KUWAITIS DENOUNCE BIN LADEN

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003757 STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL USCINCCENT FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER KISL KU SUBJECT: KUWAITIS DENOUNCE BIN LADEN ¶1. KUWAITI GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OPINION LEADERS DENOUNCED THE BIN LADEN TAPE RELEASED BY THE PENTAGON DECEMBER 13. ¶2. ASKED HIS VIEW OF THE TAPE, KUWAIT'S ACTING PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER SHAYKH SABAH SAID: "EVERYONE WHO HEARS SUCH THINGS WILL DEFINITELY BE SHOCKED WHEN HE HEARS THE ONE WHO MURDERS PEOPLE LAUGHING AND HAPPY. THEREFORE, WE REJECT SUCH THINGS." SHAYKH SABAH MADE THIS STATEMENT TO LOCAL REPORTERS UPON HIS RETURN FROM LONDON DECEMBER 14. ¶3. KUWAIT'S ARABIC DAILY "AL-ANBA" QUOTED THE VIEWS OF AN UNNAMED OFFICIAL SOURCE AT THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED DECEMBER 15. ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER, THE OFFICIAL SAID THE TAPE REPRESENTS A DEFINITE CONVICTION AGAINST BIN LADEN AND DECISIVE EVIDENCE ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT AND THAT OF HIS ASSOCIATES IN THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS. ¶4. A LIBERAL COLUMNIST, FOUAD AL-HASHEM, PUBLISHED A PIECE DECEMBER 15 IN THE KUWAITI ARABIC DAILY "AL-WATAN" ABOUT THE BIN LADEN TAPE. AL-HASHEM ARGUED: "NO HUMAN BEING HAS EVER SEEN THE DEVIL.... (BUT) THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS SHOWED THE WHOLE WORLD WHAT THE REAL DEVIL LOOKED LIKE WHEN HE APPEARED ON THE TAPE FOUND BY THE AMERICAN FORCES. WE SAW HIM AS HE LAUGHED...AND AS HE EXPLAINED HOW HE HAD EXPECTED LESS DESTRUCTION AND FEWER DEATHS FROM THE ATTACK ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. DO YOU NOW KNOW WHAT THE DEVIL LOOKS LIKE?" JONES