US embassy cable - 04MANAMA527

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000527 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM/RSAT, PM/PMAT, NEA, AND NEA/ARP 
CAIRO FOR STEVE BONDY, 
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH 
JOINT STAFF FOR J-5 INMA COALITION AFFAIRS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2029 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, KPAO, BA 
SUBJECT: GOB TONE ON IRAQ CAREFUL IN PUBLIC AMIDST STREET 
DISCONTENT ON FIGHTING 
 
REF: A. MANAMA 486 
 
     B. MANAMA 476 
 
Classified By: By Charge d'Affaires Robert S. Ford for 
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C)  On April 9 a GOB official statement expressed 
concern about the violence in Iraq and urged all parties to 
exercise self-restraint.  The statement also said that 
Bahrain hopes to see the reconstruction of Iraq and the 
restoration of stability.  Privately, top GOB officials have 
told the Charge (ref a and b) of their understanding and 
strong support for Coalition forces to contain Muqtada 
Al-Sadr and the Jaysh Al-Mahdi. 
 
2.  (U)  Even though the GOB has publicly measured its words, 
many Bahraini parliamentary and civil society leaders have 
been very vocal about the escalating violence in Iraq.  Press 
coverage of the April 9 Shi'a Friday sermons called for the 
US occupiers to stop the violence and get out of Iraq now. 
Coverage of the Sunni Friday sermons echoed the need for the 
US to leave and also pointed out that the violence has 
unified Sunni and Shi'a Iraqis in the face of the American 
enemy. Local Arabic and English columnists compared events in 
Fallujah to the Jenin massacre of Palestine.  Editorialist 
Abdulla Al-Ayoobi asserted that the US has learned the 
Zionist lessons of crime and cruelty to the people of the 
region.  What is happening in Iraq today is a duplicate image 
of what happens in Palestine everyday, he added.  Sunni 
political society Al Minbar Islamiiya issued a press 
statement condemning what they consider "criminal incidents" 
that the American forces have committed against the Iraqis. 
 
 
3.  (C)  Our private conversations with our Shi'a contacts 
are no more supportive.  Condemning the recent violence in 
Fallujah and Najaf, some Embassy contacts label it as "US 
generated."  A reliable source told PolOff on April 10 that 
main Shi'a opposition leader Al-Wifaq President Shaikh Ali 
Salman does not agree with Al-Sadr's tactics, but credits 
Al-Sadr for successfully uniting Iraq's Shi'a and the Sunni 
against the United States.  This makes the situation far more 
dangerous for the Americans, Salman told our source.  Salman 
pointed out that in Fallujah Iraqi Shi'a are now giving blood 
for the wounded Sunnis.  Bahrain Women's Society President 
Wajeeha Al Baharna told PolOff on April 10 that Al-Sadr's 
taking of international hostages "crosses the line into 
terrorism."  She warned that since the US is unsuccessful in 
combating terrorism, that America needs to get out now or be 
responsible for the total loss of the country.  With the 
resignation of Iraqi Governing Council members, Council of 
Representatives Mohammed Shaikh Al-Abass told PolOff on April 
10 that the Americans should leave Iraq now or stay and pick 
one Iraqi leader.  Shura Council member Mohammed Hassan Radhi 
offered PolOff his solution on April 11: the Grand Ayatollah 
Ali Al-Sistani is the only leader that can quell the violence 
and be able to back Muqtada Al-Sadr into a corner. 
 
4.  (SBU)  COMMENT.  Last week Post reported that the capture 
of Muqtada Al-Sadr was unlikely to impact Bahraini Shi'a. 
This week Bahraini Shi'a have started to voice their 
unhappiness with the US after watching the week-long coverage 
of the escalating violence in Iraq and its use of 'massive 
firepower' (to quote a parliamentarian) to hunt Al-Sadr.  It 
is unclear whether continued US military actions in Iraq will 
unify Bahraini Shi'a and Sunni against the US. Though there 
has not been much change of opinion among our Sunni contacts, 
two separate contacts told PolOff (on two individual 
occasions) that if they had to pick between the US and 
Muqtada Al-Sadr, they would pick Al-Sadr.  END COMMENT. 
 
5.  (U)  Baghdad minimize considered. 
FORD