US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT2630

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002630 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA 
STATE FOR IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS 
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KU, KDMR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION KUWAIT AUGUST 14-16: TERRORISM; IRAQ; 
RENEWED FIGHTING WITH AL-SADR 
 
1.  SUMMARY: While hand-wringing over the origins and motives of 
as many as 20 Kuwaiti extremists arrested for suspicion of al- 
Qaeda ties and terrorist plots, the fighting in Najaf rose as the 
primary topic of discussion in the Kuwaiti media. Some 
commentators saw an insidious Iranian influence in the uprising 
and applauded the crackdown. Others saw the U.S. response as proof 
of America's nefarious and hegemonic designs on Iraq and the 
Muslim world. Dr. Sami Naser Khalifa wrote in independent al-Rai 
al-Aa'm (8/14): "Yes, the people of Najaf in particular, and 
Iraqis in general, made a mistake when they regarded the fall of 
the former Iraqi regime as a good omen. They totally forgot that 
Saddam was the American administration's foster son." END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  "They Connive but God Knows Best" 
Dr. Sami Naser Khalifa wrote in independent al-Rai al-A'am (8/16): 
"The American aggression on the city of Najaf, the desecration of 
its holy sites, the killing and wounding and committing massacres 
against its civilian population, is proof that the American 
administration is the number one enemy of Arabs in the region.  It 
is America that the world must look upon not only with resentment 
and anger, but also with contempt and derision. In addition, the 
current Iraqi 'shadow' government, bursting at the seams with 
former Ba'athists, is the subservient tool with which America 
intends to subdue the will of the Iraqis, and the means by which 
the American occupation will liquidate its enemies and opponents." 
 
3.  "War of the Cemeteries" 
Dr. Abdel Muhsin Jamal wrote in independent al-Qabas (8/14): "One 
of the most repugnant paradoxes, is when the world reacts 
differently to similar events.  When Jewish graves are desecrated 
in France, the whole world rises up in condemnation. However, when 
American tanks run through Dar al-Salaam cemetery in Najaf, 
considered the oldest and biggest cemetery in the Middle East, 
nobody raises even a token complaint. Had this cemetery belonged 
to Jews, would the Americans have dared to storm through it?" 
 
4.  "The Exploited" 
Salah al-Fadhli wrote in independent al-Rai al-A'am (8/15): "Those 
who sympathize with those arrested for allegedly recruiting youth 
to fight a holy war in Iraq believe the suspects were deceived, 
and were unaware of what they were doing. Instead of resorting to 
such unrealistic justifications, we must admit there are those who 
strongly believe that to fight the Americans is a mandatory 
religious obligation, a belief based on rulings or Fatwas by 
radical Islamists." 
 
5.  "Yes... the People of Najaf Made a Mistake" 
Dr. Sami Naser Khalifa wrote in independent al-Rai al-Aa'm (8/14): 
"Free Iraq, the model that Bush wants to implement on the Middle 
East, took yet another turn of derision toward disappointment. 
American tanks, fighter planes and heavy artillery are flooding 
the city of Najaf, causing the deaths of hundreds of people. The 
people of Najaf are subjected to extreme sorts of humiliation, 
insult and degradation from an occupying power that has 
historically proven it is the one and infinite enemy to all 
peoples. Yes, the people of Najaf in particular, and Iraqis in 
general, made a mistake when they regarded the fall of the former 
Iraqi regime as a good omen. They totally forgot that Saddam was 
the American administration's foster son." 
 
6.  "Looking for Answers" 
Dr. Shamlan al-Issa wrote in independent al-Seyassah (8/14): "It 
is difficult to understand Muqtada al-Sadr's position when he 
calls for immediate withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq. This 
demand would have been easy to accept had his troops concentrated 
their attacks against the coalition forces. But, it is not 
conceivable that killing civilians and Iraqi Christians will 
achieve Iraq's liberation, or the kidnapping of expatriates and 
all who strive to rebuild Iraq.  Since the Shia in Iraq constitute 
a majority, it is in their interest to hold free elections where 
all political groups and parties compete democratically.  All Arab 
countries must help the present Iraq government, and stop foreign 
infiltration into Iraq from neighboring countries." 
 
7.  "Iraq on the Verge of Collapse" 
Sami Abdel Latif al-Nisif wrote in independent al-Anba (8/16): 
"Whoever chose Iraq to be a model for re-drawing the map of the 
region knew very well what they were doing. Iraq boasts complete 
anarchy, political insanity rooted in the minds of various 
political leaders and intellectual elites. Moreover, the 
prevalence of complete public dissatisfaction about the general 
state of affairs in Iraq makes the situation even worse... the 
failure of the present government to control the al-Sadr militias 
will mean loss of control over other Iraqi cities and 
governorates, thus paving the way for the possible division of 
Iraq." 
 
8.  "No Alternative to the New Iraq" 
Editor in chief Ahmad al-Jarallah wrote in independent al-Seyassah 
(8/16): "At the present time, Najaf is being subjected to a 
purging to flush out all those who have forcibly entered this holy 
city and were sent by a foreign power solely out of self-interest. 
It is obvious Muqtada al-Sadr is not the one actually leading the 
al-Mahdi Army. Rather, the ones who are controlling this army are 
located to the east of Iraq. Muqtada al-Sadr is a political 
scapegoat, exploited to serve other countries' bidding. There is 
no alternative to the new Iraq.  All who oppose this want to 
establish a state led by al-Sader and backed by Iran." 
 
9.  "The In and Out of the U.S." 
Abdel Amir al-Turki wrote in independent al-Seyassah (8/14): 
"Muqtada al-Sadr cannot win even if he accepts the Iraqi 
government's proposal, because he doesn't have enough public 
support to guarantee that he becomes a member of the current Iraqi 
political elite. Realizing this weak point, the Iranians supported 
and armed al-Sadr, in hopes of reaching two important goals: 
first, the rehabilitation of al-Sadr on a popular level by 
encouraging him to fight Americans; second, excluding him from the 
presumed negotiations with Washington." 
 
10.  "Allawi and the Point of No Return" 
Abdel Amir al-Turki wrote in independent al-Seyassah (8/15): "PM 
Allawi has embarked on a project to build a free democratic Iraq, 
despite strong local opposition. He has no other option but to 
keep fighting these forces until the very end. As for the 
Iranians, it is the Americans whom they look upon as their 
greatest enemy, and al-Sadr is just a pawn that is utilized to 
fight this enemy. PM Allawi would do well to eliminate al-Sadr, 
thus cutting off Iran's influence in the south. Given such 
circumstances, Allawi must capture al-Sadr, and impose his 
government's control over the whole of Iraq. Reaction to al-Sadr's 
capture will be short-lived, since he does not represent any 
clerical authority, which would otherwise allow him to lead." 
 
11.  "Thoughts From Najaf" 
Abdel Muhsin Jamal wrote in independent al-Qabas (8/16): "The Bush 
administration is no longer able to lead a free world. A violence 
complex and the use of excessive power toward everything beset it 
after 9/11. This mindset is no longer viable to run peace in the 
world. It is in America's interest, and that of the rest of the 
world, that America be removed from the political scene, so that 
perhaps a new mindset can create a new America that can deal with 
the concept of global peace. Will the American people go for that? 
Wait and see." 
 
12.  "We Need Anti-terrorism Legislation" 
Ali al-Baghli wrote in independent al-Qabas (8/14): "The phenomena 
of fundamentalist terrorism is prevalent in our society, 
especially when a terrorist sacrifices his life by killing himself 
and taking hundreds of innocent victims in his wake. Such 
incidents cannot be accepted as isolated actions of a few 
individuals. Whoever believes this is either ignorant of such 
terrorism, or does not want to admit the pervasiveness of 
terrorism, and is a sympathizer with its ideology.  Therefore, we 
appeal to all those who love this country, we need up-to-date anti- 
terrorism legislation." 
 
Tueller