US embassy cable - 04MANAMA476

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000476 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PM/RSAT AND PM/PMAT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2014 
TAGS: BA, IZ, MOPS, PREL 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN ON SADR:  VERBAL SUPPORT FOR US, MAYBE 
PUBLIC STATEMENT MONDAY NIGHT 
 
REF: STATE 74537 
 
Classified By: CDA Robert S. Ford, reason 1.4 (a) and (d) 
 
1.  (C)  Bahraini Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 
Abdelghaffar expressed strong (verbal) support for Coalition 
operations to contain Muqtada Sadr and the Jaysh al-Mahdi. 
Charge stressed the challenge Sadr represents in Iraq and the 
need for a forceful Coalition response.  Abdelghaffar agreed 
that the Coaltion needs to restore stability and bring law 
and order to Iraq.  Charge pressed hard for a Bahraini public 
statement of support for Coalition operations.  The Minister 
understood the request and said he would seek guidance. 
 
2.  (C)  Charge also called the MFA Assistant Undersecretary 
Sheikh Abdelaziz bin Mubarak (the younger brother of the 
Bahraini Foreign Minister and a member of the ruling 
al-Khalifa family with consistently good contacts at the 
Palace) to make the same points.  Charge emphasized our need 
for a Bahraini public statement of support given the likely 
greater profile of our military operations.  Abdelaziz said 
issuing a public Bahraini statement made sense to him, and he 
promised to relay our request immediately to the Foreign 
Minister. 
 
3.  (C)  Comment:  The Bahrainis were noticeably uninformed 
about what occured on the ground in Najaf and Baghdad on 
Sunday.  (Their attention has been focused totally on their 
Grand Prix racing event April 4.)  As we have reported 
previously, the GoB is keenly interested in Iraq's Shia 
community and the relative balance of power in Iraq.  We 
think they will pay more attention to the Iraq news now, and 
that they will be supportive on operations to restrain Sadr. 
If we don't get a public statement on April 5, Charge will 
press again at a higher level on April 6. 
FORD