US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT274

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000274 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2015 
TAGS: KISL, PREL, KU, IZ, IR, ISLAMISTS, SHI'A 
SUBJECT: SHI'A CLERIC SAYS SHIITES LOSING LAST YEAR'S 
GAINS, ACCUSES GOK OF BOWING TO ISLAMIST PRESSURES 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 0036 
     B. 04 KUWAIT 4452 
 
Classified By: DCM Matthew Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary and Comment: During a January 4 meeting, 
Secretary General of the Shiite Clerics Congregation and 
 
SIPDIS 
self-appointed representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali 
Sistanti, Sayed Mohammed Baqr Al-Mohri, shared with Poloff 
his views on the resignation of Shiite Information Minister 
Mohammed Abulhassan, the growing influence of Sunni Islamists 
and what he characterized as the accompanying curbing of 
Shiite rights. While Al-Mohri's comments and warnings about 
the growth of Islamism for the most part ring true, it should 
be noted that his views are colored by his role as a 
minority, sectarian activist.  Nonetheless, the violent 
clashes between Sunni extremists and Kuwaiti security in 
mid-January have proven that he is not too far off the mark. 
End Summary and Comment. 
 
Information Minister Victim of GOK Fear; Shi'a Say 
Resignation Insulting and Result of GOK Fear 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
2. (C) Two days after the resignation of Information Minister 
Mohammed Abulhassan and three days after the detention of 
four members of the Kuwaiti military for conspiring to commit 
terrorist acts, Poloff met with Shiite Clerics Congregation 
SYG Mohammed Baqr Al-Mohri to discuss political events in 
Kuwait.  Al-Mohri said Abulhassan's resignation was the 
outcome of a Salafi campaign against the Shiite Minister 
which had been undertaken "from day one" of his term of 
office.  Repeating what he reportedly told Agence France 
Press (AFP) and Radio Sawa in separate interviews, Al-Mohri 
called the resignation a victory for extremists and hardline 
groups in Kuwait and an insult to the Shiite sect "in Kuwait 
and everywhere." 
 
3. (C) Although he admitted that the Information Minister had 
made some mistakes during his tenure (ref. a), Al-Mohri 
pointed out that Abulhassan later reversed these decisions, 
but his resignation was still accepted by PM Shaykh Sabah 
Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah; in Al-Mohri's eyes, this was a clear sign 
of fear by the PM. 
 
Government "Not Doing Anything" to Combat Islamists 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
4. (C) Railing against the penetration of Kuwaiti society by 
Sunni Islamists, Al-Mohri said the GOK was paralyzed by its 
fear of Islamist political power.  Citing examples of its 
inactivity, he pointed out that Islamists had recently 
"attacked" shops selling Christmas trees (ref. b), openly 
distributed pamphlets inciting sectarian hatred against Shia 
and forced the government to ban New Years parties in major 
hotels.  The government, he said, is "not doing anything" to 
respond. 
 
Military Terrorists are the "Alarm Bell" 
---------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Referring to the January 1 detention of four members 
of Kuwait's military for conspiring to commit terrorist acts, 
Al-Mohri said the biggest "alarm bell" for Kuwait was the 
fact that the country's military was "full of fanatics" and 
the government had only discovered this fact by accident.  He 
said the number of military personnel involved in terrorist 
planning was surely higher than the four detained by the GOK. 
He added that the group may have links to Al-Qaeda, but 
definitely sympathizes with Zarqawi and UBL.  Al-Mohri urged 
the U.S. government to approach PM Shaykh Sabah to convince 
him to take stronger actions.  He also suggested that the 
Kuwait Ministry of Defense (KMOD) conduct more thorough 
background checks on all military recruits. 
 
Islamists Influencing GOK to Curb Shiite Rights 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
6. (C) Yet another result of the growing influence of 
Islamists, Al-Mohri said, is a rollback of some of the Shiite 
political gains made during the previous year and a half. 
Unlike last year, he said, the GOK has already turned down a 
request by Kuwaiti Shiites to publicly reenact the Battle of 
Karbala during Ashoura.  In addition, requests for a family 
law court utilizing Shia jurisprudence and the establishment 
of a Shiite University were rebuffed this year.  Finally, he 
said, the approval of building permits for Shiite mosques has 
slowed to its previously glacial pace (Al Mohri noted one 
petition had been in consideration for twelve years).  All of 
these rollbacks have taken place in an environment of 
increasing sectarian strife driven by the growing intolerance 
of radical Islamists. 
7. (U) Baghdad Minimize Considered. 
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LEBARON