US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT791

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000791 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA 
STATE FOR IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, 
PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS 
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KU, KDMR 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION MAR 6-8: STATE DEPARTMENT 
ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS, GME, IRAQ. 
 
1.  SUMMARY: Several Kuwaiti editorialists blame Mossad for 
"masterminding" the recent explosions in Karbala and 
Baghdad, while a Shiite professor at the University of 
Kuwait says the attacks are the fruit of US policies of 
"pure evil" foisted on the Arab world by America--"truly the 
Great Satan." 
 
The Greater Middle East Initiative (GME) receives acclaim 
from Kuwaiti liberals urging their government to implement 
meaningful reform, while former Kuwaiti MP Dr. Abdel Muhsin 
Jamal mocks the State Department's annual Human Rights 
Report as a sham designed to pressure Muslim leaders and 
governments for self-serving political purposes.  End 
summary. 
 
2.  "Hilarious Reports" 
Former MP Dr. Abdel Muhsin Jamal wrote in independent Al- 
Qabas (3/06):  "I laughed hard reading the State 
Department's annual country reports on human rights 
practices.  These American reports no longer hold any 
credibility.  They are purely political reports that exploit 
the principles of human rights in order to attack and extort 
our Muslim leaders, governments, and peoples.  It is America 
who needs to be taught to respect human rights, and to 
respect other nations before preaching advice to others." 
 
3.  "The Gulf States and the GMEI" 
Dr. Shamlan Al-Issa wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (3/08): 
"Why have Arab countries delayed reforms? The Gulf States 
received the GME with mixed feelings, but expressed desire 
for reforms albeit with slow and gradual process. 
Procrastinating on reform issues will not help the Arab 
regimes.  By continuing with the status quo, and citing 
instability as a reason not to change, the Gulf States are 
collectively confirming their apprehension of reforms.  If 
the Gulf leaders fail to take courageous initiatives toward 
reforms, then, change will be imposed from the outside." 
 
4.  "Yes To The American Initiative (GME)" 
Fuad Al-Hashem wrote in independent Al-Watan (3/06):  "I 
fully support the Greater Middle East Initiative. 
"Waiting" for reforms to occur from within, a feat favored 
by most Arab leaders, is a waste of valuable time.  If we 
wait, reforms from within will probably take place during 
the fifth millennium.  By then, there would be ten thousand 
Mohammed Attas and half a million Ben Ladens.  It took one 
Ben Laden and one Mohammed Atta to wreak such devastation-- 
imagine what could happen if we got saddled with millions of 
them." 
 
5.  "To Dream or Learn?" 
Salah Al-Sayer wrote in independent Al-Anba (3/06):  "The 
GME stipulates that the West help the countries of the 
region establish civic societies, and to assist in reforming 
the judicial system.  Developed states would pledge to 
provide technical assistance to register voters, strengthen 
electoral committees, and establish training centers 
targeted to teach women to participate in civic life.  These 
same industrial countries would utilize their considerable 
expertise to help reform the region's financial 
institutions.  In other words, the enemy of the Arab nation 
will do for it what its heroes never did." 
 
6.  "American Muscle" 
Adnan Al-Kazemi wrote in independent Al-Watan (3/07): 
"President Bush's GME was received with mixed feelings by 
the whole region.  Nonetheless, the GME is badly sought in 
both the Arab and Islamic worlds, because the needs for 
reforms are crucial.  However, we would have preferred for 
the initiative to focus on reaching a negotiated settlement 
for the chronic Palestinian problem. Despite our complete 
conviction of the need for reforms, we should not be 
subjected to pressure.  Achieving reforms is a shared goal 
by the whole region, and displaying American muscle in this 
regard is needless." 
 
7.  "Who is the Target Behind the Karbala Bombings" 
Issam Al-Fulaij wrote in independent Al-Watan (3/07):  "Be 
it between Sunnis and Shiites, Sunni groups, or between 
different Shiite clerical bodies, Zionist and Jewish powers 
are always trying to cause permanent unrest in the Islamic 
world.  The perpetrators behind the Karbala bombings are the 
Jews and global Zionism.  All Muslims must take caution. 
Whether you are Sunnis or Shiite, you are not targeted for 
your religious sects but for being Muslims." 
8.  "Who Benefits From Stirring Unrest" 
Dr. Ayed Al-Mana wrote in independent Al-Watan (3/06): 
"Should we rule out foreign intelligence agencies, 
particularly the Zionists, for responsibility for 
masterminding the Baghdad and Karbala incidents?  One 
possibility is Mossad.  Zionists believe that destroying an 
Arab country such as Iraq is an opportunity that should not 
be missed.  Creating unrest in Iraq would mean different 
Iraqi groups would fight amongst themselves, eventually 
ending up with the partition of Iraq along sectarian lines. 
So who are the masterminds running the battle? Who is 
controlling the battle by remote control." 
 
9.  "The Great Satan" 
Kuwait University Professor Dr. Hassan Abbas wrote in 
independent Al-Rai Al-A'am (3/08):  "The United States is 
truly the "Great Satan".  Every new political scheme offered 
to us by the United States is pure evil.  I am not an 
advocate of the conspiracy theory, but the recent and bloody 
explosions in Karbala and Kazimiya are the results of 
American policies.  The region has been beset by successive 
policies that brought only harm." 
 
10.  "We Shall Ruin Your Plans" 
Adel Behbehani wrote in independent Al-Anba (3/07):  "The 
plans of the instigators behind the latest bombings in 
Karbala and Kazimiya are doomed to failure.  Neither Shiites 
not Sunnis will allow sectarian unrest to befall Iraq.  The 
answer to these terrorist acts is to reinforce National 
unity amongst the two main Islamic sects.  Another solution 
would be to expose plans and plots concocted by anti-Islam 
intelligence agencies such as the Mossad.  We cannot rule 
out the possibility that Mossad is involved, and is seeking 
to create unrest between different sects in Iraq in order to 
justify long term foreign presence in Iraq." 
 
Urbancic