US embassy cable - 04MANAMA126

S E C R E T MANAMA 000126 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2029 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, BA 
SUBJECT: KING HAMAD WANTS NO ISLAMIC STATE IN IRAQ 
 
REF: STATE 014218 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR RONALD NEUMANN.  REASON:  1.4 (D). 
 
1.  (S)  KING HAMAD ON JANUARY 26, WARNED THE AMBASSADOR THAT 
SHIA POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN IRAQ COULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO 
    ESTABLISH AN ISLAMIC STATE LIKE IRAN.  THE KING RECEIVED THE 
AMBASSADOR IN ADVANCE OF THE AMBASSADOR'S DEPARTURE FOR A 
TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT IN BAGHDAD, AND THE KING USED THE 
OCCASION TO REVIEW HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SITUATION IN IRAQ. 
THE KING CONFIDED THAT HE HAS BEEN EXCHANGING MESSAGES WITH 
IRAQI AYATOLLAH SISTANI THROUGH A LESSER CLERIC IN NAJAF, 
HAJJATOLLAH GHUREIFI.  (COMMENT:  AL GHUREIFI IS KNOWN TO US 
BECAUSE HE HAS COUSINS AMONG THE BAHRAINI SHIA CLERGY; DCM 
MET AL GHUREIFI IN NAJAF WHERE GHUREIFI IS KNOWN AS THE 
"BAHRAINI."  END COMMENT.) 
 
2.  (S)  ACCORDING TO KING HAMAD, IN HIS FIRST MESSAGE 
THROUGH GHUREIFI SISTANI EMPHASIZED HIS WORRIES ABOUT HIS 
PERSONAL SAFETY IN NAJAF.  HAMAD TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT 
HAMAD HAD URGED SISTANI TO STAY AWAY FROM POLITICAL ISSUES. 
THIS WOULD MINIMIZE PERSONAL RISKS TO THE AYATOLLAH WHILE 
ENABLING HIM TO PLAY HIS NATURAL ROLE AS A SOURCE OF 
RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY (MARJA'A) FOR THE SHIA IN COUNTRIES LIKE 
SAUDI ARABIA, IRAQ AND BAHRAIN.  HOWEVER, THE KING OBSERVED, 
GHUREIFI BROUGHT A NEW MESSAGE FROM SISTANI DURING GHUREIFI'S 
VISIT TO BAHRAIN WITH IRAQ GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER MOHAMMAD 
BAHR AL-ALOUM TWO WEEKS AGO.  IN THIS MESSAGE, SISTANI 
REPORTEDLY TOLD THE KING THAT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE 
AYATOLLAH TO AVOID ENGAGING IN POLITICS. 
 
3.  (S)  KING HAMAD SAID THAT A SHIA ISLAMIC STATE RESEMBLING 
IRAN WOULD BE "A BIG PROBLEM" FOR THE REST OF THE REGION.  HE 
READILY AGREED WITH THE COMMENT PROFFERED BY MINISTER OF 
STATE ABDUL GHAFFAR THAT IN IRAQ, AND OTHER ARAB STATES, 
THEOCRACY -- BUT NOT ISLAMIC RELIGION -- MUST BE SEPARATED 
FROM POLITICS. 

4.  (S)  THE KING AGAIN RAISED THE IDEA OF A "VATICAN LIKE" 
STATUS FOR NAJAF THAT WE ORIGINALLY HEARD WHEN AMBASSADOR 
BREMER VISITED.  THE BASIC IDEA IS THAT THE CENTER OF SHIA 
POLITICS WOULD HAVE A SMALL AREA IN WHICH IT IS SUPREME BUT 
NOT A PART OF IRAQI POLITICS.  KING HAMAD DID NOT SUGGEST HOW 
THIS IS TO BE BROUGHT ABOUT. 
 
5.  (C)  COMMENT:  HAMAD WAS RELAXED TALKING ABOUT IRAQ, BUT 
WE ALSO SENSE VERY KEEN INTEREST ABOUT IRAQ FROM ALL OF OUR 
SENIOR BAHRAINI INTERLOCUTORS.  THE KING WAS MORE INTERESTED 
IN THE IDEOLOGICAL ORIENTATION OF THE IRAQI STATE THAN ITS 
FEDERAL SYSTEM DEBATE OUTLINED IN REFTEL. 
 
 
NEUMANN