US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT4391

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004391 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR THEROUX 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, IZ, KU 
SUBJECT: (C) KUWAITIS STILL UNEASY OVER AL-ONAYZEH ARREST 
 
REF: KUWAIT 4275 
 
Classified By: Frank C. Urbancic, DCM.  Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
1.  (C)  Kuwaiti contacts continue to be concerned about 
repercussions stemming from the arrest of Iraqi tribal sheikh 
Mtaib bin Mahrouth bin Hadhal al-Onayzeh.  Prominent 
businessman Fuad al-Ghanim told Charge from London September 
21, 2003, that he believed the arrest and detention of 
al-Onayzeh had been seriously mishandled.  He said the 
perception in Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia was that the US 
was "insulting" the al-Onayzeh tribe which, he emphasized, 
was the mother tribe of the ruling families al-Saud of Saudia 
Arabia, the al-Khalifah of Bahrain, and the al-Sabah of 
Kuwait. 
 
2.  (C)  Al-Ghanim said he had been in touch with leading 
families in Iraq in recent days to urge them not to 
overreact.  Despite al-Ghanim's interventions, his contacts 
told him the anti-American demonstrations were being 
organized in Baghdad for Monday, September 22, 2003, in 
reaction to the arrest.  Al-Ghanim said that his moderate and 
liberal contacts in Iraq, Saudia Arabia and Kuwait are 
reporting consternation at the arrest.  They worry that this 
will breed anti-American sentiment and feed the Islamist 
propaganda machine.  Al-Ghanim emphasized that America's 
friends in the region here were not in a position to dispute 
the evidence against the sheikh.  They counsel their American 
friends to deal with him differently.  For example, arrest 
and detention was not perceived as commensurate with 
al-Onayzeh's exalted position.  It would be better, he said, 
to deal with him in a more traditional way such as house 
arrest and restrictions on his outside contacts. 
 
3.  (C)  Al-Ghanim said he had been trying to register these 
points with all his contacts in London and the US.  He has 
made some high-level presentations which he hopes will be 
presented to the NSC this week for action. 
 
4.  (U)  Baghdad minimize considered. 
JONES