VZCZCXRO0022
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #0661/01 0581428
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 271428Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3203
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000661 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NSC FOR RAMCHAND, LONDON FOR TSOU, 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2016 
TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL IZ KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS SHI
SUBJECT: KUWAITI SHI'A AND SUNNIS CONDEMN IRAQ SHRINE 
BOMBING; SOME BLAME U.S. 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 634 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 630 
 
Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reason 1.4 (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary and comment: During a February 24 rally at 
the Shi'a Imam Hussein mosque, Kuwaitis from across the 
religious and political spectrum condemned the bombing of the 
Al-Askariya shrine in Iraq.  While most speakers blamed the 
attack on Sunni extremists and stressed the need for Muslim 
unity, many also either directly or indirectly blamed the 
U.S.; some even suggested the attackers were agents of the 
U.S. and/or Israel.  In the most vicious attack, former 
member of Parliament (MP) Adnan Abdul Samad said, "Targeting 
these shrines destroys the unity of Sunnis and Shi'a in Iraq 
and boosts the Zionist-American scheme in the region."  He 
also accused the U.S., which he called the "mother of 
sectarianism" and a "snake's head," of intentionally 
fomenting sectarian conflict among Muslims in order to "take 
control of the Islamic world."  Shi'a MP Dr. Hassan Jowhar 
and Secretary General of the Justice and Peace Gathering (a 
Shi'a political association) Abdul Hussein Al-Sultan both 
called for Ambassador Khalilzad to be replaced, accusing him 
of contributing to sectarian tensions in Iraq by calling for 
a national unity government.  Representatives from two 
conservative Sunni political associations, the Ummah 
(Nations) Party and the Islamic Constitutional Movement 
(ICM), also spoke at the rally.  During the speeches, some 
audience members periodically shouted "Death to Israel, death 
to America"; as well as, "Death to Zarqawi, death to Bin 
Laden." 
 
¶2.  (C) Comment: Post does not see an immediate threat of 
sectarian tension from Iraq spilling over into Kuwait.  The 
rally, which was attended by several conservative Sunni 
groups, demonstrated the relatively good relations between 
Kuwait's Shi'a and Sunni communities, even their more 
conservative elements.  More worrying, however, is the 
spillover of anti-U.S. sentiments.  Events in Iraq and 
elsewhere in the region are allowing some degree of anti-U.S. 
feeling to be expressed in a population that normally is 
uniquely disposed to view U.S. actions in the region in a 
favorable light.  Ironically, many of the speakers at the 
rally were close embassy contacts and meet regularly with 
embassy officials, highlighting the contradictory views of 
many in the region.  One contact even asked Poloff prior to 
the rally for assistance in obtaining a U.S. visa and 
expressed a desire to meet with the Ambassador.  Asked why 
the speakers had expressed such strongly anti-U.S. views only 
days before Kuwait celebrated Liberation Day, he responded 
with a shrug, "This is democracy.  This is free speech."  End 
summary and comment. 
 
Conservative Kuwaiti Shi'a and Sunni Condemn Shrine Bombing 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) The National Islamic Alliance (NIA), a conservative, 
pro-Iranian Shi'a political association in Kuwait, organized 
a rally February 24 at the Shi'a Imam Hussein mosque to 
protest the February 22 bombing of the Al-Askariya shrine in 
Samarra, Iraq.  (Comment: The NIA and worshippers frequenting 
the Imam Hussein mosque are often referred to as "Kuwaiti 
Hizbollah," a pejorative term used primarily by their 
political opponents to discredit them (ref B).  One former 
Shi'a member of Parliament (MP) told Poloff recently that the 
Imam Hussein mosque was "the political center of Kuwaiti 
Hizbollah."  Additional information on "Kuwaiti Hizbollah" 
has been reported through separate channels.  End comment.) 
The rally was attended by approximately 400 people; though 
there were several prominent Sunni Islamist leaders present, 
it was unclear what portion of the audience was Sunni. 
Speakers included former NIA MPs Adnan Abdul Samad and Dr. 
Abdul Mohsen Jamal; current Shi'a MPs Dr. Hassan Jowhar and 
Sayed Hussein Al-Qallaf; Secretary General of the Justice and 
Peace Gathering (JPG), a moderate Shi'a political 
association, Abdul Hussein Al-Sultan; Secretary General of 
the Islamic Constitutional Movement (ICM), the political arm 
of the Muslim Brotherhood in Kuwait, Dr. Bader Al-Nashi; Vice 
President of the Ummah (Nations) Party, a controversial 
Salafi political association, Awwad Al-Dhafiri; and liberal 
writer Ahmed Deyain.  The rally was one of several that took 
place on February 23 and 24 (ref A). 
 
¶4.  (C) During the speeches, some audience members 
periodically shouted religious and political slogans, 
including, "Death to Israel" and "Death to America"; as well 
as, "Death to Zarqawi" and "Death to (Osama) bin Laden."  Dr. 
Abdullah Sahar, a moderate Shi'a professor at Kuwait 
University who attended the event, told Poloff after the 
 
KUWAIT 00000661  002 OF 002 
 
 
rally that those shouting slogans had been planted around the 
mosque by "the organizers of the event" and did not represent 
the majority view.  According to Sahar, one audience member 
even challenged a speaker's accusation of U.S. complicity in 
the bombing and left the mosque in protest. 
 
"A Zionist-American Scheme"? 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Most speakers blamed the attack on "Takfiris" intent 
on dividing Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, and emphasized the need 
for Muslim unity.  (Note: "Takfiris" or "Takfireen" are 
Muslims who accuse other Muslims of being "kafrs" (infidel) 
for not adhering to their strict interpretation of Islam. 
End note.)  Many speakers also either directly or indirectly 
blamed the U.S. for the attack, several suggesting the Sunni 
extremists who perpetrated the bombing were agents of the 
U.S. and Israel.  The most vicious attack came from former 
NIA MP Adnan Abdul Samad, who said, "These events were 
perpetrated by Takfiris, ignorant or hateful people who were 
committed by agents of the Zionist scheme."  Calling the U.S. 
the "mother of sectarianism" and a "snake's head," Samad 
claimed the U.S. and "the evil powers" were creating crises 
between Muslims and confronting Iran and Hamas in order to 
"take control of the Islamic world."  He continued, 
"Targeting these shrines destroys the unity of Sunnis and 
Shi'a in Iraq and boosts the Zionist-American scheme in the 
region." 
 
¶6.  (C) Shi'a MP Dr. Hassan Jowhar called for the replacement 
of Ambassador Khalilzad, whom he blamed for contributing to 
the sectarian tensions that led to the attack by publicly 
calling for the formation of a national unity government. 
Jowhar also demanded the U.S. stop negotiating with Sunni 
extremists and Baathists in Iraq, who he claimed were 
sheltering the attackers.  "The incident has caused a great 
earthquake that will destroy whoever tries to ignite sedition 
between Muslims," he concluded.  Jowhar was interrupted 
several times during his speech by shouts of "Death to 
Israel, death to America," which he did not attempt to stop. 
JPG Secretary General Abdul Hussein Al-Sultan also blamed 
Ambassador Khalilzad for interfering in Iraqi internal 
politics, and argued that "religious authorities must stand 
against this Western scheme which seeks to eliminate Iraq." 
He blamed "Takfiris and Zionists" for the bombing. 
 
¶7.  (C) Shi'a MP Sayed Hussein Al-Qallaf blamed the bombing 
on "malignant hands" and said the "incident has highlighted 
the real enemy of Islam that seeks to sow seeds of sedition." 
 Shi'a cleric Shaykh Mohammed Al-Jazzaf suggested the 
"beneficiaries" of the bombing were "the three-part evil axis 
of Baathists, Takfiris, and the occupation troops."  ICM 
Secretary General Dr. Bader Al-Nashi expressed Sunni 
 
SIPDIS 
solidarity with Shi'a Muslims and stressed the need to 
"protect our minds from sectarian ideas."  Sectarianism, he 
argued, "enables foreign powers to achieve their schemes, 
which aim to weaken our belief in the possibility of (united) 
Islamic action."  Liberal writer Ahmed Deyain was more 
direct: "The Zionist enemy is the sole beneficiary of this 
incident." 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
LEBARON