Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 251287 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 06MANAMA804, AMBASSADOR PRESSES FOREIGN MINISTER FOR FAVORABLE

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06MANAMA804 2006-05-08 07:27 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Manama
VZCZCXRO6641
OO RUEHDE
DE RUEHMK #0804 1280727
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 080727Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4665
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT  PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000804 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/07/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KMPI KDEM BA BILAT REFORM OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRESSES FOREIGN MINISTER FOR FAVORABLE 
RESOLUTION TO NDI'S STATUS 
 
Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) In a meeting covering several subjects (septels), the 
Ambassador May 6 pressed Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin 
Ahmed Al Khalifa for a favorable resolution to the National 
Democratic Institute's (NDI) outstanding legal status in 
Bahrain.  Referring to Deputy National Security Advisor 
Abrams' letter to Shaikh Khalid, the Ambassador said we 
needed to get a response from the GOB.  He noted that NDI 
country representative Fawzi Guleid had been summoned to the 
Immigration Department and told that he would need to depart 
the country shortly because he had overstayed his residency 
permit.  It would be a great disappointment if NDI were 
forced to leave Bahrain without a resolution to this issue. 
 
2.  (C) Shaikh Khalid responded that the Immigration 
Department's asking Guleid about his visa status shows that 
Bahrain is unhappy with him, but not with NDI.  He said the 
GOB is keen to reach an agreement with NDI, calling it a 
great organization.  The Crown Prince had expressed concerns 
about Guleid during his mid-March meetings in Washington. 
Shaikh Khalid said he understood that Guleid had "entrenched" 
himself with the political opposition in Bahrain, whereas 
NDI's training should have been open to all. 
 
3.  (C) The Ambassador noted that the issue of unhappiness 
with Guleid had been raised before, but the impasse on the 
proposed MOU defining the relationship between NDI and the 
Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) suggests 
that Guleid is not the issue.  NDI's negotiations with BIPD 
were not even close to completion.  BIPD was imposing 
conditions that NDI faces in no other countries where it 
operates.  It appeared that the problems were institutional, 
not personal.  If Guleid leaves Bahrain with no agreement 
being reached, the negotiations would be deadlocked.  In 
response to the Foreign Minister's point that Guleid 
allegedly focused too much attention on opposition societies, 
the Ambassador said that one of the goals of both Bahrain and 
the U.S. was to promote political participation by all 
segments of Bahraini society, an ultimately successful 
effort.  NDI, therefore, focused on getting the opposition to 
drop its boycott and participate in the system.  That said, 
NDI's programs were always open to all those interested, 
whether they were pro-government, opposition, Sunni, Shia, or 
secular. 
 
4.  (C) Shaikh Khalid said the government wants NDI and BIPD 
to reach agreement.  There is pressure on BIPD to demonstrate 
that it is doing something as the elections approach.  He 
promised to respond to DNSA Abrams' letter within the next 
one to two weeks. 
 
MONROE