VZCZCXRO2801
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHKU #0700/01 1710320
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190320Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1700
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL//CCPA//
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000700 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, 
B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA 
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU KWMN MEDIA REACTION
 
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- Update:  U.S. Designation of 
Kuwait-based RIHS 
 
REF:  KUWAIT 0677 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 
 
¶1. (U) Summary and Comment.  The June 13 U.S. designation of 
Kuwait-based Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) as a charity 
that provides financial and material support to al-Qaeda and its 
affiliates continues receive heavy coverage in the Kuwaiti press. 
Although the vast majority of published articles denounce the U.S. 
decision, a few favorable commentaries have appeared. End Summary 
and Comment. 
 
¶2. (U) Block Quotes: 
 
-- Jasem Al-Fheid, a regular columnist in the conservative Arabic 
Daily Al-Wasat editorialized (06/18) that classifying RIHS as 
supporting terrorism is "nothing but new proof that the American 
Administration sees all the Islamist movements with the same 
extremist eye.  It does not differentiate between those who carry 
arms and those who build mosques and engage in charity projects. 
That is why we were not surprised by the decision to list RIHS as an 
organization that supports Al-Qaeda."  Mr. Al-Fheid concluded: 
"Therefore, the financial support given to Hamas, for instance is 
also classified as funding terrorism. The U.S. standard is the 
group's identity rather than their actions.  [The Americans claim 
that] what Israel is doing in Gaza is legitimate but say that the 
actions taken by the Palestinians against Israel are illegitimate 
and should be classified as terrorism!" 
 
-- In the conservative Arabic language daily Al-Watan, regular 
columnist Khaled Sultan Al-Sultan, thanked the Government of Kuwait 
(GOK) and its leadership for their renewed confidence in tRIHS, and 
pointed out that the United Nations Security Council "rejected" a 
U.S. request to add RIHS to the list of terrorist organizations, 
saying (06/18):  "The U.S. accusations against RIHS are 
unsubstantiated.  How can an organization that is well-known for its 
strong opposition to terrorism and its ideology be a supporter of 
terrorism?" 
 
-- Under the headline "The Great Empire of Kuwait," the regular 
columnist in the liberal Arabic daily Al-Qabas, Hassan Al-Issa 
wondered (06/18) why RIHS took so much umbrage at the U.S. 
designation, especially since the designation targeted U.S.-based 
assets.  He also wondered why the GOK endorsed RIHS and acted as if 
the frozen assets were their own.  Al-Issa commented: "The U.S. has 
only exercised its basic sovereignty by trying to control its 
territory and currency.  It has the right to make sure that its 
funds are not spent on terrorist forces whose only concern is to 
fight the great Satan!  However, if you do have funds in the 
American bank, why did you do this since this is against Sharia law? 
 If the answer is no, then why are you so angry?  And what was the 
reason for all these disparaging statements?  Do you recall how many 
time the U.S. Treasury Department warned RIHS about its money 
transfers after Al-Rai ran a report saying that some of the RIHS 
funds were given to organizations linked to terrorist forces in 
Bangladesh and Afghanistan?"  The columnist concluded that until 
very recently, Kuwait praised the U.S. for its assistance during the 
1991 invasion, yet today Kuwait is attacking the U.S. to please 
Islamist MPs. 
 
-- Equally notable was an article in Al-Watan, where Kuwait 
University Political Science Professor and liberal columnist Dr. 
Shamlan Yousef Al-Issa criticized the GOK and the Islamists for 
their support of RIHS, as well as the alleged lack of transparency 
in Kuwait's charity system. Dr. Al-Issa reminded his readers of 
those Kuwaitis whose assets were recently frozen for their 
involvement in terrorism financing (06/18):  "At the time, the 
Kuwait government opposed the U.S. decision and claimed that these 
individuals were innocent.  When one of them later publicly admitted 
financing terrorist acts in Iraq, the GOK was unable to respond." 
Dr. Al-Issa sarcastically concluded:  "If our government is unable 
to monitor our water and electricity consumption, how can it claim 
that our charity system is under control?" 
 
-- In the conservative Arabic language daily Alam Al-Yawm, Salafi 
writer and Chief Editor of the RIHS publication "Al-Forkan," Dr. 
Bassam Al-Shatti continued his ongoing critique of the U.S. 
designation, but broadened his commentary to include broader attacks 
 
KUWAIT 00000700  002 OF 002 
 
 
on U.S. policy.  Al-Shatti attributes the designation to domestic 
politics:  "The failures of U.S. policy in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, 
and also their inability to mobilize European support are some of 
the reasons for the hatred against the U.S."  He concluded:  "Today, 
while the American people are looking at the Democratic candidate as 
their next President, the U.S. Administration is playing the 
terrorism card again.  Combating terrorism, the pursuit of Osama bin 
Laden, and the demoralization of Islamic charity organizations were 
the winning cards that kept the Bush Administration in power for the 
past eight years.  Now they are doing it again." 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
 
MISENHEIMER