US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT4313

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004313 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, KDEM, KISL, KWMN, KU, ISLAMISTS 
SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SPOKESMAN SAYS 
ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO WORKING WITHIN POLITICAL SYSTEM 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) The Political Relations Head for the Islamic 
Consensus Movement (ICM), the political arm of the Muslim 
Brotherhood in Kuwait, told Poloff in a recent meeting that 
his organization is committed to working within Kuwait's 
political system as outlined by the Constitution.  Mohammed 
Al-Dallal discounted political opponents' skepticism about 
the organization's commitment to democratic government, 
pointing to the ICM's long history of political participation 
in Kuwait and noting the organization has never resorted to 
violence to achieve its objectives.  Al-Dallal emphasized 
that the ICM eschews violence and condemns terrorist attacks 
against civilians, though he noted that attacks against 
Israeli soldiers are permissible.  With several thousand 
members, the ICM is one of the largest political associations 
in Kuwait and is currently preparing itself to become a 
political party, Al-Dallal said. 
 
2.  (C) Al-Dallal agreed with rumors that the Government paid 
seven million KD (24 million USD) to garner enough support to 
pass legislation granting women the right to vote.  When 
pressed, he admitted that he knew a National Assembly member 
who received a 500,000 KD (1.7 million USD) bank transfer 
from a government official to vote for the reform; he did not 
specify who received or gave the money. 
 
3.  (C) Al-Dallal explained that the ICM opposed women's 
suffrage legislation for social, not religious, reasons. 
Asked what the ICM's position was now that women's political 
rights had been granted, Al-Dallal said the ICM would 
actively court women's votes and is even considering 
nominating one or more female candidates in the 2007 
parliamentary elections.  The women's issue was hotly debated 
within the party, Al-Dallal said, noting that the ICM's 
position against the reform only passed by two votes among 
the 70 ICM members with voting privileges; both Al-Dallal and 
ICM Secretary General Bader Al-Nashi supported women's 
suffrage.  Al-Dallal claimed the ICM would not/not try to 
reverse women's political rights if the organization gained 
political power. 
 
4.  (C) Bio note: Mohammed Al-Dallal, who appears to be in 
his late-thirties, is a partner at Al Khebra Legal 
Consultants and Lawyers.  He graduated from the Faculty of 
Law at Kuwait University in 1989, and received a master's in 
banking law from the University of Buckingham, England in 
1997.  Al-Dallal is a member of various organizations, 
including: the Kuwait Bar Association, the International Bar 
Association, and the British Arbitration Authority.  Prior to 
joining Al Khebra, he served as Deputy Attorney General in 
the Department of Legal Advice and Legislation, which advises 
the Council of Ministers on legal matters.  At Kuwait 
University, Al-Dallal was actively involved in the Coalition 
Group, a student party affiliated with the ICM, and was twice 
elected as head of the university's influential Student 
Union.  He speaks excellent English. 
 
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http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
 
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LEBARON