US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI3265

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ABU DHABI 003265 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA; NEA/PPD, NEA/RA, 
INR/R/MR, PA, INR/NESA, INR/B AND IIP/G/NEA-SA 
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE 
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA 
 
REF:  A. KUWAIT 1482; B. ABU DHABI 1461; C. ABU 
DHABI 2013; D. ABU DHABI 2654 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, KMDR, TC 
SUBJECT:  SHAYKH AL-KUBAYSI "MODERATES" TONE WITH LOCAL 
ARAB MEDIA 
 
1.  SUMMARY AND COMMENT:  ON JULY 3-4, ABU DHABI'S 
ARABIC LANGUAGE DAILY "AL ITTIHAD" PUBLISHED A TWO-PART 
INTERVIEW WITH ISLAMIC MUFTI DR. AHMAD AL-KUBAYSI.  PER 
REFTELS, AL-KUBAYSI HAD CRITICIZED THE U.S.-LED WAR AND 
AUTHORITY IN IRAQ SEVERELY DURING PREVIOUS PUBLIC 
APPEARANCES.  MOST NOTABLE WAS HIS APRIL 18TH FRIDAY 
SERMON AT BAGHDAD'S ABU HANIFA AL-NO'MAN MOSQUE 
FOLLOWING THE FALL OF SADDAM'S REGIME, A SERMON IN WHICH 
AL-KUBAYSI ENCOURAGED WORSHIPPERS TO RESIST THE AMERICAN 
"OCCUPATION" OF IRAQ AND DEMONSTRATE. 
 
2.  IN THIS INTERVIEW, UNLIKE HIS EARLIER RHETORIC, AL- 
KUBAYSI COUNSELED IRAQIS TO "GIVE THE AMERICANS A 
CHANCE" TO "ESTABLISH A NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT AND 
REBUILD IRAQ."  KUBAYSI ASSERTED THAT ANY IRAQI 
GOVERNMENT MUST BE SECULAR IN NATURE AND THE "SUBJECT OF 
A PUBLIC REFERENDUM SO THAT IRAQIS CAN DECIDE THEIR 
FUTURE."  WHILE STILL CRITICAL OF U.S. MOTIVES FOR IRAQ, 
THE INTERVIEW IS A WELCOME SHIFT FOR THIS PROMINENT YET 
FIERY RELIGIOUS LEADER, AN INDIVIDUAL MANY BELIEVE HAS 
THE ABILITY TO SHAPE LOCAL AND REGIONAL VIEWS ON THE 
EMERGING IRAQ.  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. 
 
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HAPPY TO BE BACK IN IRAQ 
------------------------ 
 
3.  ON JULY 3 AND 4, ABU DHABI-BASED SEMI-OFFICIAL 
ARABIC DAILY "AL-ITTIHAD" RAN AN INTERVIEW IN TWO PARTS, 
FULL-PAGE EACH DAY, WITH PROMINENT ISLAMIC MUFTI DR. 
AHMAD AL-KUBAYSI.  IN SHARP CONTRAST TO PREVIOUS 
STATEMENTS (SEE REFTELS), AL-KUBAYSI, WHO HAS BASED 
HIMSELF IN THE UAE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, URGED IRAQIS TO 
PARTICIPATE IN THE REBUILDING PROCESS.  CLAIMING HE HAS 
"NO POLITICAL AMBITIONS," HE EXPRESSED HIS GRATITUDE TO 
RESUME A ROLE IN THE RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP OF IRAQ, TO 
WHICH HE HAD NOT RETURNED SINCE A 1997 DISPUTE WITH UDAY 
HUSSEIN LEFT HIM WANTED "DEAD OR ALIVE." 
 
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ANGRY AND OCCUPIED BUT PATIENCE COUNSELED 
----------------------------------------- 
 
4.  ON JULY 3, AL-KUBAYSI EXPLAINED HIS HARSH ANTI- 
AMERICAN SERMON OF APRIL 18TH AT BAGHDAD'S ABU HANIFA AL- 
NO'MAN MOSQUE:  "I WAS EXTREMELY INFLUENCED BY WHAT I 
SAW .. THERE WAS SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION, OUR TREASURES 
WERE ROBBED, AND OUR SECURITY WAS LOST.  WHAT WOULD 
SOMEONE LIKE ME DO AFTER MANY YEARS AWAY FROM IRAQ?" 
DESPITE THESE EMOTIONS," AL-KUBAYSI RECOUNTED THAT 
"EVERYONE WANTED TO RESIST ... BUT WE WERE PERSUADED 
THAT WE HAD LOST AND WERE NOW OCCUPIED.  THE AMERICANS 
ARE THE MASTERS AND WE ARE THE SLAVES ... WE AGREED THAT 
WHAT WE LOST IN THE WAR WE NEED TO REGAIN THROUGH PEACE 
AND WE SHOULD GIVE THE AMERICANS A CHANCE TO DO AS THEY 
PROMISED ... WE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THEY ESTABLISHED A 
NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT AND REBUILD IRAQ DESPITE THEIR 
AMBITIONS ON OUR OIL ..."  HOWEVER, AL-KUBAYSI ASSERTED 
THAT THE AMERICANS COULD DO MORE NOW TO IMPROVE THEIR 
IMAGE AMONG IRAQIS:  "THE AMERICANS HUMILIATE PEOPLE 
WHEN THEY ARREST THEM, AND THESE PEOPLE ARE UNIVERSITY 
PROFESSORS, TRIBAL LEADERS AND RELIGIOUS ULAMAS." 
 
 
 
 
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STRONG SECULAR GOVERNMENT OF ALL GROUPS BEST FOR IRAQ 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
 
5.  ON JULY 4, AL-KUBAYSI SUPPORTED CREATING A 
GOVERNMENT WITH STRONG INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTATIVE OF 
ALL IRAQIS:  "DEMANDING AN ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ IS 
IMPOSSIBLE, BECAUSE RELIGION IS THE LAST UMBRELLA THAT 
WILL BRING IRAQIS TOGETHER.  I AM NOT FOR A SECULAR OR 
ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT.  I WANT AN IRAQI GOVERNMENT WITH 
STRONG INSTITUTIONS THAT IS BACKED BY ALL OF ITS PEOPLE, 
MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, SHI'AS, AND SUNNIS.  AFTER, THEN WE 
ASK THE IRAQIS WHAT THEY WANT.  WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC 
... IRAQ CONTAINS VARIOUS SECTS AND ETHNIC GROUPS." 
 
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SUPPORTIVE OF RETURN OF CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
6.  AT THE SAME TIME, AL-KUBAYSI VOICED SUPPORT FOR THE 
RETURN OF A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY, CLAIMING THAT 
"THERE IS A STRONG TENDENCY OF IRAQIS TO WELCOME THE 
RETURN OF A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY, IT BEING THE MOST 
QUALIFIED SYSTEM TO MAINTAIN IRAQI UNITY ... OUR ONLY 
TIME OF PROSPERITY WAS DURING THE MONARCHY.  THE 
CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE 
KING DID NOT RULE, AND THE GOVERNMENT USED TO BE CHAIRED 
BY THE SHI'ITES, KURDS, AND SUNNIS WITHOUT ANY 
COMPLICATIONS OR COUPS.  I SUPPORT THE REESTABLISHMENT 
OF THE MONARCHY, FOR IT WOULD PREVENT ANY SECTARIAN 
SPLIT IN IRAQ."  AL-KUBAYSI ALSO SPECULATED THAT "THE 
FAMILIES LIKELY TO REGAIN THE IRAQI THRONE ARE THE 
HASHEMITES, THE SHAMMAR TRIBE, AND THE JILANI FAMILY" 
BUT NOTED THAT ANY GOVERNMENT AND ITS LEADERS MUST "BE 
THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC REFERENDUM SO THAT IRAQIS CAN 
DECIDE THEIR FUTURE AND HAVE THEIR SAY IN A FREE AND 
DEMOCRATIC WAY." 
 
7.  MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
WAHBA