US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1279

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001279 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2015 
TAGS: PREL, BA, IZ 
SUBJECT: DELIVERY OF ORAL MESSAGE ON SUPPORTING THE IRAQI 
CONSTITUTION 
 
REF: A. STATE 163177 
 
     B. MANAMA 1237 
 
Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) The Ambassador delivered Ref A oral message on 
supporting the Iraqi constitution to Foreign Minister Shaikh 
Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa during a September 4 meeting 
covering several subjects.  Shaikh Mohammed, who had 
requested USG input (Ref B) prior to the GCC Foreign 
Ministers meeting in Jeddah (now set for September 6), 
affirmed that the GCC was the United States' "number one 
partner" in the region and said that the GCC wants to be an 
active partner of the United States "in war and in peace." 
Iran is not playing a helpful role in Iraq, the ForMin 
asserted, saying that the GCC needs to be involved in Iraq 
like Iran is. 
 
2.  (C) Shaikh Mohammed took the point on public Arab support 
for Iraq and indicated that any public statement would be 
positive.  (Note:  We have heard rumors that the GCC Foreign 
Ministers may not issue a statement following the meeting so 
as not to draw attention away from or conflict with a 
statement following the September 8 Arab League meeting.)  In 
addition to a statement by the GCC, Shaikh Mohammed stressed 
that Bahrain wants to do more in practical terms.  He 
welcomed our ideas on concrete steps GCC countries like 
Bahrain could take.  In response to the Ambassador's 
suggestion, Shaikh Mohammed said that he had invited Iraqi 
Foreign Minister Zebari to visit Bahrain and had been 
dismayed when Zebari went to the UAE and Kuwait but bypassed 
Bahrain. 
 
MONROE