US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT416

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000416 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KDEM, KISL, KU, IZ 
SUBJECT: KUWAITIS NEAR UNANIMOUS IN PRAISE OF IRAQI 
ELECTIONS 
 
REF: KUWAIT 00404 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reason 1.4 (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary and Comment: All Kuwaiti dailies hailed the 
January 30 elections in Iraq as a success.  Several 
rank-and-file Kuwaitis unanimously characterized the 
elections to PolOff as legitimate and historic, and in 
separate discussions, Kuwaiti banking executives told the 
Ambassador that the elections represented a positive 
development for Iraq.  Although there are likely to be some 
Islamists who feel the Iraqi Sunnis were marginalized during 
the electoral process, most saw the election as an 
unquestionable success.  Some conservative Sunnis, still wary 
of a Shi'a controlled Iraq however, will continue to closely 
watch the constitutional process unfold to see that an Iraqi 
constitution protects the rights of Sunnis. End Summary and 
Comment. 
 
2. (SBU) During January 31 conversations with PolOff, several 
rank-and-file Kuwaitis at the National Assembly all 
independently agreed that the elections in Iraq were a 
success and signaled the start of a new era in Iraq.  The 
Kuwaitis with whom PolOff spoke ranged from liberals to 
Muslim Brotherhood Islamists.  All agreed that the elections 
were legitimate and marked a great success for the Iraqis. 
One Sunni Muslim Brotherhood office director, who was 
sympathetic to Iraqi Sunnis who opposed it, did agree that 
the election was legitimate and hoped the new Iraqi National 
Assembly would draft a fair constitution that protected the 
basic rights of all Iraqis.  Many other Kuwaitis, mostly 
liberal, publicly announced their praise and support for the 
elections: 
 
- Liberal Shia Al-Watan columnist Khalil Haider called the 
elections a turning point in the history of Arab democracy. 
 
- Newspaper editor-in-chief of English-language Arab Times 
and Arabic-language Al-Seyassah Ahmed Al-Jarallah described 
the election success saying the courage of the Iraqis led to 
the defeat of terrorism. 
 
- Dr. Moudi Al-Amoud, President of Arab Open University and a 
prominent Kuwaiti academic/activist, congratulated the U.S. 
on the success of the elections during a meeting with the 
Ambassador.   She said the pictures of Iraqis voting after so 
many years of repression were moving.   She said she 
monitored the reaction of several Arab satellite stations the 
night before the election and then the night of the vote. 
The stories on the eve of the election were very negative, 
while many of the channels clearly didn't know what to say in 
the face of the obvious success of the vote the next day. 
 
3. (C) During separate January 31 meetings with the 
Ambassador, Chairman of the Bank of Kuwait and the Middle 
East Hamad Al-Marzouq and Chairman of the Commercial Bank of 
Kuwait Abdulmajeed Al-Shatti said they saw the Iraqi 
elections as a positive development and one which they hoped 
would lead to an improved security situation in Iraq.  (Note: 
Both banks are exploring business opportunities in Iraq and 
are hoping to open branches or initiate joint ventures. End 
Note.)  Al-Marzouq expressed concern over possible Shi'a 
political domination, adding that a continued U.S. presence 
in Iraq would provide a check on Shi'a power and possible 
Iranian influence.  Al-Shatti described the Iraqi elections 
as a "good thing" which "brought tears to (his) eyes." 
 
5. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
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LEBARON