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OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #0124/01 0170658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170658Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2525
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 3039
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA// IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 000124 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, 
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA FOR ALTERMAN 
USAID/ANE/MEA 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KPAO PREL KDEM IZ KMDR KU
 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: DEMISE OF THE AMIR 
 
 
¶1. Summary: The death of the Amir dominated all daily 
newspapers in Kuwaiti today. The Embassy's message of 
condolence was reprinted in all English and Arabic dailies. 
Al-Qabas, one of the five major Arabic language newspapers 
distributed today's edition free of charge, with the 
trademark blue logo appearing in black and white in honor of 
the occasion.  Photos of the Amir during his life, the 
burial procession, and people's reactions during the 
ceremony, filled the pages of all the papers.  The 
newspapers published condolences offered by individuals, 
families, associations, banks, television stations, law 
offices, embassies, firms, public authorities, charities, 
restaurants, and private firms.  Headlines announced the 
cancellation of the celebrations of National Day and 
Liberation Day as the nation fell into a state of deep 
mourning.  Editorial commentary contained poignant expresses 
of loss, written mostly by editors-in-chief.  End Summary. 
 
 
Selected Headlines 
------------------ 
 
¶2. Monday, January 16, 2006 
 
-- Al-Qabas front page "Kuwait bid farewell to Jaber and 
pledged allegiance to Al-Saad as Amir" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 6 "Kuwait bid farewell to Jaber Al Khair" 
[Translation: "Supporter of Virtue]; "Shaykh Saad is Amir" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 8 "Kuwait cries over Jaber Al-Ahmed, the Amir 
and the founder of its triumph" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 11 "The memory of Jaber Al Khair [Supporter 
of Virtue] remains after his death" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 13 "Al-Kharafi: We will carry on the path of 
our departed Amir's directions and will stand as one behind 
our government and constitution" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 14 "Saad Al-Abdullah is the 14th Amir of 
Kuwait" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 15 "Al-Shamlan: His touch is apparent in 
supporting scientists and scientific research" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 18 "Sadness overwhelms Kuwait University" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 24 "Academics: The departed Amir's path 
shines with achievements" 
 
-- Al-Qabas p. 108 "Kuwaiti women: We shall not forget the 
advocate for women and the one who ratified their rights" 
 
-- Al-Rai Al-Aam front page "Shaykh Saad Amir.Al-Kharafi 
assures the unity of Kuwait" 
 
-- Al-Rai Al-Aam p. 18 "Kuwait cried over its Jaber" 
 
-- Al-Rai Al-Aam p. 19 "Crying, tears, and drops of mist. 
Time to bid farewell" 
 
-- Al-Rai Al-Aam p. 22 "Council of Ministers announces His 
Highness Shaykh Saad as Amir of the State; Council of 
Ministers mourned the Amir Shaykh Jaber Al-Ahmed" 
 
-- Al-Rai Al-Aam p. 125 "Kuwait University: We need millions 
of pages written with blood to come close to describing our 
pain of losing His Highness the Amir" 
 
-- Al-Rai Al-Aam p. 129 "He bore the burden of a country 
until he returned Kuwait to its people" 
 
-- Al-Rai Al-Aam p. 134 "Women mourn Jaber Al Khair and 
remember his hands helping women and building the modern 
prosperity" 
 
-- Al-Watan front page "God Bless you and we mourn" 
 
-- Al-Watan p. 4 "Saad of Kuwait bid farewell to Jaber of 
Kuwait, the ruler of the country for 28 years and 14 days" 
 
 
KUWAIT 00000124  002 OF 003 
 
 
-- Al-Watan p. 8 "Arab and Muslim leaders shared Kuwait's 
sorrow for its great loss" 
 
-- Al-Watan p. 15 "The representatives of the people sadly 
mourn `Jaber the man'" 
 
-- Al-Watan p. 155 "The body has died but the soul remains" 
 
-- Al-Seyassah front page "News of a death of this magnitude 
deserves all this sorrow" 
 
-- Al-Seyassah p. 2 "Saad Al-Abdullah the 14th Amir of 
Kuwait" 
 
-- Al-Seyassah p. 16 "World leaders: Jaber Al-Ahmed is a 
leader and a wise man who dedicated his life to serving his 
people and humankind as a whole" 
 
-- Al-Seyassah p. 20 "Citizens: What words could express our 
sorrow over the death of our father?" 
 
-- Al-Seyassah p. 31 "Syndicates: He left us comfortable 
that Kuwait has become a cultural beacon" 
 
-- Al-Seyassah p. 52 "Academics: Prince of wisdom led 
Kuwait's ship peacefully through rough seas" 
 
Block Quotes 
------------ 
 
¶3. Monday, January 16, 2006 
 
-- Al-Qabas daily Arabic newspaper editorialized on the 
front page under the title "God save Kuwait": "Yesterday 
Kuwaitis walked behind the coffin of His Highness the Amir 
Shaykh Jaber Al-Ahmed crying over their leader who ruled for 
three decades.  At the same time, Kuwait was praying for God 
to save its Amir His Highness Shaykh Saad Al-Abdullah Al- 
Salem Al-Sabah in order to carry on.  God bless our departed 
Amir Jaber Al-Ahmed and help our Amir Saad Al-Abdullah and 
our Prime Minister Sabah Al-Ahmed and may our country remain 
safe, stable, and prosperous." 
 
-- Jasem Boodai, the editor-in-chief of Al-Rai Al-Aam daily 
newspaper wrote on the front page under the title "Peace be 
upon you Amir": "When one writes about Jaber Al-Ahmed one 
cannot use ink, rather one uses tears.  With loyalty, 
sadness, and a feeling of being orphaned one writes about a 
photo on Kuwait's walls drawn, the details of which have 
been compiled by daily events that entail pride, greatness, 
and pain. And how could one write about Jaber Al Khair to 
start with, in which language, and in what manner?" 
 
-- Al-Watan staff wrote on the front page under the title 
"We are sad for your departure": "Did the prince of hearts 
really depart? Is it true that we woke up for the first time 
since 1977 to find Shaykh Jaber not amongst us? Did that big 
heart really stop beating after 79 years of loving Kuwait, 
its people, and working for them? Did the prince of hearts 
depart? Yes, death is a right and every soul shall taste 
death but the great ones although they depart with their 
bodies they never leave our minds, our hearts, or our 
memories. They stay within us with their wonderful memory." 
 
-- Ahmed Al-Baghdady wrote in the pro-government daily Al- 
Seyassah under the title "And the father for rights and 
forgiveness has gone". "His era, God bless him and forgive 
him and make heaven his home, was one of chaos opposite to 
that of his calm nature. His era witnessed what Kuwait never 
witnessed in its ancient or modern history, be it the 
assassination attempt on him or the invasion by Iraq. His 
Highness has gone to the final resting place after leaving 
behind him a stable state and a safe society despite all the 
political storms that have hit the country." 
 
-- Faisal Al-Qanaei wrote in the pro-government daily Al- 
Seyassah under the title "A day for the hearts to mourn": 
"It is a sad day in Kuwait's history, a heavy day on the 
hearts of Kuwaitis, and a day unlike other days that has no 
color. How does Kuwait awake without Jaber Al-Ahmed!! How do 
we go through a day when the leader and father, the Amir 
leaves Dasman Palace never to return!! We loved, as 
 
KUWAIT 00000124  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
Kuwaitis, our ruler Jaber Al-Ahmed, the man, and he loved us 
back with a greater love. We must return the favor to Jaber 
Al-Ahmed by sticking together as members of one Kuwaiti 
family in the face of this great loss, and to be supportive 
to the ruling family in all of its decisions." 
 
-- Dr. Shamlan Al-Eisa wrote in the pro-government daily Al- 
Seyassah under the title "Jaber's departure": "With the 
death of Kuwait's Amir Jaber the country lost a fine 
statesman who played an exceptional role during his reign 
which extended for more than a quarter of a century.  We did 
not only lose Jaber as a ruler, but as a human who excelled 
beyond his counterparts of Arab rulers with his humility and 
the simplicity of his life. He excelled with his great 
achievements domestically and internationally. He preferred 
to work quietly and not boast of his own accomplishments. 
We all remember how he was kind and did not want to make a 
display of Kuwait's aid to Arab, Muslim, and Third World 
countries in general.  Our heartfelt condolences to Al-Sabah 
family and we especially make our offering to the siblings 
and offspring of the departed as we offer our condolences to 
the Kuwaiti people and the Arab nation for losing a great 
Arab leader." 
 
LEBARON