US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT1349

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001349 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, PINR, KWMN, KDEM, KU, WOMEN'S POLITICAL RIGHTS 
SUBJECT: NEW INFORMATION MINISTER HAILED BY LIBERALS, 
PLEDGES TO SUPPORT WOMEN'S POLITICAL RIGHTS 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 1200 
     B. KUWAIT 1091 
     C. KUWAIT 0036 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Summary: Moving to fill cabinet vacancies in the 
run-up to an expected Parliamentary vote on women's rights, 
the GOK announced March 31 it had chosen Dr. Anas Mohammed 
Al-Rasheed, sworn in on April 4, as its new Information 
Minister.  A professor and former editorial adviser to local 
Arabic daily Al-Qabas, the U.S.-educated Al-Rasheed 
reportedly pledged his support for women's rights as a 
condition of his appointment.  The choice of Al-Rasheed to 
fill the position vacated by former Minister Mohammed 
Abulhassan has taken on additional significance as the 
Government attempts to shore up votes in the National 
Assembly and among its own members for an expected 
GOK-Islamist showdown on political rights for women. End 
Summary. 
 
New Minister Hailed by Liberals 
------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) The announcement of Dr. Anas Mohammed Al-Rasheed as 
Kuwait's new Information Minister on March 31 was hailed by 
most of Kuwait's liberal establishment as a step in the right 
direction.  Despite their concerns about Al-Rasheed's ability 
to manage a Ministry widely believed to be split along 
Islamist-Progressive lines, liberal columnists praised the 
government's choice of a moderate "media man" for the job. 
Writing in the April 1 edition of local Arabic daily 
Al-Watan, columnist Jamal Al-Kandari said Al-Rasheed was 
known "as a reputable independent, straightforward and 
religious man."  Al Seyasseh columnist and Secretary General 
of Kuwait Journalists' Association Faisal Al Qanai echoed 
these thoughts on April 2, "For the first time we have 
Minister that is one of us.  The appointment of a university 
professor and an expert in media and press to the position of 
Minister of Information is a positive step, and promises a 
good future for our profession." 
 
Veiled Threats from Islamists 
----------------------------- 
 
3. (C) The response from conservatives was considerably less 
enthusiastic.  Mindful of their role in the downfall of 
ousted Shiite Information Minister Mohammed Abulhassan (Ref. 
c), conservatives sent subtle yet strong reminders to the new 
Minister that they would be watching his actions very 
closely.  Islamist MP Faisal Al-Mislim told reporters on 
April 2 that while he believed Al-Rasheed was qualified for 
the position, he was hopeful that the new Minister would 
"stay out of conflicts between (political) currents."  He 
urged Al-Rasheed to allow senior Ministry officials more 
influence in the Ministry's decisions, to closely monitor the 
content of books being sold in the country and to "keep an 
eye on concerts, including the so-called private concerts 
which are organized without license." (Note:  Al-Rasheed's 
predecessor had been accused of freezing senior Islamists out 
of the decision-making process and was grilled over his 
decision to permit concerts and the sale of books deemed 
offensive by many Islamists.  End Note.) 
 
Al-Rasheed Pledged Support for Women's Rights 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) The appointment of the Minister comes as debate in the 
country over the issue of women's rights has reached a high 
point, pitting the credibility of the Government against the 
power of Islamists.  With Justic Minister Ahmed Baqer 
expected to vote against the extension of the franchise, the 
Government appears to be taking steps to shore up its ranks. 
Al-Rai Al-Aam Managing Editor Ali Al-Ruz told Press Officer 
April 2 that Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah made Al-Rasheed 
pledge his support for women's political rights before moving 
forward with the appointment. 
 
A Reputation for Staying in the Middle 
-------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Al-Rasheed is known as a mild-mannered academic and 
is not expected to move forcefully against Islamists. 
Liberals have approved of the appointment, but some contacts 
have suggested that Al-Rasheed's views lean more toward the 
Islamist camp.  Nevertheless, according to Al-Rai Al-Aam 
Managing Editor Ali Al-Ruz, "He is the right man to hold the 
stick in the middle."  The new Minister is reportedly 
beholden to National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi for 
both his previous job as editorial advisor to Al-Qabas and 
his new appointment, and will not jeopardize this 
relationship by confronting Al-Khorafi's Islamist allies. 
Describing the relationship between Al-Khorafi and 
Al-Rasheed, Al Qabas chief of local news Adnan Qaqoon -- a 
self-described close friend of Al-Rasheed -- was blunt: "He 
belongs to Al-Khorafi." 
 
But Can He Manage the Ministry? 
------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) While Al-Rasheed's appointment was pubicly hailed by 
his colleagues in academia and the media, the same contacts 
privately expressed sympathy for him and cast doubts about 
his ability to affect change, as well as his independence. 
Al-Ruz, a  close friend, described him as a "theoretical" 
man, unable to apply down-to-earth know-how to his 
administrative challenges. Qaqoon bemoaned the balkanization 
of the ministry, and predicted that much of the new 
minister's time would be spent putting out fires between 
Islamist and progressive ministry factions. A third senior 
editor who closely follows press and parliamentary issues 
lamented, "He is a typical Kuwaiti...he will want to please 
Shaykh Sabah, the Islamists, and the Liberals. The best he 
can do is keep the situation in Kuwait the way it is, and he 
won't have much of an effect on it." 
 
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LEBARON