VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMK #1596/01 2421314
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 301314Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5543
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/OSD 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 001596 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARP, PM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016 
TAGS: PREL PTER MARR MOPS ETRD BA REGION BILAT
OFFICIALS 
SUBJECT: CROWN PRINCE STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF IDEAS IN WAR 
ON TERROR 
 
REF: A. MANAMA 1574 
     ¶B. MANAMA 1507 
 
Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
. 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) Crown Prince Shaikh Salman told the Ambassador August 
29 that he was pleased with the August 1 implementation of 
the U.S.-Bahrain free trade agreement (FTA).  He proposed 
that the Bahrain Navy join one of the coalition task forces 
coordinated out of Bahrain, in particular CTF-150, which 
operates outside the Straits of Hormuz.  He welcomed adoption 
of the new counter-terrorism law.  Clearly taking the 
opportunity to refine his message in anticipation of his 
mid-September visit to Washington, the CP stressed the 
importance of ideas in fighting terrorism.  While not 
discounting the impact of poor economic growth and lack of 
transparency, he said the Arab-Israeli situation is the 
"catalyst for conflict" in the region.  The war in Lebanon 
had propelled Nasrallah into becoming "the Che Guevara of the 
Arab world."  Rather than focusing on the use of force, the 
United States should devote more diplomacy and energy to a 
state-by-state approach to governments in the region.  Iran 
is doing a better job with diplomacy than the U.S.  When the 
United States addresses the fundamental concerns of the 
Arabs, he said, it will be much easier for the Arabs to 
support U.S. policy on Iran, including war.  At this time, 
the U.S. should focus on economic reform in the region.  The 
main threat is politicized Islam, which must be defeated. 
End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
FTA Launch Events 
----------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) The Ambassador opened his August 29 meeting with 
Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa by 
congratulating him on the August 1 implementation of the FTA. 
 The CP said he was very pleased the FTA was in effect, 
saying it marked "a new chapter in our shared history."  The 
Ambassador noted that two FTA-related events would take place 
on September 14:  the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Bahrain 
Business Council in Washington, and the FTA launch conference 
in Manama. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Bahraini Participation in Naval Task Force 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (C) The CP said he had been speaking with his father King 
Hamad about increasing cooperation with the United States on 
the military side.  They are interested in having the Bahrain 
Navy participate in a coalition task force coordinated out of 
Bahrain, possibly the anti-piracy task force outside the 
Straits of Hormuz (CTF-150).  The CP said he would be in 
touch with Navcent about this idea. 
 
------------------------------- 
New CT Legislation "A Good Law" 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) The Crown Prince raised the recently passed 
counter-terrorism law, calling it a good law (Ref B).  In 
response to the Ambassador's question, the CP said he thinks 
the conspiracy article of the law (Article 18) will withstand 
a constitutional challenge.  The danger, he said, is in how 
the conspiracy clause is used.  It should not be employed 
against youths who explode gas cylinders.  But it could be 
used against people with ties to Hizballah and Al Qaeda. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Fighting Terror with Force, Ideas 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Turning to the war on terror, Shaikh Salman said he 
was very concerned about what was happening in the region. 
He maintained that there are two ways to deal with terrorism: 
 using military force, or offering a better idea.  Thus far, 
the focus had been on the use of force.  But several issues 
are not being dealt with, in particular the Arab-Israeli 
situation, which is "a catalyst for conflict."  He does not 
discount the impact of problems such as lack of economic 
 
growth and transparency, and positive movement in certain 
areas such as the Middle East Free Trade Area, stabilizing 
Iraq and "not handing it over to Iran," and helping Turkey 
combat Kurdish terrorism would all help.  But the prime 
issue, in his view, is the Arab-Israeli conflict. 
 
¶6.  (C) Shaikh Salman complained that Israel did not achieve 
any of its objectives during the conflict in Lebanon, which 
he described as degrading Hizballah's capabilities, getting 
Nasrallah, isolating the Shia, and getting back its captured 
soldiers.  Hizballah, he said, has deep pockets, is driven by 
ideology, and promotes the perception that it won.  Weapons 
corridors into Lebanon are still open and Iran continues its 
programs there.  Nasrallah is now seen as "the Che Guevara of 
the Arab world."  We are trying to combat this perception, he 
said, but the way the Israelis withdrew from Lebanon made 
this task harder. 
 
------------------------ 
More Energy to Diplomacy 
------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (C) The Crown Prince said there may have been tactical 
successes against extremists, but "we are losing the war." 
The consequences of not addressing this challenge are 
instability in the region and broader military conflict.  He 
suggested that the United States devote more diplomacy and 
energy to a state-by-state approach to governments in the 
region.  There should be heavier engagement on issues the 
Arabs think are important.  Looking back into history, the CP 
said that the allies beat Germany and Japan through war, with 
60 million dead.  But it beat the USSR through ideas. 
American cultural output is also an important factor - "keep 
Hollywood going," he said. 
 
¶8.  (C) Shaikh Salman warned that there should be no repeat 
of the Hizballah action with Iran.  Doing so would make 
President Ahmadi-Nejad into a hero.  The U.S. should focus on 
isolating Iran, but Iran is doing better at diplomacy than 
the United States.  China and Russia "are far from the U.S., 
the Arabs are confused, and the next UK government will have 
an anti-U.S. platform."  This is not a comfortable position 
for Bahrain.  If Iran gets nuclear weapons, the international 
community would have to move to deterrence.  When the United 
States addresses the fundamental concerns of the Arabs, it 
will be much easier for the Arabs to support U.S. policy on 
Iran, even a war.  But when the Administration talks about 
freedom, "it falls on deaf ears, people don't buy it." 
 
----------------------------- 
Positive Regional Role Models 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C) The CP said the United States should do what it can 
to ensure there are positive role models in the region.  At 
this time, it should put its focus on economic reform.  For 
example, Egypt is demonstrating strong economic growth 
currently.  If that country continues to prosper, it would 
"remove 50 million people from the terror equation."  The 
main threat in Egypt and other countries is the rise of 
politicized Islamic leaders.  Syria is a good example.  If 
Bashar Al Asad were to go, the Muslim Brotherhood would run 
the country.  Imagine, he said, if Islamic regimes were in 
charge of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt.  Then the 
United States and its allies would have to contemplate a real 
war, total war.  The concept of politicized Islam needs to be 
defeated. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  (C) Robust media coverage of the Ambassador's meetings 
with the King (septel), Crown Prince, and Prime Minister (Ref 
A) all in the same week sends a strong signal to Bahrain and 
the region on the strength of the bilateral relationship, 
undoubtedly the regime's intention.  The CP was also clearly 
refining his message in anticipation of his mid-September 
visit to Washington, when he hopes to meet with the Vice 
President and Secretary Rumsfeld. 
 
 
********************************************* ******** 
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ 
********************************************* ******** 
 
MONROE