US embassy cable - 05MANAMA942

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000942 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USTR FOR J. BUNTIN 
COMMERCE FOR 4520/ITA/ONE/HOFFMAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2015 
TAGS: ETRD, BTIO, ECON, PREL, BA 
SUBJECT: FTA CLEARS LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON Chief Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1. (SBU) The lower house Council of Representatives passed 
the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by a wide margin on 
July 5.  The forty-member body ratified the treaty with 
twenty-five votes in favor, four votes opposed and two 
abstentions.  (Nine members were not present for the vote.) 
The four members voting against and the two abstaining were 
all from Bahrain's two Sunni Islamist parties - Al Minbar and 
Al Asala. 
 
2. (C) Following the vote, Al Minbar president Dr. Salah Ali 
told Emboff that his party had intended to adopt a neutral 
position on the agreement.  He explained that three of the 
four votes against the FTA had been from his party, but added 
that these were to have been balanced by three other members 
who were to have voted for the FTA, while he, as the chairman 
of the bloc, would abstain.  He said that, unfortunately, the 
three members who were to have voted in support of the FTA 
were among the nine members who were absent.  Ali added that 
Al Minbar hoped the U.S. would respond to the positive 
outcome for the FTA by rethinking its strategies in Bahrain 
and the Gulf Region. 
 
3. (SBU) In the debate prior to the vote, several MPs linked 
ratification of the treaty to the release of the six Bahraini 
detainees at Guantanamo.  But the vast majority of members 
argued that the FTA was in Bahrain's national interest. 
Others pointed out that through enhanced cooperation between 
the U.S. and Bahrain, such as with the FTA, important 
bilateral issues like the status of the detainees at GTMO 
could be discussed and resolved. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment: The FTA will now move to the Shura Council, 
Bahrain's upper house, where an expeditious and 
opposition-free ratification is expected.  Bahraini 
Government officials told Pol/Econ Chief and Econoff on July 
4 that preparations for FTA implementation are under way, 
focusing in particular on IPR legislation consistent with 
Bahrain's commitments under the FTA.  End comment. 
 
MONROE