Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 51122 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 06JEDDAH586, CG GFOELLER RECEIVES PETITION FROM SAUDI WOMEN TO

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06JEDDAH586.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06JEDDAH586 2006-09-05 08:20 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Jeddah
VZCZCXRO0745
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHJI #0586/01 2480820
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050820Z SEP 06
FM AMCONSUL JEDDAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9484
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1522
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1601
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 6803
RUCNDTA/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0037
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JEDDAH 000586 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP; 
NEA/IPA; PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KISL KPAO KWMN LE OPRC PHUM PREL SA SOCI
SUBJECT: CG GFOELLER RECEIVES PETITION FROM SAUDI WOMEN TO 
STOP ISRAELI BOMBARDMENT. 
 
 
1. (U)  SUMMARY.  On July 18th, CG Gfoeller received an 
e-mailed draft petition from prominent Saudi women calling 
for a cessation of Israeli attacks in both Lebanon and 
Palestine.  The petition stated that Israeli interference in 
Lebanon and Palestine has created regional instability and 
has deprived many Arabs of their basic human rights.  Without 
specifically citing Hezbollah, the draft statement also 
rejected all forms of violence and asserted that the use of 
violence will never create the conditions for peace.  The 
final petition, including 870 signatories, that was sent to 
western embassies and organizations the week of July 21st 
does not include the general denunciation of violence.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U)  FULL TRANSLATION OF DRAFT STATEMENT. 
 
Women Call Upon World Leaders to Stop the War in Lebanon 
 
Many Saudi women from all over the Kingdom call upon the 
leaders and decision makers of the world to stop the war in 
Lebanon and Palestine and to pressure Israel to stop 
attacking the two people and to give them back their rights. 
The attached are the names of women from all sectors, 
business, academic and social. 
 
In the name of the mothers who have lost their kids because 
of the aggressive Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Palestine; 
that struck women, children and the infrastructure depriving 
them from the minimum requirements of life in countries that 
have been suffering from wars for many decades and 
generations... 
 
"We as Saudi and Arab women affirm that we are peace loving 
people.  People seeking to raise our kids in a way to be able 
to build not destroy humanity, we ask all human rights 
associations, the United Nations, the Security Council, and 
all the decision makers in the world to stop Israel from its 
terrorist attacks. 
 
The wars that have taken place in the Arabic Region that have 
killed women and children are the main reason for the 
insecure feeling of our people.  We affirm that we reject all 
forms of violence and we believe that violence does not 
produce anything but violence and that violence will not help 
the region whose instability will affect the entire world." 
END TRANSLATION OF DRAFT STATEMENT. 
 
3. (U)  FULL TRANSLATION OF FINAL STATEMENT. 
 
A Call by Saudi Women to the Leaders of the World to stop the 
war on Lebanon and Palestine 
 
A number of Saudi ladies who hail from different parts of the 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, have come together to call upon 
world leaders and decision makers to stop the war in Lebanon 
and Palestine as well to pressure Israel to cease its assault 
upon those two countries and to give people back their 
rights.  Ladies from various sectors of society responded to 
this call- their names appear below. 
 
Calling out with the voice of bereaved mothers; mothers who 
have lost their children in the beastly Israeli attack on 
Lebanon and Palestine.  A war so wide-ranging that it has 
caught women, children, elderly and the countries, 
infrastructure in its net and deprived them of the basic 
necessities of life in a country already riddled with scars 
of decades of long war. 
 
"We as Saudi-Arab women declare that we are a peace-loving 
people trying to bring up children who will assist in the 
creation of and not in the destruction of humanity. 
Therefore, and in the name of all women, mothers, wives, 
sisters, widows and orphans we demand that world leaders and 
decision makers as well as the United Nations, the Security 
Council and human rights organizations act now to stop the 
war that Israel is waging against the Lebanese and 
Palestinian people and which has targeted innocent civilians, 
women, children the elderly, the disabled and the environment 
and to hold Israel accountable for its breaches of 
international law in its daily acts of state terror committed 
under the eyes of the world. 
 
JEDDAH 00000586  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
The wars that have ignited and still igniting in the Arab 
region and whose first victims have been women and children 
are the principal reasons for the feelings of insecurity and 
instability in this part of the world as well as the sense 
that we are deprived of the right to a peaceful existence 
that many around the world enjoy.  We call again upon an 
immediate ceasefire and hope and pray that our people will be 
able to look forward to a world where peace, freedom and 
security reign supreme."  END TRANSLATION OF FINAL STATEMENT. 
 
4. (U)  SIGNATORIES. 
The Jeddah based Saudi Business and Professional Women's 
Association (SBPWA) wrote the petition and coordinated the 
call for signatures.  Signatories include business, academic, 
and social leaders throughout the Kingdom.  To date, 870 
women have signed the petition.  Prominent Saudi women 
signatories include: Sameera Bitar, founder and president of 
the Saudi Business and Professional Women's Association; 
Fatin Bundagji, board member of the Jeddah Chamber of 
Commerce; Samar Fatani, a veteran Arab News journalist and 
wife of its editor in chief; and Nawal Al-Harbi, an educator. 
 
 
5. (U)  REACH. 
The SBPWA extended their call for signatures beyond the KSA 
to the all of the GCC countries.  The petition was placed 
on-line on several internet blogs, including 
saudielection.com and lebanonupdates.blogspot.  There was 
significant regional press coverage of the petition with 
English articles running in both the Arab News and Khaleej 
Times on July 21 and July 23 respectively.  The final 
statement was sent to many western embassies and 
organizations throughout the KSA, including the US Embassy. 
 
6. (U)  PROMINENT BUSINESSWOMAN. 
Subsequent to the release of the final petition, CG Gfoeller 
met informally with a prominent businesswoman, who was a 
signatory to the petition, to discuss other matters.  The 
conversation touched on a number of topics, but the petition 
strangely never came up.  Towards the end of their 
discussion, the CG broached the topic of the petition and 
asked the businesswoman directly if she had anything personal 
to add.  The businesswomen quickly said that her 
participation was pro forma and that the CG should not take 
the statement too seriously or personally.  She said she had 
to do it because there was "pressure to sign" the statement. 
She added that she was not pleased with the war in Lebanon 
primarily because she has had to postpone some of her 
business ventures in the region. 
 
7. (U)  COMMENT. 
Prior to the release of the petition, the PAO was in touch 
with some of the drafters and recommended that they also 
explicitly condemn Hezbollah's provocation in their 
statement.  In addition to not heeding the PAO's 
recommendation, the drafters also unfortunately cut the 
portion rejecting all violence in the region in the final 
version.  This may explain the Saudi businesswoman's 
reticence on the topic in her discussion with the CG. 
However, it is a very welcome development that Saudi women 
are becoming increasingly emboldened in taking political 
stances and organizing themselves.  One of the key female 
drafters has confirmed to the PDO that they did not seek SAG 
approval at any point in the process of writing or sending 
the petition to foreign organizations and embassies. 
Consulate-Jeddah intends to nurture Saudi women's active 
participation in foreign and domestic politics to the 
greatest extent possible, especially through the CG's 
well-developed contacts at the Jeddah Chamber of 
Commerce-Women's Section.  END COMMENT. 
Gfoeller