, after he attends the OPEC Summit in Riyadh on November 17 and 18.

2.(S) The press reports track with what Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa told us during the Gulf Security Dialogue (GSD) discussions on November 1, to the effect that Ahmedinejad was making plans to visit Saudi Arabia and Bahrain soon. The Crown Prince said he would prefer that the visit not take place, but that saying no was difficult. In the event the visit were to go forward, the Crown Prince said that the GOB control it tightly in order to deny Ahmedinejad any public relations benefit. He stated that the GOB would ensure that Ahmedinejad's plane would land at an isolated military facility on the southern end of the island and that his meetings would take place outside of Manama.

3.(C) We expect to get a readout of the visit and will report then. ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX********************************************* ******** ERELI

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