US embassy cable - 04MANAMA404

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000404 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014 
TAGS: BA, KISL, PREL 
SUBJECT: BAHRAINI CROWN PRINCE SAYS SHEIKH YASSIN KILLING 
BLOW TO ARAB REFORMERS 
 
Classified By: CDA Robert Ford, reason 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
 1.  (C)  Bahraini Crown Prince Sheikh Salman told CENTCOM's 
General Abizaid March 24 that the killing of Sheikh Yassin 
was a setback to those in the Arab World who want more and 
faster reforms.  Notably, he said the Bahraini Government 
(still the chair of the Arab League) has heard that the Tunis 
Arab League summit may be delayed as a result of the killing. 
 He added that some Arab League members are even shopping the 
idea of withdrawing from the table Saudi Crown Prince 
Abdallah's peace initiative until after Israeli PM Sharon 
departs the scene.  Salman also doubted the Tunis summit now 
would do much to address reform issues. 
 
2.  (C)  Salman stressed that without progress on the 
Israel-Palestinian peace process, it would be impossible for 
America's Middle East regional reform initiative to succeed. 
Events like the killing of Sheikh Yassin make it easy for 
conservatives who don't want change to hold up reform in the 
name of solving the Palestinian problem first.  Too many 
people in the region, he commented, want to blame outsiders 
for their problems, and the Palestinian issue is the perfect 
foil.  He urged the U.S. Government to engage more seriously 
on the peace process to enable reformers to advance their own 
agenda. 
 
3.  (C)  Separately, the host of one of Manama's largest 
political salons blasted Charge on the evening of March 22 
over the killing of Sheikh Yassin.  This host, an older and 
very successful, British-educated businessman said Bahrainis 
perceive that a particular lobby is responsible for what he 
labeled America's uneven approach to the Arab-Israeli 
dispute.  That lobby does not, he claimed, understand 
America's real interests in the region.  If such interest 
groups constitute America's vision of democracy, he concluded 
acidly, then people in Bahrain want no part of it. 
FORD