This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000004 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL ETRD PGOV KNNP BA IR OFFICIALS REGION
SUBJECT: GCC SUMMIT: BAHRAIN FOCUSES ON IRAN 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY - PARA. 1 - "INTERNAL" TO "EXTERNAL" 
 
REF: CAIRO 9470 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Bahrain Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid told 
the Ambassador that GCC FM Rashid Abdullah's post-GCC Summit 
comments about Iran's nuclear program reflected GCC concerns 
more than the watered-down language in the Summit's final 
statement.  GCC members were not happy with Amre Moussa's 
June letter criticizing GCC focus on a Gulf nuclear free 
zone, but also -- especially Saudi Arabia -- did not want to 
raise tensions with Iran too much at this time.  Still, 
Shaikh Khalid added, Iran as usual was not happy with the GCC 
Summit statement.  He also went on at length about Bahrain's 
concerns regarding Iran.  On other GCC Summit issues, he 
indicated that the leaders took a step back on the joint 
Peninsula Shield force, agreeing that countries would not 
deploy jointly except for exercises or in a crisis.  On 
trade, they continued to grapple on how to deal with 
bilateral FTAs with countries other than the U.S., and 
postponed until 2007 the transition period to unify external 
GCC tariffs.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) In a December 28 meeting with the Ambassador, 
Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed 
Al-Khalifa discussed the December 18-19 GCC Summit, focusing 
much of his commentary on Iran. He said that, while the GCC 
members "did not want to create a ruckus about the nuclear 
issue," UAE Foreign Minister Rashid Abdullah's comments in a 
post-Summit press conference, which hit more strongly on the 
nuclear issue than the Summit statement, reflected the 
sentiment during the Summit discussion.  "We are worried," he 
stated.  "We don't want to see nuclear weapons in the 
region." 
 
¶3. (C) Asked about Arab League Secretary General Amre 
Moussa's June letter to the GCC questioning the GCC's support 
for a nuclear free zone in the Gulf (aimed at Iran, as 
opposed to the broader Middle East concern about Israel) 
(reftel), Shaikh Khalid said that the GCC countries were not 
happy with the letter, and did not want to issue a Summit 
statement that did not in some way touch on their concerns 
about Iran's nuclear program.   In the end, they developed 
compromise language for the final statement which did not 
directly mention Iran but called for the "international 
community to make the Middle East, including the Gulf region, 
a zone free of weapons of mass destruction."  The GCC leaders 
also reaffirmed their opposition to Iran's occupation of the 
three UAE islands.  "As happens after every GCC Summit," 
Shaikh Khalid stated, "the Iranians were not very happy with 
us." 
 
¶4. (C) On the internal dynamics at the Summit on the Iran 
issue, Shaikh Khalid said that Bahrain and the UAE were 
"really worried," while  Oman and Kuwait were ambivalent 
about taking a strong position against Iran, and Qatar was on 
the fence.  Saudi Arabia, while sharing Bahrain's strong 
feelings about Iran, wanted to play down the Iran problem. 
Saudi Arabia had its focus on internal issues, and counseled 
that it was not wise to raise the level of tension at this 
time. 
 
¶5. (C) Regarding Bahrain's attitudes towards Iran, Shaikh 
Khalid expressed his country's increasing concern about 
Iran's activities and provocative stances.  Iran is playing a 
"dirty role" in Iraq and the GOB is concerned that this role 
is being extended to Bahrain.  The King has been vocal in 
private that "Bahrain does not want Iran to start up again" 
and hurt Bahrain's  progress.  "Iran always starts with 
Bahrain," the FM said, referring to aggressive Iranian 
stances in the past.  "Bahrain is concerned about every plane 
that lands from Iran.  We don't know what they have up their 
sleeves."  In the context of recent statements by Iranian 
President Ahmedinajad, Shaikh Khalid said that during his 
meeting with the King in early December at the Organization 
of Islamic Conference meeting in Mecca, Ahmedinajad made the 
unsolicited offer that Iran could help "get rid of" 
foreigners in the Gulf.  Shaikh Khalid underscored that this 
type of aggressive rhetoric concerned Bahrain greatly. 
 
¶6.  (C) Returning to GCC summit issues, Shaikh Khalid 
indicated that GCC leaders took a step back on the joint 
Peninsula Shield force, saying that they agreed that each 
member would keep its forces in its own country (rather than 
deploy together), and that they would only come together for 
military exercises or if there was a crisis.  On trade 
issues, he said they were still trying to grapple with 
bilateral FTAs signed with countries other than the U.S. 
While they had previously agreed that FTAs with the U.S. 
would be an exception, Qatar's FTA with Singapore was proving 
to be a challenge, and the UAE had initiated free trade talks 
with Australia and New Zealand.  Finally, the GCC leaders 
agreed to postpone until 2007 the transition period to unify 
external GCC customs duties to five percent. 
 
MONROE