US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT2900

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002900 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, PA, NEA/PI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KPAO, KMPI, KWMN, KDEM, KU 
SUBJECT:  CHENEY'S VISIT, COMMENTS ON IRAN AND DEMOCRACY 
EARN BLANKET COVERAGE IN LOCAL PRESS 
 
1. SUMMARY: Kuwaiti media produced blanket coverage of 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Elizabeth L. Cheney's 
June 24-25 visit to Kuwait. Ms. Cheney's comments praising 
Kuwaiti women for achieving their political rights and 
criticizing Iran for sham elections, and both Iran and 
Syria for supporting terror, made front page news in every 
Arabic daily except one. Also making front-page news, and 
prompting a harsh backlash from some National Assembly 
members, were inaccurate reports that Ms. Cheney called for 
international monitoring of Kuwait's 2007 elections. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
"Cheney Opens Fire On Iran" 
--------------------------- 
 
2. The simultaneous timing of the Iranian presidential 
election runoffs and Ms. Cheney's visit meant that media 
interest was intense in anything she might say regarding 
Iran. In an exclusive interview with independent daily Al- 
Qabas, and to reporters gathered on the sidelines of both a 
lunch with prominent female activists and a roundtable 
discussion with Kuwaiti exchange students, Ms. Cheney said 
that the Iranian elections were not free, called their 
democracy "backward," and accused Iran, along with Syria, 
of supporting terrorism and destabilizing Iraq. These 
comments appeared across the front pages of two Arabic 
dailies, and were highlighted on the inside of a third 
underneath the headline, "Cheney Opens Fire on Iran." 
 
"Cheney Promised to Help Women Achieve Real Change" 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
3. While Kuwaitis closely watched the Iranian elections and 
the papers highlighted Ms. Cheney's comments on them, her 
visits with female political activists and comments on 
women and Kuwait's democratic development dominated both 
her schedule and her press. Photos and coverage of Ms. 
Cheney's meetings with new female Minister of Planning Dr. 
Ma'souma Al-Mubarak, rights activist Dr. Rola Dashti, and 
liberal, pro-women's rights, Member of Parliament Mohammed 
Al-Sager appeared in all Kuwaiti daily papers. The papers 
also prominently covered with headlines and photos Ms. 
Cheney's roundtable discussion with members of the Kuwaiti 
Women Social and Cultural Society. Headlines covering her 
remarks included "Cheney Promised to Help Women Achieve 
Real Change in 2007 Elections;" "Kuwaiti Woman Has Skills 
That Qualify Her For Political Work;" "Women's Political 
Rights are a Great Achievement for Democracy;" and "Cheney 
Promised to Help Women Achieve Real Change." 
 
"Tehran Destabilizes Iraq and Damascus Destabilizes 
Lebanon" 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
- 
 
4. Reporters from all Kuwaiti dailies surrounded Ms. Cheney 
at her appearances, but Al-Qabas, a prominent independent 
daily, offered the most comprehensive treatment of Ms. 
Cheney's schedule, and views, in large part because they 
received an exclusive interview. The interview ran nearly 
verbatim on a full page inside the broadsheet, opposite 
another page devoted to Ms. Cheney's other events. In it, 
she clarified and expounded on familiar themes -- this was 
apparent in the headline of the interview, "Tehran 
Destabilizes Iraq and Damascus Destabilizes Lebanon," which 
ran on the front page -- and took advantage of the 
opportunity to introduce additional points. 
 
5. Moving beyond praise for women and condemnation for 
Syria and Iran, Ms. Cheney expounded on several more issues 
in the interview, conducted by Al-Qabas editor-in-chief 
Walid Al-Nisf. Ms. Cheney said that Egypt was moving in the 
right direction on the path of democratic reform, denied 
oft-repeated accusations that the U.S. Government is 
interfering in Kuwaiti curriculum development, and 
explained that MEPI programs support local non-governmental 
organizations and do not constitute interference in 
Kuwait's internal affairs. 
 
"Cheney's Statements Provoke the Kuwaiti Street" 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
6.  One statement by Ms. Cheney, misinterpreted and taken 
out of context by the press covering her appearance at the 
Women Social and Cultural Society, provoked a harsh 
response from some members of Parliament, notably Speaker 
Jassem Al-Khorafi and Islamist Faisal Al-Mislim. Responding 
to a question regarding how best Kuwaiti women can realize 
their rights in the 2007 elections, Ms. Cheney offered a 
list of options, including media events, improved 
organization and activism, and the possibility of 
international, or Kuwaiti, election observation teams. 
Several women at the event took issue with this point, and 
Ms. Cheney clarified her meaning, saying that such a 
decision was up to the Kuwaitis and that many democratic 
nations, including the U.S., hosted election monitors. 
 
7. None of the papers covering the event reported the point 
accurately, instead splashing headlines saying that Ms. 
Cheney had called for international monitors in 2007. Al- 
Khorafi's response that such remarks poisoned the relations 
between the two countries, and Al-Mislim's harsh criticism 
of what he called "interference in internal affairs," among 
many responses, were widely reported on the next day's 
front pages. Pro-government daily Al-Seyassah ran a front- 
page headline declaring, "Cheney's Statements Provoke the 
Kuwaiti Street." 
 
8. The controversy should prove short-lived. The U.S. 
Embassy issued a statement correcting the record, which all 
papers ran prominently. An attendee at the event also 
issued a clarification. And two prominent ministers and 
ruling family members issued similar statements widely 
covered in all newspapers. Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. 
Mohammed Al-Sabah downplayed the issue and warned 
journalists to check their sources, and Defense Minister 
Shaykh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah questioned the precision 
of the reports on Ms. Cheney's comments. 
 
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