VZCZCXRO1253
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHKU #5083/01 3460350
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 120350Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2107
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1116

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 005083

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/PI, NEA/ARPI, LONDON FOR TSOU AND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2010

TAGS: CVIS KDEM KPAO KU KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL

FREEDOM AGENDA

SUBJECT: FREEDOM AGENDA: KUWAITI INFORMATION MINISTER

ELATED ABOUT NEW PRESS LAW

REF: A. KUWAIT 5061

¶B. KUWAIT 5016

¶C. KUWAIT 4999

¶D. STATE 216186

¶E. KUWAIT 4776

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

¶1. (C) Summary: During a December 7 meeting, Minister of Information Dr. Anas Al-Rasheed told the Ambassador that he was very pleased by the progress of the revised press law and he believes it has a very good chance of being approved by the National Assembly in the near future. Al-Rasheed said that PM Shaykh Sabah had been key to pushing the bill through the Council of Ministers in an acceptable form. The Ambassador used the occasion to request elimination of Al-Manar from ARABSAT. On other topics, the Minister indicated cautious optimism about the proposal to reduce the number of electoral districts. The Ambassador and the Minister discussed issues surrounding the decline in the number of Kuwaitis studying in U.S. universities. The Minister dismissed the importance of a recent court case against Al-Watan newspaper. PAO accompanied the Ambassador to determine areas of possible cooperation and support. End summary.

Press Law Moving Forward Steadily

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¶2. (C) The Ambassador and PAO Tanya Anderson met with Minister of Information Anas Al-Rasheed for an hour on December 7, primarily to discuss the progress of the revised Press Law -- a "Freedom Agenda" priority. The Minister was visibly pleased by the progress that the revised press law had made so far, having received cabinet approval after long and sometimes difficult discussions among government ministers. Al-Rasheed noted his personal championship of the new law and said that he had stuck to his guns on key issues in the face of considerable opposition and he heaped praise on the Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah for giving him the opportunity to make the case and for support on key contentious issues. The Minister spoke proudly of this accomplishment, stating that it was "a great achievement for Shaykh Sabah to remove this obstacle" to enhance freedom of the press in Kuwait. He stated that there will always be fear and distrust regarding newspapers among those in power, but the new law will send a message that the Government will stay out of the way. He said the law simply reflects modern realities, noting for example the futility of trying to control newspapers when at a time when it is relatively cheap to start a satellite channel.

Power to the Courts

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¶3. (C) Answering the Ambassador´s query about the resolution of the key issues that had delayed the new law, the Minister focused on two. The first issue was whether the Cabinet would give up to the judiciary the ability to close newspapers at any time for certain reasons. Under the new law, only a court injunction will shut down a newspaper, therefore, even the Government will have to work through the courts. The second issue that he mentioned was access to licenses to open newspapers. In the past, he said that if an individual wanted a license and was refused by the Ministry of Information, he would plead his case before the Cabinet. However, now the person would have to petition the court.

A Bold Step in the Right Direction

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¶4. (C) The Minister expressed his strong belief that the new law was a step in the right direction and would open opportunities for greater press freedom within Kuwaiti society. He noted that media licensing would still be required, but that it would no longer be a significant obstacle to new entrants into the market, (many of which are already preparing to open publications). The Minister also projected that traditionalists in Kuwait would probably think this is an extremely bold step by Kuwait,s government and neighboring countries may even cause some troubles, but he concluded "this is a big move and the government should be praised for it." The Minister continued, adding that approval of the final version of the new press law would be a great step toward freedom and democracy in Kuwait. He envisioned the change as having broad socio-political impact that would alter the entire nation; although he acknowledged that during the initial years there would likely be some difficulties and concerns. He expressed pride in the manner in which the government has pursued this goal, as well as in the final outcome, stating that "no one has ever tried this before." He maintained that he had sought Cabinet approval for the law without resorting to outside influences, despite having powerful opponents in that arena, and that the government has displayed the vision necessary to implement this law in the current time frame.

Prospects for Electoral District Reform

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¶5. (C) The Minister was more cautious in discussing the prospects for reduction in the number of electoral districts for parliamentary elections, (another key "Freedom Agenda" item). He noted that there had recently been some articles in the press questioning his competency to deal with this topic (he is a member of Cabinet committee looking at the issue) and therefore he is reducing his public statements about the issue to avoid needless diversions from the genuine issue. The Minister said he saw no reason for delaying the changes until after women had registered to vote in February. He noted that two proposals have been circulated by the Government and the time has come for the Government to exert its leadership and propose a clear vision for the future.

The Battle for the Next Generation

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¶6. (SBU) The Minister said he had just returned from a trip to the U.S. where he addressed the National Union of Kuwaiti Students, annual conference in Miami. The Minister was ebullient about the success of the conference, noting that of the 600 Kuwaiti students who enrolled in U.S. universities this year, 37 per cent were females. He commented that the Saudis were increasing their overall numbers of student scholarships to the U.S. to which the Ambassador replied that it would be in Kuwait,s best interest to follow suit. The Ambassador stressed that, working with all relevant agencies, the U.S. had solved the visa problem that so many Kuwaitis had seen as a barrier and now we must overcome the perception problems that continue to deter Kuwaiti parents from sending their children to study in the U.S.

¶7. (U) The Minister pointed proudly to a one-hour program on Kuwait TV the previous week that highlighted Kuwaiti students sharing their positive experiences studying in the U.S. The Ambassador lauded this effort, stating that increasing the number of students not only was good for education, but also represented a strategic asset critical for the U.S.-Kuwaiti long term bilateral relationship. Countering the popular argument that more students are now getting a U.S.-style education at Gulf-based universities following an American curriculum, the Ambassador argued that was this experience was nothing like the experience of studying in the U.S., where students learn how Americans think and the way in which American society works, in addition to obtaining a quality education.

Problem with Al-Watan

--------------------- 
¶8. (SBU) On the subject of the possible closure of Al-Watan Arabic daily due to a court order Sunday resulting from a libel suit against the paper, the Minister responded that "we have to trust the judicial system" to resolve this matter. (Note: The case evolved from mudslinging by a Muslim fundamentalist columnist against a liberal university professor and writer. The columnist and editor-in-chief were sentenced to suspended two-month jail terms in absentia.) The Minister referred to the new law once again, arguing that once it is in place, journalists will not go to jail in cases like this. The court would have to prove that there was an intent to libel on the part of the journalist, in the case of public figures.

Al-Manar Has to Go

------------------

¶9. (C) The Ambassador forcefully delivered the demarche regarding the U.S. position against Al-Manar television station that operates under ARABSAT and has been designated a terrorist organization (ref D ). The Minister appeared uninformed about the government of Kuwait,s involvement in ARABSAT and asked for points on the topic (which we passed), promising to investigate the matter further.

Getting at the Roots of Terror

------------------------------

¶10. (SBU) The Minister informed the Ambassador that Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper will soon be carrying features based on a conference partially sponsored by the Kuwait Information Office in London. He said the conference had been very well-received by UK authorities. Al-Rasheed said more work needs to be done on "the culture of suicide," focusing on how to stop it, involving the religious elements of society to fight against it, and investigating the forces behind it. He asserted that one of the behavioral aspects involved was that young people who were normally found hanging out in bars were suddenly making a radical shift to try to atone for what they perceive as bad behavior, hoping that Allah would forgive them for all of their sins through conducting these operations.

Bio Note

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¶11. (C) The Minister concluded the meeting by offering a wistful comment that although he was experiencing his "glory days" with the Cabinet on the verge of approving the press and publications law, he sometimes wished that he could return to his simple life as a professor at Kuwait University. He lamented the absence of time to spend with his young children. The Ambassador suggested that Shaykh Sabah would likely find other political tasks for him, based on his success so far.

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LEBARON