US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT486

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000486 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, S/CT AND EB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2015 
TAGS: PTER, KISL, EFIN, PGOV, KU 
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES ANTI-TERRORISM 
POLICIES AND PASSES NEW ARMS LAW 
 
Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: During separate February 2 discussions with 
the Ambassador, Members of Parliament (MPs) Dr. Yousef 
Al-Zalzalah and Abdullah Al-Roumi discussed the National 
Assembly's February 1 passage of a new law which expands law 
enforcement powers to search and seize illegal weapons, 
calling it a positive development that demonstrated 
solidarity between the GOK and Parliament in confronting 
extremism.  They also shared their views on terror financing 
and educational curricula reform.  One felt that current 
terror financing laws and enforcement need strengthening, the 
other thought current laws are adequate but said he would 
personally bring to the floor amendments needed to close any 
loopholes.  MP Al-Zalzalah noted that Prime Minister Shaykh 
Sabah, in a departure from past statements, has vowed to hunt 
down terrorists and stated that the terror problems in Kuwait 
are not over.  Both MPs agreed that more must be done to 
combat terror, but disagreed on some of the particulars. End 
Summary. 
 
Special Session Unanimously Passes Arms Law 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) In the wake of recent crackdowns and shoot-outs with 
militants, Kuwait's National Assembly passed on February 1, 
during a closed-door special session, a law which permits law 
enforcement to search and seize illegal firearms in an effort 
to confront terrorism.  The bill was unanimously approved by 
all 45 MPs present. (Note: Three of the four MPs who did not 
attend the special session were Islamist MPs Abdullah Akkash, 
Awad Barad, and Jassem Al-Kandari. End Note.)  The law will 
be in effect for two years and is renewable thereafter; it 
was originally enacted in 1992 and was enforced until 1994 to 
reduce the number of weapons from the numerous arms caches 
found after the Iraqi invasion.  The measure empowers public 
prosecutors to issue search warrants to conduct searches on 
people and residences in the search for illegal weapons. 
 
3. (C) In separate discussions with the Ambassador on 
February 2, MPs Dr. Yousef Al-Zalzalah and Abdullah Al-Roumi 
discussed the new arms law and other anti-terror policies and 
initiatives.  Both MPs praised the new law saying that it was 
necessary to revisit the old policy.  MP Al-Roumi said that 
he opposed the measure in 1992, but believed that it was 
necessary this time to show support to the GOK.  MP Al-Roumi 
told the Ambassador that the vote was a declaration of 
support to the GOK in its efforts to combat terrorism.  He 
said Kuwaitis were happy that there was unanimous agreement 
between the GOK and the National Assembly on this issue and 
that National Assembly is ready to support any GOK measures 
it deems necessary to fight the spread of this ideology, to 
include limiting sources of funding. 
 
4. (C) He mentioned that the roles of mosques and educational 
reform were discussed during the session and that KD 5.5 
million (approx. USD 18.5 million) was already earmarked for 
programs to combat terrorism.  He said the intention of one 
policy is to publicly discuss the takfiri ideology and to 
show that it is in opposition to Islamic Sharia.  MP 
Al-Zalzalah also said that during the closed session there 
was discussion about reviewing Kuwait's Islamic groupings and 
their ideologies.  He told the Ambassador that some MPs are 
blaming the GOK saying that its openess with the Islamists 
set the stage for the current security situation.  The 
National Assembly also addressed the issue of opposing 
sectarianism in Kuwait. 
 
Shaykh Sabah Firm Against Terror... For Now 
------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed publicly stated 
that the terror problem in Kuwait was not over and that 
Kuwait will continue to hunt down the terrorists.  Noting 
that the Prime Minister's position on terror is "crystal 
clear," MP Al-Zalzalah said that the PM did not permit anyone 
to offer a justification for terrorism during the closed-door 
session.  Al-Zalzalah pointed out that the PM's position is a 
big change from past statements.  While he was convinced that 
Shaykh Sabah's stance against terrorism was firm, he was not 
certain whether the Prime Minister would stand by his 
convictions over the long-term.  He pointed out that last 
year the PM publicly stated the Kuwait University Faculty of 
Sharia was espousing intolerant and sectarian ideas and 
needed to be combined with the Faculty of Law in order to 
control it.  Despite personal statements promising to reform 
the Faculty of Sharia, Al-Zalzalah said, Shaykh Sabah decided 
not to make any changes and claimed the decision came not 
from him, but from the Council of Ministers. 
 
6. (C) MP Al-Zalzalah also said that although he personally 
likes Interior Minister Shaykh Nawaf Al-Ahmed, his 
personality does not lend itself to standing firm against 
terror.  He explained that Shaykh Nawaf must make stronger 
statements against the extremists.  He said that the Interior 
Minister refers to them as "outlaws" when he should be 
calling them "killers and criminals." 
 
Curricula Needs Reform 
---------------------- 
 
7. (C) Al-Zalzalah told the Ambassador that he confronted the 
Education Minister on the need for curricula reform.  The MP 
stated that the curricula is flawed and is often 
misinterpreted by religious education teachers who define 
religious principles in terms of violence and intolerance. 
(Note: Al-Zalzalah pointed out that Sulayman Bu Ghaith, 
spokesman for Al-Qaida was a religious education teacher in 
Kuwait. End Note.) He claimed that the Council of Ministers 
was well aware of this problem and that he was given a 
promise from an Undersecretary in the Ministry of Education 
that the offending parts of the curricula would be removed. 
Al-Zalzalah said that the Undersecretary made no changes to 
the curricula and because of this Al-Zalzalah asked Shaykh 
Sabah to fire Education Minister Dr. Rasheed Hamad Al-Hamad 
if he refused to recognize these problems. (Note: MP 
Al-Zalzalah is a Shi'a MP and often speaks against the 
educational, societal, and legal disparities encountered by 
Kuwaiti Shi'a. End Note.) 
 
8. (C) MP Al-Roumi disagreed with Al-Zalzalah saying the 
educational curricula in Kuwait is not the problem.  He said 
the problem is the foreign extremist exploitation of young 
people and speculated that some of the foreigners captured 
during January's shoot-outs in Kuwait may have influenced the 
Kuwaiti members of the militant group to commit acts of 
violence. (Note: A number of Saudis and one Jordanian citizen 
have been detained in connection with the January shoot-outs. 
End Note) 
 
Terror Finance Controls Unaddressed 
----------------------------------- 
 
9. (C) The Ambassador raised with both MPs the existence of 
unauthorized charity collection boxes, shortfalls in Kuwait's 
money laundering law, and the need to lift the 
information-sharing restrictions of the Central Bank's 
Financial Intelligence Unit.  MP Al-Zalzalah claimed that 
unauthorized charity collection problems still exist.  He 
said that money collection boxes could still be found all 
over Kuwait and that he saw one recently at a local hospital. 
 The Ambassador stated these unauthorized money flows should 
be cut off and terror financing should be criminalized. 
Al-Zalzalah agreed that efforts to fund terrorist 
organizations should be criminalized and that Kuwait's 
Financial Intelligence Unit should be more flexible in 
sharing financial transaction information with other 
countries. 
 
10. (C) MP Al-Roumi said he hasn't seen any unauthorized 
collection boxes, not even during this past Ramadan, and is 
unaware of current violations.  He claimed the real problem 
was that security agencies in Kuwait were "penetrated," and 
that this needs to be controlled.  While MP Al-Roumi agreed 
that money laundering was a key source for terror funding, he 
told the Ambassador that there is already an article in 
Kuwait's money laundering law that penalizes those who fund 
terrorists.  He said that current articles in the penal code 
are sufficient and that the GOK expressed a willingness to 
review all the laws and to strengthen them where necessary. 
MP Al-Roumi said that he would personally bring to the floor 
of Parliament any loopholes in the laws that need to be 
addressed.   He further stated that the GCC Anti-Terrorism 
security agreement signed by GCC ministers in May 2004 would 
pass in the National Assembly.  He explained there was 
pressure from the GOK to pass the measure which would 
facilitate anti-terror related law enforcement cooperation 
within the GCC. 
 
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