US embassy cable - 05MANAMA756

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000756 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KMPI, BA 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES FORUM FOR THE FUTURE, KORAN 
DESECRATION, IRAQ WITH BAHRAIN FM 
 
REF: A. MANAMA 705 
 
     B. MANAMA 675 
 
Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  The Ambassador, during a May 23 meeting 
with Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, 
discussed the Forum for the Future (FfF), the retracted 
Newsweek magazine story about Koran desecration at GTMO, 
Iraq, and the DOD Bahrain School.  The Foreign Minister 
reiterated Bahrain's interest in Middle East (including 
Bahraini) participation in the G8 Summit at Gleneagles.  He 
expressed concern about a possible impact on Bahrain of 
growing sectarianism in Iraq.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador congratulated the ForMin for the GOB 
successfully hosting the May 10 FfF steering committee 
meeting in Manama.  Shaikh Mohammed said things were moving 
forward for the November FfF conference.  He was particularly 
pleased the United States had tabled two new initiatives, the 
Foundation for the Future and the Fund for the Future.  These 
were items that would interest the people of the region and 
prove that the FfF was generating results, not just talk.  He 
reiterated the GOB's interest in attending the July G8 Summit 
at Gleneagles, Scotland (reftels), and noted that Arab and 
African leaders had both attended (separate) portions of the 
2004 G8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia.  There was no reason 
why the Arabs could not participate in this year's summit 
even if the focus issues of the conference were Africa and 
climate change. 
 
3.  (C) Regarding the FfF conference, the ForMin said the 
U.S., UK, Morocco and Bahrain should consult early on about 
the communique.  He wanted to keep the number of parties 
involved in drafting the communique very limited for now.  It 
was important to iron out any issues well in advance of the 
conference, he said. 
 
4.  (C) Shaikh Mohammed said he was sorry to hear about the 
Newsweek story concerning alleged desecration of the Koran at 
GTMO.  He suggested that the USG announce publicly that it 
would investigate and take action against anyone who may have 
done such things.  The Ambassador responded that the 
Secretary had made a very strong public statement about the 
 
SIPDIS 
issue and noted that Newsweek had publicly retracted its 
story. 
 
5.  (C) Turning to Iraq, the Minister said that Bahrain was 
not happy about Sunni/Shia violence and growing sectarian 
tensions in Iraq.  The GOB was concerned that sectarianism in 
Iraq could have an impact on Bahrain.  He was pleased with 
recent public statements by some Iraqi Sunnis that they would 
take part in drafting the constitution.  Shaikh Mohammed said 
that the Bahraini cabinet had issued a statement supporting 
the Iraq Transitional Government and that he had met with 
President Talabani on the margins of the Iraqi Neighbors 
Conference in Istanbul.  He called Foreign Minister Zebari a 
friend and said that King Hamad had good relations and 
communicated with Ayatollah Sistani. 
 
6.  (C) The ForMin said it was very important that the 
Bahrain School remain a DOD institution.  He welcomed efforts 
aimed at developing options to deal with the budget deficit 
and suggested that the U.S. Navy, in addressing the dependent 
issue, begin by returning a portion of the departed 
dependents.  While no country is immune from terrorism, he 
said the Bahraini public supports the people-to-people 
contact that comes as a result of the presence of Navy 
dependents in the country. 
 
MONROE