US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1120

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001120 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA FRONT OFFICE - DAS PHILO DIBBLE AND NEA/ARP - TOM 
WILLIAMS/DAVID BERNS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2005 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, BA 
SUBJECT: GOB RE-ARRESTS THE BAHRAINI SIX 
 
REF: WILLIAMSON/DIBBLE 07/15/04 EMAIL 
 
Classified By: BY CDA MOLLY K. WILLIAMSON FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. The GoB re-arrested the "Bahraini Six" yesterday afternoon 
on suspicion of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts. The six 
were taken to the Public Prosecutor's Office and were 
transferred to Galali prison at approximately 2:00 a.m. this 
morning. Amal Ahmed Abdulla Abdul, Under Secretary of the 
Prosecution, confirmed to PolOff that they were taken into 
custody after examination of computer hard drives and 
chemicals seized on July 22. Col. Tariq Mubarak bin Daineh, 
Director of the Public Security Special Response Team (Najda) 
and Communications and Abdulla Abdul confirmed to the Embassy 
this morning that the six will be held for 45 days to develop 
a criminal case. 
 
2.  It appears as though the six detainees may have already 
started their efforts to elicit public sympathy. Col. Tariq, 
during his conversations with the A/RSO and PolOff, noted 
that the six have started a hunger strike to protest their 
incarceration. At this time, we have no other information or 
outside confirmation of this development. 
 
3.  Yesterday's arrests have aroused local suspicions about 
the GoB's motives. PolOff and PolFSN spoke with 
Parliamentarian Fareed Ghazi Raffee, legal counsel for 
Mohieddin Khan. Raffee expressed his dismay that no evidence 
was presented by the prosecutor while the six were awaiting 
detention at the Public Prosecutor's Office. He stated that 
the questioning was based on hearsay and circumstantial 
evidence. He believes that the case against Mohieddin is 
based on his having spent time in Afghanistan in 1989. Raffee 
stated that he did not know about the chemical and computer 
evidence until he read the Al Ayam and Gulf Daily News this 
morning. Rashid Al Ghayeb, Al Ayam reporter and former 
Fulbrighter, in his comments to PolFSN, reported that he 
doubts that Al Ayam was able to photograph and report on 
actual new evidence. He stated that this morning's photo of 
seized evidence looked "like anything you could download off 
the Internet." He is confident that the re-arrest of the six 
is due to US pressure and the GoB's desire to put an end to 
the U.S. Embassy and the Navy's recent moves to transfer 
non-essential employees and family members. Al Wasat 
reporter, Hani Ferdan, who has followed the arrests and 
detention of possible terror suspects Mohammed Saleh Mohammed 
and Merbati, doubts if there is any new evidence. He stated 
that if there is any new evidence, it must have been planted 
to incriminate the defendants. Abdulla Hashim, legal counsel 
for five detainees, reported to PolFSN, that he believes that 
the decision to hold them for 45 days was a political 
decision since the Prosecutor did not present any evidence. 
Hashim plans to file a suit against the GoB for slander. 
 
4. Our public diplomacy guidance has been: 
 
--- A) We are trying to confirm reports of the re-arrest of 
the six. 
--- B) If these reports are accurate, it reflects GoB 
commitment to public safety and the security of its citizens 
and foreign guests. 
 
5. COMMENT: It is important to counter widespread public 
perception that the GoB action is just a put-up job designed 
to respond to USG pressure and reverse the travel warning, 
Embassy authorized departure and Navy involuntary departure 
of families.  We insist that the GoB action is not a gift to 
the USG, but rather, an action taken in light of its own 
security interests.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
 
 
WILLIAMSON