US embassy cable - 04MANAMA551

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000551 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2024 
TAGS: BA, PHUM, PREL, UNHCR-1 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN SAYS IT'S AGAINST CUBAN RESOLUTION ON 
GUANTANAMO DETAINEES 
 
REF: STATE 85231 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robert S. Ford, reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Bahraini MFA Minister of State Abdelghaffar told 
Charge April 18 that Bahrain does not think the Cuban 
resolution about Guantanamo detainees is helpful, and it 
asked Cuba to withdraw the resolution.  Abdelghaffar said it 
was obvious the Cubans are trying to score political points 
with the resolution.  Bahrain has no special bilateral 
relationship with Cuba and the resolution would not help 
Bahrain, he stated flatly. 
 
2.  (C)  Comment:  The Minister of State had just finished 
justifying Bahrain's vote against the American-backed 
resolution condemning Cuban human rights violations.  The 
Minister said his government had decided in that instance to 
maintain ranks with other Arab governments which all were 
voting against the anti-Cuban resolution.  When Charge then 
raised the Cuban resolution on Guantanamo, the Minister of 
State's categoric assertion surprised us.  The fate of six 
Bahrainis in Guantanamo is a big domestic political issue; it 
is often front-page news here.  A variety of domestic human 
rights groups as well as members of the Parliament regularly 
criticize the MFA for not helping the six Bahrainis.  The MFA 
is, predictably, quite sensitive about the criticism. 
 
3.  (C)  Comment continued:  The logic of Bahraini political 
decision-making suggests that (a) if the Cuban resolution 
gains international attention such that the MFA's vote is 
subject to political scrutiny in Bahrain or (b) if there is a 
push among the Arab states to back the Cuban resolution, then 
the MFA likely would vote for the Cuban resolution, despite 
the Minister's remark to us April 18.  This is why the MFA 
would prefer the Cubans withdraw the resolution. 
FORD