VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #2883 1991506
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181506Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5825
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002883 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR TFLEO1 AND NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KU LE IS
SUBJECT: TFLE01:  TWO MORE PRO-HIZBALLAH PROTESTS; KUWAIT 
CONTINUES HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT TO LEBANON 
 
REF: KUWAIT 2855 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for internet distribution. 
 
¶1.  (U)  According to press reports, 400 protesters gathered 
the evening of July 17 in front of a mosque about five miles 
from the Embassy to show their support for Hassan Nasrallah 
and Hizballah.  Carrying pro-Hizballah banners and placards 
bearing anti-U.S. and anti-Israel statements, they called for 
the closure of the U.S. Embassy and a boycott of American and 
Israeli products.  Another protest is scheduled for July 18 
and is expected to take place in front of the National 
Assembly building.  The protests have been non-violent and no 
direct threats have been made against the Embassy or other 
USG facilities in Kuwait. 
 
¶2.  (U) One local columnist faxed an article he wrote to the 
Embassy with a handwritten note to the Ambassador apologizing 
for the protests and advising him "not (to) be bothered as 
you are the good people."  "We will never forget the role of 
the USA in liberating our country," he wrote.  In the 
article, the columnist condemned the demonstrations, saying 
"those youngsters (who participated in the protests) must 
have been in diapers when Saddam invaded Kuwait which was 
liberated by the USA."  He also reminded readers that 
Hizballah had participated in the hijacking of two planes in 
the 1980s, which resulted in the death of three Kuwaitis. 
Likewise, numerous Post contacts have telephoned to express 
regret for the protests and flag-burning (reftel). 
 
¶3.  (U)  Reasserting its solidarity with Lebanon, Kuwait's 
Parliament issued a statement July 17 condemning Israel's 
actions and encouraging the international community to send 
assistance to the "innocent victims of Israeli aggression." 
It continued, "the region will not live in peace without a 
just solution to the Palestinian cause and ending the Israeli 
occupation of the Palestinian territories and establishing a 
Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."  Parliament 
further appealed to the international community to seek the 
intervention of the UN Security Council.  Jassem Al-Khorafi, 
the Speaker of Parliament, told reporters after the session, 
"The continuation of such Israeli hostility will make us all 
terrorists."  Recently elected MP Ahmad Lari, who has 
pro-Iranian tendencies, proposed naming two streets near 
downtown Kuwait City after two citizens who were killed by an 
Israeli missile attack on southern Lebanon. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Generally, criticism of Israel and the U.S. has been 
muted with most Kuwaiti attention focused on the growing 
humanitarian crisis.  The Kuwait Cabinet announced July 16 an 
emergency donation of $20 million "to provide urgent aid to 
our brothers in Lebanon to help them in the face of the 
barbaric aggression and to ease their suffering."  In 
addition, the Kuwait Red Crescent society has opened its 
doors for public donations and two convoys carrying food aid 
have arrived in Lebanon. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Despite the measured public comments, Post 
contacts have not been shy about sharing their views with 
EmbOffs.  Most are critical of Hizballah, but question why 
the U.S. has not chastised Israel for the perceived targeting 
of civilian facilities.  They are deeply concerned about the 
carnage and believe the U.S. could do more to prevent the 
loss of life.  Many have also questioned the timing of the 
attacks and proffered several theories:  Syria prompted 
Hizballah to divert attention from the proposed tribunal to 
try those accused in the Hariri assassination; Iran is using 
its agents to divert attention from the nuclear issue and to 
flex its muscle; and Syria supported the attacks to siphon 
off some of Lebanon's tourism income.  They have also 
criticized the Arab League (AL) as feckless and complained 
about Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah Al-Salem 
Al-Sabah's post-AL meeting remarks that Arab countries needed 
"solid policies that lead to building societies that are 
strong economically and enjoy freedom and human rights" in 
order to successfully challenge Israel. 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
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TUELLER