US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT3402

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 003402 
 
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, JULY 26-28: ISLAMIC 
CHARITIES; DEATHS OF UDAY AND QUSAY HUSSEIN; IRAQI WMD 
 
1.   SUMMARY: All newspapers report government initiatives 
to oversee Islamic charitable donations, including formation 
of a joint committee to "inspect" charitable organizations 
and a proposed ministerial department to monitor Shiia 
charitable funds, leading to denunciations by Shiia MPs. One 
liberal commentator blames "governmental mismanagement and 
the absence of monitoring" for the diversion of funds to 
terrorist organizations. 
 
On Iraq, reaction to the deaths of Uday and Qusay is 
predictably positive, although one commentator criticizes US 
forces for allowing Saddam's wife and former Minister of 
Information Mohammad Al-Sahaf to remain free.  A noted 
liberal says that the fact that President Bush and PM Blair 
are facing heat on the Iraqi WMD issue is a positive example 
of how US and British leaders are held to account by their 
people. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.   News Stories: Minister of Interior Sheikh Nawaf Al- 
Ahamd denied that there are Kuwaitis among the nineteen 
persons apprehended recently in Saudi Arabia for suspicion 
of carrying out terrorist acts. 
 
Al-Seyassah reports that the new Minister of Awqaf and 
Islamic Affairs, Abdullah Al-Matouq, is considering 
establishment of a Shiia department at the Ministry to 
monitor Shiia funds and donations. Al-Matouq stated that 
"it is vital to have bodies to organize collection and 
spending of Awqaf funds and donations to keep these 
activities beyond suspicion." Shiia MPs accuse the Minister 
of harboring "bad intentions" against the Shiia, Al-Seyassah 
reports. 
 
Al-Qabas reports that an official source at the Ministry of 
Labor and Social Affairs stated that the Ministry has 
contacted the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Commerce 
and the Kuwait City Municipality in order to form a 
committee to inspect the work of charitable organizations. 
 
Al-Seyassah reports on July 28 that the government called on 
the Ministry of Labor and Social affairs to remove all 
unlicensed charity booths in Kuwait 
 
Al-Watan reports that a conservative MP, Jassim Al-Kandari, 
has reiterated opposition to granting women their political 
rights by warning against "submission to any foreign 
intervention, especially American pressure." 
 
The Assistant Undersecretary for Scholarship at the Ministry 
of Higher Education Ahmad Al-Duwaisan responding in Al-Qabas 
to criticism of US student visa procedures stated that, "The 
Ministry fully understands the security situation of each 
country. and [the US Embassy] has denied only a limited 
number of applicants due to specific reasons." 
 
Editorials: 
 
3.  "Kuwait, Enjoy the Occasion" 
Waleed Al-Jassim wrote in independent Al-Watan (7/26): 
"Kuwait, you have the right to enjoy the deaths of Udai and 
Qusai. Four months after their escape from one den to 
another in women's clothes, they were finally killed. Now, 
the journey is over and the allied forces succeeded in 
chopping off Saddam's wings. If Saddam is lucky, he will end 
up. running and hiding from one place to another. The other 
option, which most people wish, is see him in custody and 
put on trial for all the crimes he has committed." 
 
4.  Nabil Al-Fadel wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam 
(7/26):  "It is acceptable for the American forces to kill 
Udai and Qusai for what they did to the Iraqi people. 
However, we cannot understand why American forces leave 
Saddam's wife and daughters free despite knowing their 
whereabouts. It is not also acceptable to allow [former 
Minister of Information Mohammad] Al-Sahaf to leave Iraq, 
knowing that he defended Saddam's regime. Allowing Al-Sahaf 
to remain free is not fair to the Iraqi people because it 
encourages supporters of Saddam's regime to continue the 
struggle against [coalition] forces in Iraq." 
 
5.  "Financing Terrorism" 
Dr. Shamlan Al-Essa wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (7/27): 
"We cannot rule out the possibility that [terrorists] 
exploit governmental mismanagement and the absence of 
monitoring to finance the young generation who volunteer to 
fight abroad. In other words, some governments, political 
movements, charitable organizations and religious movements 
which work under various covers contribute in the financing 
of terrorism." 
 
6.  "Iraq and the Upcoming Danger" 
Mubarak Al-Hajiri wrote in independent Al-Watan (7/26): 
"Wherever you go, you keep hearing about the failure of 
America in Iraq. Personally, I do not see any American 
failure in Iraq, despite the daily human losses there. On 
the contrary, I believe that the coalition forces have 
succeeded in achieving their objectives. [However] any 
success will not be achieved without the support of the 
Iraqis themselves. Unless the coalition forces find a 
political solution to that which Iraq suffers from, the 
danger will remain." 
 
7.  "America's Milking Cow" 
Dr. Sami Khalifa wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam (7/26): 
"America's interests are only based on shallow self- 
interest. [which] has made the American administration act 
in such a way as both small and great nations must follow 
the will of the US or face economic or political sanctions. 
The US has based its policies. on discrimination according 
to color, religion and cultures." 
 
8.  "Arabs and Iraq" 
Dr. Shamlan al-Essa wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (7/28): 
"Arab intellectuals who criticize the coalition are 
demanding the establishment of a democratic system in Iraq 
that is based on freedom and justice among all parties, but 
how many Arab countries have a real democratic regime? We 
are very confused by the Arabs because they are demanding 
Iraq's sovereignty and at the same time demand the departure 
of coalition forces from Iraq. There is no doubt that this 
would cause a civil war in Iraq. I tell the Arabs to be 
merciful with us and with the people of Iraq, because Iraq 
needs stability and security now. What the coalition forces 
are doing in Iraq now is correct and the reconstruction of 
Iraq will take time, so please keep your hands out of Iraq." 
 
9.  "Great Nations" 
Dr. Ahmad Al-Baghdadi wrote in independent Al-Seyassah 
(7/28): "The great victory of the US and Britain in Iraq did 
not protect Bush and Blair, because they did not tell the 
truth about the reasons behind sending their armies to Iraq. 
The weapon inspectors have not found [WMD] in Iraq since the 
end of the war, meaning that Bush and Blair lied to their 
people and may end up paying dearly by losing in the next 
elections. Great people, like the people of America and 
Britain, are not concerned about the personal lives of their 
leaders, but they are concerned about honesty. Such ethics 
and the accountability of officials is what made them great 
nations, and this is the difference between them and us." 
 
 
JONES