US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1403

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 06 MANAMA 001403 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR R, P, NEA, NEA/ARPI, NEA/PI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KDEM, KPAO, PTER, EAID, PHUM, KMPI, BA 
SUBJECT: COMBATING EXTREMISM: BAHRAIN ACTIVE PARTNER IN 
PROMOTING TOLERANCE AND MODERATION 
 
REF: A. A. STATE 159129 
 
     B. B. MANAMA 1292 
 
Classified By: Classified by William T. Monroe.  Reasons: 1.4 (b)(d) 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (S) The United States and Bahrain are close partners in 
combating extremism and promoting tolerance and moderation 
inside the Kingdom.  King Hamad is a recognized regional 
leader for his political and economic reforms and advancement 
of women's rights.  He is fully committed to the global war 
on terror and shares and supports our policy objectives in 
the region.  Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy Central Command and 
cooperates closely with us on law enforcement and 
counter-terrorism initiatives.  The GOB recognizes the 
challenge represented by Islamic extremism and has launched 
several initiatives to educate and moderate those in the 
extremist fringe. 
 
2.  (S/NF) Bahrain is an almost textbook case for 
participation in Middle East Partnership Initiative programs. 
 It is fully engaged in political, judicial, economic, and 
educational reform, and is a leader in women's issues. 
Bahrain will host the November Forum for the Future 
conference as well as related conferences on women in the 
workplace and women's rights.  Our programming and engagement 
runs the full spectrum of U.S. national interests:  public 
affairs, political and economic reform, military intelligence 
exchange; military assistance and cooperation; security; and 
financial controls.  Just as the GOB seeks to work with us on 
USG proposals, we are tailoring our programming to support 
Bahrain's priorities, most prominently in promoting voices of 
moderation.  End Summary. 
 
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King Launches Political, Economic Reform 
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3.  (C) King (then Emir) Hamad launched a political and 
economic reform process upon succeeding to the throne in 
March 1999.  Seeking to move away from the sporadic violence 
and sectarian tensions of the 1990s, the King held a 
successful public referendum on the "National Action Charter" 
in 2001 and issued a new constitution in early 2002.  The 
constitution pronounced Bahrain a constitutional monarchy and 
led to the first nationwide elections since the early 1970s, 
for municipal councils and the lower house of parliament. 
The King and government concurrently launched economic 
reforms to open the economy further and promote transparency 
in commercial decision making.  The U.S. and Bahrain signed a 
free trade agreement in September 2004, and the Bahraini 
parliament ratified the agreement in July 2005.  The U.S. 
Navy Central Command headquarters is located in Bahrain, and 
the Kingdom hosts dozens of ship visits each year.  Bahrain 
is generally supportive of U.S. policy objectives in the 
region. 
 
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Bahraini Programs to Promote Tolerance, Moderation 
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4.  (S) Bahrain's population is approximately two-thirds Shia 
and one-third Sunni; the ruling family and much of the 
government's senior officials are Sunni.  The Sunni community 
includes Muslim Brotherhood members and sympathizers and 
Salafis close to counterparts in Saudi Arabia.  There are 
fringe Salafis in Bahrain who are influenced by Al Qaeda, 
some of whom could try to carry out violent acts.  The Shia 
community is composed of many trends, the majority following 
Iran's model of welayat al-faqih, or governance of the 
jurisprudent.  Bahrain's Shia have a tradition of holding 
demonstrations, some of which have become violent. 
 
5.  (S) The Bahraini government is taking practical steps to 
promote tolerance and moderation.  For the first time, 
through the Arab Civitas program, it has introduced civic 
education into the public school curriculum.  The Ministry of 
Education is also developing its own texts to develop a sense 
of civic responsibility among youth.  The Ministry of Islamic 
Affairs has initiated a program to educate clerics on Islam 
and the world.  The Ministry issued to Bahrain's Imams 
standard language on tolerance for non-Muslims, for use in 
their sermons.  It is now preparing a similar document on the 
relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims and the 
treatment of non-Muslims in Islamic countries.  The Ministry 
has invited American Muslims to participate in conference and 
seminars and has requested USG funding for a study tour of 
the U.S. by Bahraini clerics. (Ref B). 
 
6.  (C) The King issued a decree September 21 to form a 
Political Development Institute, attached to the upper house 
of Parliament, the Shura Council, and chaired by Secretary 
General of the Supreme Council of Women Lulwa Al Awadhi.  On 
September 27, the Public Opinion Center for Media Projects 
opened, the first private organization to analyze and assess 
public opinion in Bahrain.  Minister of Commerce and Industry 
Fakhro spoke at the opening, and the Center distributed its 
first study, on attitudes towards the Kingdom's municipal 
councils.  Bahrain is an active participant in the 
G-8/Broader Middle East and North Africa (BMENA) process, and 
will host the second Forum for the Future conference in 
November.  It also will host an NGO conference on Women and 
the Workplace in October, the International Institute for 
Strategic Studies Gulf Security Dialogue in December, and a 
regional conference on women's rights in March 2006. 
 
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U.S. Highly Engaged in Combating Extremism in Bahrain 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
7.  (S/NF) The United States is highly engaged in combating 
extremism and promoting reform in Bahrain, from cultural and 
educational exchanges to democracy promotion and 
entrepreneurship development.  Bahrain is an avid participant 
in Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) programming as 
well as regional initiatives the Entrepreneurship Center and 
the Gulf Legislative Resource Center.  It is proud to be a 
leader for reform in the region. 
 
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Programming:  Public Affairs 
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8.  (SBU)   The Ambassador has sent a consistent message 
condemning violent extremism and promoting the President's 
freedom agenda through interviews, op-eds, and special events 
with media coverage.  In September, Arabic daily Al Ayam 
published a full-page interview with the Ambassador covering 
the war on terrorism, the Iraq constitution, and democratic 
reform in Bahrain and the region.  Similar interviews are 
planned with other major dailies during October.  The 
IIP-generated op-ed on Afghanistan elections was placed under 
the Ambassador's name in daily Akhbar Al Khaleej, a 
consistent critic of U.S. policies.  On September 11, the 
Ambassador brought together members of the diplomatic corps, 
Bahraini government officials, parliamentarians, journalists, 
and civil society leaders to denounce violent extremism and 
commemorate victims of terrorism around the world.  The 
Ambassador spoke at the opening of a training session for 
Ministry of Justice officials about the dangers of 
trafficking in persons.  Bahrain television broadcast a 
30-minute interview with the DCM on the occasion of 
International Women's Day. 
 
International Visitor Programs 
------------------------------ 
9.  (U) The Embassy's International Visitors Program, the 
related Voluntary Visitors program, and Foreign Press Center 
tours, all offer powerful tools against extremism, 
particularly in the ability to reach young professionals and 
civil society actors as they are developing into leadership 
positions, and cultivating U.S.-Bahraini, regional and global 
relationships and mutual understanding that can last a 
lifetime.  Embassy Manama has programmed over 70 Bahraini 
journalists, educators, government leaders, civil society 
actors, and student leaders in visitor programs since 2002. 
These programs have an impressive impact even in the near 
term.  A recent example: an influential religious cleric and 
columnist Sayed Dheya al Musawi returned from his IV program 
"Interfaith Dialogue" and began immediately writing in the 
press about greater religious tolerance and against 
extremism.  More long-term follow-up and alumni activities 
would help maintain the momentum of these programs.  IV 
programs are often intense experiences, and the initial 
"buzz" participants feel can diminish when confronted with 
the same unchanged professional or political environment. 
 
Academic Exchanges 
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10.  (U) The Fulbright Scholarship and Humphrey Fellowship 
have been in existence for decades and the PLUS undergraduate 
scholarship was instituted in Bahrain in 2003.  The embassy 
public affairs section is currently negotiating with the 
Ministry of Education and ECA to establish a YES high-school 
exchange program for the 2006-2007 academic year.  The PLUS 
and eventually the YES program have the greatest potential to 
be a force against the growth of extremism by reaching young 
people whose ideas are being formed.   Youth are confronted 
with a barrage of information from Arab satellite networks, 
portraying on the one side negative images of U.S. culture 
and foreign policy, and on the other the rumblings of change 
and democratic reform efforts across the region.  Young 
people returning from exchanges almost invariably speak of it 
as a mind-opening and a life-changing experience.  These 
young opinion-leaders can be a leading force against the 
ignorance and misinformation about the U.S. that feeds 
extremism. 
 
MEPI-sponsored Young Leaders and Civic Participation 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
11.  (U) In 2005, MEPI sent three Bahraini students to 
participate with other students from the region in a special 
six-week program on youth leadership and civic participation 
in such diverse settings as Montana, California, North 
Carolina, and New York.  Judging from a debrief with PAO 
staff September 21, these students were deeply affected by 
this experience, and have already begun to share their 
leadership training skills and experiences in the U.S. with 
their peers and instructors.  They are already in touch with 
their colleagues in the region about organizing a regional 
youth conference.  This programming could be extremely 
helpful in cultivating a culture of civic participation, with 
its strong emphasis on community service and volunteerism. 
 
MEPI - Civic Education 
---------------------- 
12.  (U) The Bahraini Ministry of Education Office of 
Curriculum Development, the Arab Civitas implementer, has 
successfully introduced a civic education curriculum - 
"Project Citizen" and "Foundations of Democracy" - as 
elective courses in two secondary schools, as well as 
training 35 teachers in the curriculum.    This September, 
Scholastic Books trained 300 primary school teachers in the 
use of My Arabic Library, a MEPI funded primary school Arabic 
language children's reading curriculum.   Civic education 
that stresses good citizenship and democratic values of 
tolerance and civic participation could have a positive 
impact on the next generation of Bahraini youth, and make it 
less likely for extremist views to take hold. 
 
MEPI - Broadcast Media Reform 
----------------------------- 
13.  (U) CHUM Television International is the implementing 
partner for a MEPI-sponsored project to build capacity in 
Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation for independent 
programming.   Judging from the energy and receptivity of the 
state media to this project and the completion of CHUM's 
first assessment, this program has real potential to increase 
the independence of television programming in Bahrain, adding 
substantive local news content, and giving it greater 
editorial independence along the PBS model (with a 
Corporation for Public Broadcasting-type board of directors) 
and financial independence along the lines of BBC's 
commercial service. 
 
ACCESS Micro-scholarships 
------------------------- 
14.  (U) The ACCESS English language microscholarship program 
is early in its development in Bahrain, but already it is a 
hit.  It gives the Embassy access to a broad range of 
students we might never come in contact with, giving them the 
English language necessary to improve their job/academic 
skill-sets.  As one parent put it at the graduation ceremony 
held at the American Cultural and Education Center in early 
September,  "Thank you for educating our children."  This 
program has excellent potential for building up a capital of 
goodwill toward the United States, strengthening 
opportunities among the region's youth, and thus diminishing 
the appeal of extremism. 
 
U.S. Speakers 
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15.  (U) The U.S. Speaker program is a valuable tool to 
expose Bahraini society to American society and values, and 
build mutual understanding, lasting connections, and cultural 
interchange that is another antidote against the ignorance 
and lack of understanding where extremism grows.  We are 
currently engaging with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs on a 
project to bring Muslim American speakers to Bahrain to 
dialogue about ways to increase messages of tolerance and 
moderation in order to combat extremism.  U.S. Speaker Imam 
Yahya Hendi, of Georgetown University, will visit Bahrain 
during Ramadan 2005, and participate in Ramadan events, 
including an embassy-hosted Iftar public lecture, and majlis 
with the Under Secretary for Islamic Affairs 
 
Youth Outreach and Volunteerism 
------------------------------- 
16.  (U) Working through small capacity-building grants, and 
public outreach efforts, Embassy Manama is working with local 
partners to cultivate a spirit of volunteerism and civic 
participation.  For instance, we recently awarded a Voluntary 
Visitor travel grant to the director of a new NGO dedicated 
to promoting youth volunteerism.  She will attend training in 
the United States with professional volunteer organizations 
and NGOs that promote youth volunteerism, such as 
Virginia-based Volunteers for Change.  A second small grant 
will help send experts to Bahrain in the next fiscal year to 
train teacher volunteers. 
 
English Language Programming 
--------------------------- 
17.  (U) English language programs develop the country's 
human capital and prepare students to become responsible 
citizens.  The Regional English Language Office (RELO) placed 
a Senior English Language Fellow at the Ministry of Education 
curriculum department to help produce a curriculum designed 
not only to teach English language but also to support the 
Ministry's new initiatives in civic education.  Bahrain has 
also received a number of English language specialists, all 
of whom have worked with teachers and teacher trainers to 
implement democratic classroom practices in the schools and 
to bring quality English language training to workplaces to 
help improve productivity in the workforce. 
 
18.  (U) RELO held a one-day conference on critical thinking 
attended by 200 English language experts.  Bahrain had one 
participant in the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant 
program and we plan to increase that number significantly in 
the coming fiscal year.  We sponsored eight E-Teacher program 
participants in Bahrain.  RELO annually distributes 
approximately 800 English Teaching Forum magazines (200 
subscriptions) as well as ECA-produced English teaching 
materials to teachers, teacher-trainers, and institutions in 
Bahrain. 
 
Ministry of Islamic Affairs - Voices of Moderation 
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19.  (U) Per the item above on U.S. speakers, we plan to 
expand the number of Muslim American speakers in Bahrain. 
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has requested U.S. support 
for a special International Visitor Program bringing Bahraini 
clerics to the U.S. to promote intercultural and interfaith 
dialogue and religious tolerance, to be requested in septel. 
 Our hope is that this effort will amplify voices of 
moderation, tolerance and freedom. 
 
Civic Education 
--------------- 
20.  (U) In additional to their coordination with the Center 
for Civic Education on implementing civic education 
curriculum at the secondary school level, the Ministry of 
Education is developing their own primary and secondary 
school curriculum on civic education.  They have developed 
four texts for primary schools with titles such as 
"responsibility," "privacy" and "authority."  This 
progressive movement towards cultivating a sense of civic 
responsibility among youth is an important aspect of the 
movement towards democratic reform in the Kingdom of Bahrain. 
 It also shows a sense of urgency on the part of the 
government to offset criticism for importing a Western 
formula for civic education by coming up with a formula of 
their own.  In the long-term, such action will likely 
generate a greater generational stake in Bahraini civic life 
and help reduce the appeal of extremism. 
 
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Programming:  Political Affairs 
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21.  (SBU) The Embassy's political reform programming focuses 
on promoting participation in the political system and 
building the capacity of political and civil society 
institutions.  By getting involved in the political and civic 
affairs of the country, Bahrainis will seek to implement 
change through the system rather than from the outside. 
Political participation decreases citizens' susceptibility to 
extremist messages. 
 
American Bar Association (ABA) 
------------------------------ 
22.  (SBU) The MEPI-funded rule of law program implemented by 
the American Bar Association plans to bring short term 
impacts to Bahrain's justice system by improving case 
management and upgrading the capacity of judges and Ministry 
of Justice staff.  The intended target of ABA's activities is 
relatively small -- justice system professionals in Bahrain 
-- but the number of those impacted by its programs is 
potentially very large, and includes those involved in civil 
and commercial legal cases.  The program was launched soon 
after the MEPI-funded rule of law conference in summer 2003. 
We judge the program to be very effective in building up 
citizens' and investors' confidence in Bahrain's justice 
system. 
 
National Democratic Institute (NDI) 
----------------------------------- 
23.  (SBU) The MEPI-funded NDI program seeks to strengthen 
Bahraini 
political and civil society organizations and to enhance 
their capacity to play a constructive and meaningful role in 
the Kingdom's political reforms.  There are both short- and 
long-term benefits from the program.  The intended target 
audience is medium -- those political and civil society 
organizations active inside Bahrain.  The impact is larger, 
however, to include the organizations' members and 
potentially all of Bahrain's citizens, as political and civil 
society activity becomes more active and democratic.  The 
program started in March 2002.  We believe this program is 
extremely effective and want to see it continue as Bahrain 
continues along the path of democratization. 
 
Legislative Resources Center (LRC) 
---------------------------------- 
24.  (SBU) MEPI awarded a grant to the State University of 
New York (SUNY)-Albany campus to establish a regional 
legislative resources center.  The center would increase 
parliamentary member and staff access to critical knowledge, 
skills, information, and resources in order to support 
parliamentary performance.  This is a long-term project with 
a potentially large audience, to include all parliaments and 
their staffs in the Gulf region.  The grant was awarded over 
one year ago but SUNY-Albany is still in the process of 
identifying a partner/host institution.  The Bahrain Center 
for Studies and Research has expressed interest in working 
with SUNY-Albany on the LRC. 
 
 
25.  (SBU) The Embassy also coordinates USG-funded programs 
on: 
- Trafficking-in-Persons and Domestic Violence Hotline 
Training; 
- Enhancing Accountability and Integrity in Electoral Systems; 
- Supporting Freedom and Reform Across the Gulf; and 
- Empowering Civil Society Organizations to Operate Like 
Institutions. 
 
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Programming:  Economic Affairs 
------------------------------ 
 
26.  (SBU) Our economic affairs programming is designed to 
support implementation of and compliance with the 
U.S.-Bahrain free trade agreement.  The programming promotes 
enhancement of bilateral trade and investment relations, with 
a focus on improving economic growth and employment.  An 
energized Bahraini economy that stimulates employment will 
improve the standard of living and help combat extremism. 
 
Bahrain Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence 
--------------------------------------------- 
27.  (SBU) The USG, as part of the G-8/Broader Middle East 
and North Africa (BMENA) initiative, is funding the 
establishment of an Entrepreneurship Center.  The Center will 
provide training and technical assistance to entrepreneurs in 
the Gulf region at the "growth" stage of development.  The 
project was launched in late 2004 and the Center will be 
formally launched at the November Forum for the Future 
conference in Bahrain.  The target audience numbers about 100 
per year and the impact should be significant relative to 
promoting economic growth and employment in the region. 
 
Business Internship Program for Women 
------------------------------------- 
28.  (SBU) This MEPI project provides assistance to send 
young business women to the U.S. for an executive MBA and 
internship with an American company.  The first group of 
participants went in summer 2004 and the program continues. 
The target audience is small.  We judge the program to be 
very effective and support its continuation. 
 
MEET US 
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29.  (SBU) This regional MEPI project provides training and 
networking opportunities for entrepreneurs throughout the 
MENA region, with a focus on business women.  The project 
started in 2004 and has had an impact on up-and-coming 
Bahraini business people, and has had a positive impact on 
their perceptions of the United States.  We seek to continue 
Bahraini participation in this project. 
 
Commercial Law and Development Program 
-------------------------------------- 
30.  (SBU) MEPI funds the U.S. Department of Commerce, 
Commercial Law Development Program to provide technical 
assistance and training to the Bahraini government on 
improving its commercial legal environment.  CLDP is now 
providing assistance to the GOB to update its commercial code 
to cover e-commerce.  Other projects have covered alternative 
dispute resolution and specialized commercial courts.  This 
project has a very large impact on improving the business 
environment in Bahrain, particularly as we approach FTA 
ratification and implementation. 
 
31.  (SBU) The USG also funds training and technical 
assistance programs on: 
- Department of Homeland Security/Customs Training 
- USDA Sanitary and Phytosanitary Inspection 
- Environment Protection 
- USPTO IPR Protection. 
 
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Combating Terrorism 
-------------------- 
 
32.  (S/NF) In addition to programs to combat extremism, the 
USG, through the Embassy, has active and ongoing programs to 
improve Bahrain's ability to combat terrorism.  The Defense 
Attache Office Bahrain manages and executes an intelligence 
exchange program designed to share terrorist threat 
information and enhance Bahrain's counter terror efforts. 
The program provides a process for maintaining an informal 
exchange of information and frequent dialogue with those in 
the host nation directly involved and concerned with 
combating terrorism. 
 
33.  (S/NF) The United States is providing assistance to the 
GOB to establish a joint counter-terrorism center, which 
would utilize the assets of several Bahraini agencies to 
deter, investigate and prosecute terrorist crimes.  The FY 
2005 Supplemental Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) allocations 
to support the global war on terrorism has tentatively 
allocated $1 million to assist in establishing this Center. 
The Embassy is implementing a five-year, $10 million plan of 
Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) with funding in excess of $10 
million for programs on terrorism investigation, border 
security and senior crisis management.  The active 
participation of the Bahraini government has been excellent. 
 
34.  (C) The Office of Military Cooperation conducts 
exercises and training exchanges and coordinates military 
sales to promote interoperability and cooperation between the 
Bahrain Defense Force and the U.S. military.  Further 
development of Bahrain's counter-terrorism capacity improves 
its ability to limit the ability of extremists to disrupt 
Bahraini society. 
 
35.  (C) The U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control 
(OFAC) presence at Embassy Manama coordinates with ministries 
of finance, central banks and regional and local financial 
institutions to combat terrorism financing and money 
laundering.  OFAC also works with the new Middle East and 
North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENA FATF) to 
promote best practices in fighting terrorism financing and 
money laundering. 
MONROE