US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT4710

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004710 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA, 
IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
CINCCENT FOR CCPA 
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS 
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KU, KDMR 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, OCTOBER 8-15: ISRAELI RAID 
IN SYRIA; IRAQI COMPENSATION; STUDENT UNION ELECTIONS 
 
 
1.   SUMMARY: The somewhat delayed diatribes against Israel 
for its October 5 attack on Syria have a tired and formulaic 
quality in Kuwait's Arabic press.  Two editorialists 
denounce Sharon's villainy but note that Syria must 
institute democratic reforms and stop its support for 
terrorist groups if regional stability is to be achieved. 
 
One commentator writes that Iraqi compensation payments to 
Kuwait for damage during the 1990-91 occupation are unjust 
as they would "make the Iraqi people pay for Saddam's 
crimes." An MP states that the National Assembly rejects 
Iraqi efforts to "pressure" Kuwait to drop the compensation 
demand. 
 
Islamists have won Kuwait University's student union 
elections for the twenty-fifth consecutive year, but for the 
first time received less than 50 percent of the vote. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.   News Stories: In response to Iraqi Governing Council 
calls to Kuwait to forgive Iraq's debts to Kuwait reported 
in all newspapers on October 15, Al-Rai Al-Aam reports that 
MP Dr. Faisal Al-Musallam stated that the National Assembly 
totally rejects Iraqi pressure regarding compensation due to 
Kuwait. 
 
All newspapers report on October 15 that sixteen MPs from 
Kuwait's National Assembly issued a statement in which they 
hailed the Intifada and condemned Israel's actions against 
the Palestinian people. 
 
Al-Watan reports that according to an official source, the 
Kuwaiti POW search team in Iraq expects to find the remains 
of 400 Kuwaiti POWs in a number of mass graves in Iraq. 
 
Al-Rai Al-Aam reports that Islamist student groups have won 
Kuwait University's student union elections for the twenty- 
fifth consecutive year, but failed for the first time to 
capture 50 percent of the vote. 
 
Editorials: 
 
3.  "Compensate Iraq" 
Liberal Abdellatif Al-Duaij wrote in independent Al-Qabas 
(10/8):  "The main goal for the compensations [from Iraq to 
neighboring countries] was to undermine the integrity of the 
Iraqi regime and to agitate the Iraqi people to topple the 
regime. Today, after the fall of Saddam and his regime, this 
political goal of the compensations is null and void.  The 
call for compensations now will be a tool to humiliate the 
Iraqi people and lead to the strengthening of those who 
oppose the new situation in Iraq. It is not just for the 
Iraqi people to pay for Saddam's crimes." 
 
4.  "Sharon's Terrorism and the Arab Alternative" 
Khalid Al-Saad wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (10/9): 
"Sharon has set fire in the Road Map plan and turned it into 
ashes. [H]e is programmed to kill and wage wars against 
Arabs. Israel's behavior against the Palestinians 
demonstrates to the Syrians that they must deal vigilantly 
with the dangers posed by Sharon. The Syrians must also 
adopt democratic reforms by boosting freedom and human 
rights and achieve national reconciliation among their 
political powers." 
 
5.  "Seizing Syria" 
Director of Kuwait University's Center for Future and 
Strategic Studies, Dr. Shamlan Al-Essa wrote in independent 
Al-Seyassah (10/13): "We have to admit that the struggle 
[between Syria and the US] is unbalanced and. that the 
Zionist powers in Washington are attempting to drag Syria 
into a war in the region. Syria must reform its policies and 
stop supporting terrorists, reconsider its relations with 
Hizbullah and ask Arab countries to intervene between Syria 
and the US." 
6.  "Damascus and the `Long Arm' Message" 
Liberal Dr. Ayed Al-Manna wrote in independent Al-Watan 
(10/9):  "Israel's raid against Syria [on October 5] was not 
aimed at Palestinian bases as Israel claimed. Rather, it was 
a message to Damascus that Israel can reach it at any time. 
Israel's raid against Syria has disclosed a deficiency in 
Syria's military readiness and we hope that the Syrian 
government will reform its military institutions." 
 
7.  "OPEC and Syria" 
Dr. Jallal Al-Rasheed wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam 
(10/9):  "We believe that Arabs and Islamic countries must 
assist Syria at this time. Arab and Islamic oil-producing 
countries must exploit this opportunity to remind the world 
that that cards of the game are still in our hands. As long 
as the world considers oil a substantial commodity, then 
they must understand that our need for security is not less 
important than their need for oil. Therefore, industrialized 
[Arab] countries must defend Syria's security because Arabs 
would not be the only losers." 
 
8.  "The Secret Proposal and the Public Goal" 
Liberal Dr. Ayed Al-Manna wrote in independent Al-Watan 
(10/13):  "Several days ago, Sharon presented three secret 
conditions to the American administration to pass on to 
Syria to implement or else Syria would be attacked. Sharon 
realizes that these aggressive and insane terms are just 
excuses to justify the Zionist goal which is to destroy any 
Arab country that could pose a threat to the Zionist State. 
The real justification behind his conditions is to create a 
new reality to escape the Palestinian crisis. There is no 
doubt that Sharon ignores many facts and that there is no 
relation between Syria and the events in Palestine. He is 
only searching for an excuses to export his crisis abroad." 
 
9.  "Israel's Crimes Will Reach the Entire World" 
Issam Al-Fulaij wrote in independent Al-Watan (10/15): 
"There will be no peace with Israel as long as it exists, 
not because the Palestinians reject occupation but because 
Israel will extend its reach over neighboring countries. I 
am still convinced that the international Zionists and 
Mossad were behind the September 11 attacks in the US. There 
were no Jews in the two buildings at the time of the 
incident. It is time for the world to realize the truth 
about the flashiest Israeli regime because who ever is not 
harmed now, will be harmed soon by them." 
 
10.  "Let's Admit It: War is Coming" 
Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamadi wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam 
(10/15):  "Arab and Islamic countries are currently in a 
state of war but unfortunately, we refuse to admit it. 
Unless our countries adopt internal reforms to grant their 
people more freedom, then we will be incapable of 
confronting the Jewish campaign aimed against us and the 
Arab people would then welcome any change implemented by 
foreign parties." 
 
JONES