US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1229

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP 
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2014 
TAGS: PREL, EINV, BA, IZ 
SUBJECT: IRAQI AMBASSADOR PROCLAIMS ALLAWI VISIT A SUCCESS 
 
REF: MANAMA 1228 
 
Classified By: CDA Susan Ziadeh, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
(C/NF) 1. SUMMARY: In an August 4 meeting with CDA, Iraqi 
Ambassador to Bahrain Ghassan Hussein stressed Bahrain's 
great show of solidarity with Iraq, a stance also underscored 
in positive GoB-sanctioned local media reports.  According to 
the Ambassador, Iraqi PM Allawi's unannounced seven-hour stop 
in Bahrain on August 2 was to discuss with the King and Prime 
Minister Bahrain's support for Iraq's security and stability 
through training and investment, while ministers in the 
delegation held bilateral meetings with their Bahraini 
counterparts.  Iraq and Bahrain continue to cooperate on 
finance training, and will add civil defense training soon. 
He noted that Bahrain may have backpedaled on a offer to send 
Bahraini Naval support, suggesting instead to provide 
training in Bahrain for Iraqi naval forces. The Ambassador 
concluded saying Bahrain and Iraq pledged to encourage 
private sector investment initiatives to support Iraq's 
reconstruction.  END SUMMARY. 
 
(C/NF)  2. Iraqi Ambassador to Bahrain Ghassan Hussein 
provided CDA with a read-out of the Allawi visit.  The Iraqi 
Ambassador said he capitalized on his 40-year friendship with 
his high school classmate Allawi to convince the Iraqi Prime 
Minister to visit Bahrain at the last minute.  The large 
Iraqi delegation included the Ministers of Defense, 
Transport, Telecommunications, Oil, and State as well as the 
Governor of the Central Bank (a regular visitor to Bahrain), 
the Assistant Director of Intelligence, the Deputy Foreign 
Minister and the Deputy Finance Minister.  Ambassador Hussein 
noted that members of the delegation held separate bilateral 
talks with their Bahraini counterparts, meetings not 
mentioned in press reports. 
 
(C/NF) 3. Ambassador Hussein said that the GOB is eager to 
provide assistance to Iraq, particularly in the form of 
training.  Bahrain has already begun providing financial 
sector training to Iraqi bankers, and he indicated that an 
MOU regarding training for 4000 Iraqi firefighters would soon 
be approved by the Iraqi Minister of Interior.  On security, 
Ambassador Hussein noted that the GOB may be rethinking 
sending naval forces to help secure Iraqi waters as offered 
one month ago, and is proposing instead to provide naval 
training in Bahrain for Iraqi naval forces.  While the 
Ambassador did not elaborate on Allawi's discussion with the 
King and Prime Minister for troop support (reftel), he 
reiterated Allawi's position that coalition forces must 
remain until Iraqi security capacities can be ensured.  Above 
all, Ambassador Hussein told CDA, Allawi stressed that Iraq 
needs continued moral support from Muslim countries and 
thanked Bahrain for its stance since the end of the old 
regime. 
 
(C/NF) 4. On economic issues, PM Allawi's message is that 
private investment is key to Iraq's reconstruction.  Iraq and 
Bahrain are organizing channels of bilateral commercial 
cooperation to provide potential Bahraini investors with the 
ways and means to get involved.  To encourage private sector 
interest, Iraq is sending its Minister of Water Resources, 
and possibly its Minister of Electricity to Bahrain in 
conjunction with the Power-Gen Middle East and Water Middle 
East Conference in September. 
ZIADEH