US embassy cable - 04MANAMA351

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000351 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, DRL/MLA, AND IO/SHA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2029 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, BA, UNHRC-1 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN AND THE 6OTH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN 
RIGHTS COMMISSION 
 
REF: A. STATE 55091 
 
     B. MANAMA 338 
     C. STATE 41252 
 
Classified By: CDA Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4(b)(d). 
 
1.(C) SUMMARY 
 
Bahrain's senior International Organizations official stated 
that his country would support the U.S. candidacy for the 
Sub-Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Human 
Rights Commission.  He indicated basic agreement with U.S. 
positions on reglious intolerance and democracy and was open 
to U.S. ideas on possible resolutions on development and the 
death penalty.  With the caveat that Bahrain will, under no 
circumstances, vote against Arab Group consensus, Bahrain may 
be able to vote with the U.S. on the DPRK, Belarus, Russia 
(Chechnya), and Afghanistan.  Bahrain supports our Iraq 
position.  We expect Bahrain to vote against the U.S. 
position on Cuba, China, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Zimbabwe. 
Bahrain would like to see greater U.S. - Arab Group 
cooperation on resolution texts to avoid confrontation with 
the U.S. on Middle East human rights resolutions.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
BAHRAIN SUPPORTS US SUB-COMMISSION CANDIDACY, OPPOSES CUBA 
RESOLUTION 
 
2.(C) P/E Chief reviewed reftel issues on March 10 with MFA 
Director for International Organization Affairs Ghassan 
Shaikho (strictly protect).  Before calling in his 
notetakers,  Shaikho said he had discussed Bahrain's U.N. 
voting record last year with his superiors, highlighting the 
fact that Iran voted with the U.S. more than Bahrain. 
However, his bosses had reacted with indifference to his 
message that Bahrain should at least do better than Iran.  He 
predicted that Bahrain would again vote against a Cuba 
resolution as compensation for Cuban support of Bahrain in 
the Commission during the 90's.  On a positive note, Shaikho 
confided that he had instructed his Mission in Geneva to vote 
in favor of David Rivkin's candidacy for the Sub-Commission 
for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. 
STYLE MATTERS IN VOTE CANVASSING 
 
3.(C) Shaikho also cautioned the U.S. on its diplomatic style 
in the Commission, saying that a Gulf country had recently 
complained to Bahrain that the U.S. delegation had "bullied" 
its delegation in Geneva.  Shaikho stated that the U.S. 
delegation has a reputation for making "overly strong private 
pitches" and presenting resolutions with "excessively 
confrontational" preambular language and "harsh" operative 
paragraphs.  Shaikho suggested that a gentler, softer touch 
might win us more votes. 
 
RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE, DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT, DEATH PENALTY, 
AND CORPORATE NORMS 
 
4.(C) With notetakers present, Shaikho said that Bahrain 
could support the expected Dutch resolution on religious 
intolerance if it included last year's language on 
anti-Semitism and Islamaphobia.  After all, he quipped, Arabs 
are Semites.  Noting that he had not yet seen a draft, 
Shaikho said Bahrain would probably support Rumania's 
democracy resolution and he expressed hope that Bahrain, as a 
regional leader in political reform and a participant in the 
Community of Democracies, would be included in the 
Commission's democracy caucus.  Shaikho noted our position 
that any development resolution be consistent with statements 
agreed at the International Conference on Financing for 
Development in Monterrey and the WTO Ministerial in Doha. 
Bahrain opposes the death penalty, Shaikho said, but 
understood our approach and might be able to work with us to 
explore options other than an omnibus resolution.  He noted 
our position on the Sub-Commission's Norms on the human 
rights responsibilities of businesses, but made no 
substantive comment other than to advise his notetakers to 
"watch out for the G-77 position on the issue." 
 
COUNTRY RESOLUTIONS 
 
5.(C) Shaikho stated forthrightly that Bahrain does not like 
country resolutions and suggested that offering technical 
assistance packages would be a more useful tool for 
convincing countries to improve their human rights records. 
Shaikho made no promises on a China resolution, but listened 
attentively to our list of China's 2003 backsliding on human 
rights.  (COMMENT:  We seriously doubt that Bahrain would 
vote against China.  END COMMENT)  He made clear that Bahrain 
could not support us on Iran, but intimated that we could 
probably expect Bahraini support on the DPRK.  He reiterated 
Bahrain's support for our position on Iraq.  After asking his 
staff to research the Afghanistan Independent Expert concept 
in detail, Shaikho suggested we could expect Bahrain's 
support here is as well.  On the other hand, Shaikho advised 
that Bahrain's support for the Turkmenistan resolution would 
be unlikely if Turmenistan lobbied the Islamic caucus. 
Support for a resolution on Belarus seemed possible, Shaikho 
indicated, and was very likely on a Russia (Chechnya) 
resolution after the recent assassination in Qatar.  Shaikho 
concluded that a Bahrain vote for a Zimbabwe resolution would 
be impossible unless African consensus broke.  He said 
African support for Arab Group positions is too important for 
an Arab state to vote against Africa Group consensus. 
 
MIDDLE EAST 
 
6.(C) Shaikho implored the U.S. not to support a move to try 
to cut by 50 percent the time allotted to Arab Group issues. 
He said Bahrain did not want confrontation at the Commission. 
 Shaikho recommended that the U.S. try to work with the Arabs 
to narrow differences on texts.  This, he thought, would be a 
win/win solution.  He mentioned favorably the Bahraini 
PerRep's recent meeting with the USDEL leader and suggested 
that Bahrain could help facilitate better understanding 
between the U.S. and the Arab Group. 
 
COMMENT 
 
7.(C) Bahrain entered the Human Rights Commission with the 
goal of vindicating its human rights record, rather than with 
the objective of improving human rights around the world. 
Bahrain's view appears to have altered during its term on the 
Commission; hence our optimism that we may see more support 
than previously.  However, Bahrain will not break Arab Group 
consensus, nor will it vote against those countries that 
supported Bahrain during the 90's.  END COMMENT. 
FORD