US embassy cable - 05MANAMA1679

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001679 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/FO and NEA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PREL, PGOV, KMPI, BA 
SUBJECT: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE: REGIONAL MEDIA FOCUS ON 
REFORM AGENDA 
 
1. Summary:   In contrast to the American press' focus on 
the November 12 Forum for the Future's failure to issue a 
final communiqu, characterizing it as "ending in discord" 
over Egypt's objection on the role of NGOs, the Bahrain and 
regional media highlighted the broader importance of the 
Forum's reform agenda.  Overall, commentary portrayed 
Egypt's objection as an isolated blunder, and recognized the 
unprecedented nature of the dialogue taking place between 
civil society and BMENA governments. End Summary. 
 
2. Government-owned daily newspapers Al-Ayam and independent 
Al-Wasat both ran pull-out sections on the Forum for the 
Future, which featured background information on the Forum 
and explained its objectives.  The two pull-outs gave full 
coverage to press roundtable discussions with EUR A/S Fried, 
DRL A/S Lowenkron, and ECA/DAS Romanowski in addition to the 
one-on-one Al-Wasat interview with NEA/DAS Scott Carpenter. 
 
3. Regional coverage of the Forum was broad and thorough. 
Secretary Rice's interview with Arab satellite network Al- 
 
SIPDIS 
Arabiya constituted the main news item throughout the day 
November 12 every hour on the hour starting with the noon 
news bulletin.  Prominent Arabic and English regional 
dailies carried significant reporting on the Forum and 
Secretary Rice's statements, including Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Al- 
 
SIPDIS 
Hayat, Al-Riyadh, Gulf News and Khalij Times.  All local 
Arabic and English dailies and Al-Hayat covered the launch 
of the Fund for the Future and Foundation for the Future. 
According to regional reports, the Forum closed with summary 
documents of the main pillars discussed instead of the 
"Bahrain Declaration" after some Arab countries led by Egypt 
expressed reservations over funding and supporting 
unregistered NGOs by the Foundation for the Future. 
 
4. Al Wasat also reported statements by Secretary Rice 
criticizing Syria for its human rights record and calling on 
Damascus to release all Syrian political detainees, 
including Kamal Labwani.  Al-Wasat described the statement 
as part of the U.S. campaign to isolate Syria 
internationally. 
 
Commentary Highlights Importance of Reform 
------------------------------------------ 
 
5. Esmat Al-Mousawi, leading columnist in Al-Ayam, asserted 
that Arabs need the West to fix and reform what they have 
been incapable of fixing for decades: "Yes, some Arabs claim 
that the Forum is one more way for the West's interference 
in our internal affairs.  And yes, there is a bit of truth 
in that, but reality says that Arabs have always asked the 
West for assistance throughout history so why not ask its 
assistance with reforms?!  All we should do right now is 
invest all the foreign initiatives to our advantage but 
without closing our minds and eyes, so we are not 
manipulated whether from outside or inside our countries." 
 
6. Abbas Busafwan, of Al-Ayam, echoes the need to take 
advantage of international initiatives on reforms and 
democratization even if "we oppose the policies of those 
countries."  He adds: "The wheel of reforms has started 
spinning and the people are capable of investing the 
international climate to push for more reforms.  However, 
reform will be more streamlined when the people and regimes 
agreed on the pace of reform and its form." 
 
7. Mansoor Al-Jamri, of Al-Wasat, asserts that the 
Foundation for Future will mark a new beginning on the road 
of reforms in the region if it is administered by 
independent and honest members who work on distributing the 
funds equally among the various NGOs in the 
region. Competition between countries wishing to host the 
Foundation headquarters also shows the importance and the 
authority it will give the host country. 
 
8. Ali Saleh, of often anti-U.S. policy Akhbar Al-Khalij, 
believes that the Forum for the Future was a great success 
even though participant countries failed to issue the 
"Bahrain Declaration."  He explains: "The Forum succeeded in 
enhancing partnership between governments and civil society 
institutions.  It made the governments listen to the demands 
and aspirations of their peoples through the NGOs that 
attended.  Even the reservations raised by some countries is 
a success on its own because it pointed out the countries 
that desire reform and the countries that do not want reform 
from the outside or inside." 
 
9. On November 14, Al-Wasat quoted a government source 
denying the Forum was a failure because a "Bahrain 
Declaration" was not announced as widely reported in the 
American and European press.  Sources added that there was 
no political failure between Bahrain, the United States, and 
other G8 countries.  There was disagreement between some 
countries that opposed the declaration that included 
articles granting Foundation for the Future the right to 
support all civil society institutions directly including 
institutions that are unregistered officially.  Sources 
explained that Bahrain will participate in a meeting in 
Jordan next month to draft the charter of the Foundation for 
Future.  It is expected that the "Bahrain Declaration" will 
be announced during that meeting. 
 
10. Government daily Al-Ayam reported that Bahraini Foreign 
Affairs Assistant Undersecretary Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin 
Mubarak Al-Khalifa revealed that a meeting would be held 
before the middle of 2006 to form board of directors for the 
Foundation for the Future to establish conditions and 
criteria for supporting NGO activities.  Shaikh Abdul Aziz 
pointed out that the Foundation will allow the financing of 
activities of civil society institutions but not the 
activities and programs of political societies.  He 
emphasized that political societies' law in Bahrain bans 
foreign financial support to political societies. 
 
11. In the one negative commentary to date, Sayed Zahra of 
the pro-government nationalist Akhbar Al Khalij, referred to 
a statement by a U.S. official at the closing of the Forum, 
widely quoted in the Western press, "we are frustrated and 
not pleased."  Zahra comments: "the reason of course is the 
reservations raised by Egypt and some Arab countries on an 
article about the support offered to NGOs.  The American 
frustration and anger show that America was holding bad 
intentions and hiding its goals and objectives behind 
supporting NGOs.  America wants Arab countries to accept 
unregistered NGOs whereas it put many restrictions on 
Islamic charity funds and NGOs in America.  The reality is 
that America wants to support outlawed NGOs.  They want to 
see chaos in our countries to facilitate the merger of 
Israel in the Broader Middle East and North Africa and 
abolish the Arab identity." 
 
 
MONROE