US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT2266

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002266 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA, 
IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
CINCCENT FOR CCPA 
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS 
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KU, KDMR 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, MAY 19-27: TERRORISM; 
KUWAITI ELECTIONS; KUWAITI POWS; RECONCILIATION WITH IRAQ 
 
 
1.   SUMMARY: In contrast to the strongly pro-American tone 
of commentary during Operation Iraqi Freedom, free style US 
bashing has returned to some corners of Kuwait's Arabic 
press.  Dr. Sadeq al Bassam writes in liberal Al-Qabas that 
the US "bears responsibility" for the massacres Saddam 
committed after the liberation of Kuwait and states that US 
officials who were decision-makers twelve years ago should 
be put on trial.  All papers report an allegation by a 
Kuwaiti MP that "foreign embassies" are engaged in vote- 
buying in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in July. 
 
One liberal commentator calls for Arab governments to adopt 
"a perspective that recognizes that terrorism is a domestic 
phenomenon," while another editor defends his paper's report 
that the Kuwaiti Minister of Awqaf publicly referred to 
Americans as "executioners" in a speech given several months 
ago during a conference on "Dialogue Among Civilizations." 
Kuwaiti POWs remain a front-page issue, with intensifying 
public pressure for results. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.   News Stories: The Kuwaiti POW issue continues to 
dominate the front pages this week. Al-Qabas reports that 
families and relatives of Kuwaiti POWs are scheduled to 
stage a sit-in in front of the National Assembly building on 
May 26 to urge greater government efforts in accounting for 
the POWs. 
 
Al-Watan front pages a report that two Iraqis told a Kuwaiti 
team searching for POWs that they know of the location of a 
mass grave in Kuwait. Al-Seyassah banners a report of a 
"Kuwaiti POW found in Iraq" on May 26. 
 
Under the front-page headline, "MPs: Embassies and Sheikhs 
Interfere in the Elections," Al-Seyassah reports on May 27 
accusations by certain MPs of vote-buying in the run-up to 
the July Parliamentary elections. The newspaper quotes MP 
Ahmad Al-Saadoun's warning to the Minister of Interior: 
"This [vote-buying] is dangerous to the ruling system, 
especially since money is available to many parties, 
including foreign embassies." 
 
In response to the denial by Minister of Justice and Islamic 
Affairs, Ahmad Baqer, of an Al-Watan report (see para. 4) 
claiming Baqer referred to Americans as "executioners" in a 
public speech, Al-Watan published on May 27 a transcript of 
the speech with the offending remarks highlighted. 
 
The budget earmarked for the Kuwaiti team assigned to search 
for Kuwaiti POWs in Iraq is KD 5 million (approx. USD 15 
million), Al-Qabas reports on May 25. 
 
Editorials: 
 
3.  "Terrorism In The Gulf" 
Liberal Kuwait University Political Science Professor, Dr. 
Shamlan Al-Essa wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (5/19): 
"The recent terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco 
were not a surprise for many observers. Saudi Arabia and 
many GCC nations adopted polices supportive of the 
fundamentalist currents. They allowed the Arab Mujahedeen 
from the Gulf to travel to Afghanistan, and then to Kosovo. 
Then, these `Gulf Afghans' returned home and began to 
activate sleeping cells in order to fight against the US. 
Combating terrorism requires a perspective that recognizes 
that terrorism is a domestic phenomenon." 
 
4.  "Baqer Should Not Be Blamed-- He Has Done Worse" 
Liberal Editor-in-Chief of Al-Watan newspaper, Mohammad Al- 
Jassim, opined (5/26):  "I cannot blame the Minister of 
Justice and Islamic Affairs, Ahmad Baqer, for exploiting his 
ministerial position to benefit his interests during the 
upcoming elections. Baqer has done worse, yet no one held 
him accountable. A few months ago, during a conference 
entitled `Towards a Constructive Dialogue Among 
Civilizations', Minister Baqer gave a speech in which he 
accused Americans of being `executioners' [western values 
being imposed on other cultures]. "Recently the 
excecutioners have intensified ideology since fall of 
communism and under influence of Zionism." I do not care 
when any other Salafi accuses the Americans of being 
`executioners,' for this is their opinion. However, when 
this is stated by a Minister in the Kuwaiti government, 
claiming to represent the government's view, then this is 
extremely dangerous. If the Minister views the Americans as 
`executioners', how can we blame any individual who adopts 
Baqer's ideology when deciding to undertake a terrorist 
operation?" 
 
5.  "The Arabs and Inhumane Feelings" 
Lawyer Dr. Badria Al-Awadi wrote in independent Al-Qabas 
(5/21):  "Regrettably, some Arab governments have exploited 
the terrorist attacks in order to limit the freedom of their 
citizens under the pretext of ensuring security for their 
countries. They use the term `combat terrorism' to end any 
political opposition against them. The use of such a method 
to combat terrorism by these inhumane governments only 
encourages extremists to conduct terrorism in response, as 
what happened in Saudi Arabia and Morocco." 
 
6.  "The Mass Graves in Iraq" 
Dr. Sadeq Al-Bassam wrote in independent Al-Seyassah 
(5/21):  "The US should bear the responsibility for these 
massacres which occurred in 1991 after the liberation of 
Kuwait. The US, and the entire world, must put the people 
who carried out these massacres on trial to be punished. It 
is also the responsibility of the US to offer compensation 
and assistance to the families who lost their loved ones 
over the past 12 years. Justice can be only achieved if the 
US officials who were decision makers 12 years ago are also 
put on trial, because they kept silent about the massacres 
by Saddam." 
 
7.  "Partners in Crime" 
Dr. Yasser Al-Saleh wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam 
(5/27):  "A few days ago, some satellite [television] 
channels broadcast the execution of three Iraqis who did not 
support Saddam. This crime took place in 1983, which was the 
golden age of Iraqi-American relations. It was also the year 
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld visited Iraq to offer military 
 
SIPDIS 
cooperation to Saddam. The American administration cannot 
deny that they knew exactly what was happening inside Iraq." 
 
8.  "What Every Iraqi Must Know" 
Liberal Secretary General of the Kuwait Journalist's 
Association, Faisal Al-Qanai wrote in independent Al- 
Seyassah  (5/21):  "For the past 12 years, Saddam convinced 
the Iraqi people that Kuwait was the country responsible for 
Iraq's economic sanctions and Iraq's destruction and 
poverty. One of the best ways to reveal the truth to the 
Iraqis is to highlight the positive role in Kuwait's 
assistance to the people of Iraq. The media is the most 
appropriate weapon for clearing up any misunderstanding and 
therefore, we must continue to demonstrate Kuwait's 
[positive] position towards the Iraqi people." 
 
9.  "We Have to Take Care of Iraq's Children" 
Liberal Faisal Al-Qanai wrote in independent Al-Seyassah 
(5/24):  "If we really want to raise a common generation 
between Iraq and Kuwait, then we have to focus on Iraq's 
children. Saddam sowed the seeds of this problem in the 
minds of those children. He made them hate Kuwait and the 
Kuwaitis, and forced them to believe that Kuwait is the 
cause for their suffering. The children of Iraq must feel 
that Kuwait's children are their friends, and that Saddam 
was the one responsible for their dilemma. Likewise, the 
children of Kuwait must come to realize that the Iraqi 
children are innocent of Saddam's crimes." 
 
10.  "Welcome, Mr. President" 
Dr. Salah Al-Atteeqi wrote in independent Al-Qabas (5/24): 
"A great leader who had a great role in the liberation of 
Iraq and Afghanistan will be visiting Kuwait soon. We should 
receive President Bush with all the respect and appreciation 
he deserves, and we should remember that the US and the 
allied countries were the only ones which stood with us 
during the Iraqi occupation." 
 
 
JONES