KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, MAY 19-27: TERRORISM;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 002266

SIPDIS

STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, PA, INR/NESA,
IIP/G/NEA-SA, INR/B
WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH, PARIS FOR O'FRIEL
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA
CINCCENT FOR CCPA
USDOC FOR 4520/ANESA/ONE/FITZGERALD-WILKS
USDOC FOR ITA AND PTO/OLIA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KU KDMR
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, MAY 19-27: TERRORISM;
KUWAITI ELECTIONS; KUWAITI POWS; RECONCILIATION WITH IRAQ



1. SUMMARY: In contrast to the strongly pro-American tone
of commentary during Operation Iraqi Freedom, free style US
bashing has returned to some corners of Kuwait's Arabic
press. Dr. Sadeq al Bassam writes in liberal Al-Qabas that
the US "bears responsibility" for the massacres Saddam
committed after the liberation of Kuwait and states that US
officials who were decision-makers twelve years ago should
be put on trial. All papers report an allegation by a
Kuwaiti MP that "foreign embassies" are engaged in vote-
buying in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in July.

One liberal commentator calls for Arab governments to adopt
"a perspective that recognizes that terrorism is a domestic
phenomenon," while another editor defends his paper's report
that the Kuwaiti Minister of Awqaf publicly referred to
Americans as "executioners" in a speech given several months
ago during a conference on "Dialogue Among Civilizations."
Kuwaiti POWs remain a front-page issue, with intensifying
public pressure for results. END SUMMARY.


2. News Stories: The Kuwaiti POW issue continues to
dominate the front pages this week. Al-Qabas reports that
families and relatives of Kuwaiti POWs are scheduled to
stage a sit-in in front of the National Assembly building on
May 26 to urge greater government efforts in accounting for
the POWs.

Al-Watan front pages a report that two Iraqis told a Kuwaiti
team searching for POWs that they know of the location of a
mass grave in Kuwait. Al-Seyassah banners a report of a
"Kuwaiti POW found in Iraq" on May 26.

Under the front-page headline, "MPs: Embassies and Sheikhs
Interfere in the Elections," Al-Seyassah reports on May 27
accusations by certain MPs of vote-buying in the run-up to
the July Parliamentary elections. The newspaper quotes MP
Ahmad Al-Saadoun's warning to the Minister of Interior:
"This [vote-buying] is dangerous to the ruling system,
especially since money is available to many parties,
including foreign embassies."

In response to the denial by Minister of Justice and Islamic
Affairs, Ahmad Baqer, of an Al-Watan report (see para. 4)
claiming Baqer referred to Americans as "executioners" in a
public speech, Al-Watan published on May 27 a transcript of
the speech with the offending remarks highlighted.

The budget earmarked for the Kuwaiti team assigned to search
for Kuwaiti POWs in Iraq is KD 5 million (approx. USD 15
million),Al-Qabas reports on May 25.

Editorials:


3. "Terrorism In The Gulf"
Liberal Kuwait University Political Science Professor, Dr.
Shamlan Al-Essa wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (5/19):
"The recent terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco
were not a surprise for many observers. Saudi Arabia and
many GCC nations adopted polices supportive of the
fundamentalist currents. They allowed the Arab Mujahedeen
from the Gulf to travel to Afghanistan, and then to Kosovo.
Then, these `Gulf Afghans' returned home and began to
activate sleeping cells in order to fight against the US.
Combating terrorism requires a perspective that recognizes
that terrorism is a domestic phenomenon."


4. "Baqer Should Not Be Blamed-- He Has Done Worse"
Liberal Editor-in-Chief of Al-Watan newspaper, Mohammad Al-
Jassim, opined (5/26): "I cannot blame the Minister of
Justice and Islamic Affairs, Ahmad Baqer, for exploiting his
ministerial position to benefit his interests during the
upcoming elections. Baqer has done worse, yet no one held
him accountable. A few months ago, during a conference
entitled `Towards a Constructive Dialogue Among
Civilizations', Minister Baqer gave a speech in which he
accused Americans of being `executioners' [western values
being imposed on other cultures]. "Recently the
excecutioners have intensified ideology since fall of
communism and under influence of Zionism." I do not care
when any other Salafi accuses the Americans of being
`executioners,' for this is their opinion. However, when
this is stated by a Minister in the Kuwaiti government,
claiming to represent the government's view, then this is
extremely dangerous. If the Minister views the Americans as
`executioners', how can we blame any individual who adopts
Baqer's ideology when deciding to undertake a terrorist
operation?"


5. "The Arabs and Inhumane Feelings"
Lawyer Dr. Badria Al-Awadi wrote in independent Al-Qabas
(5/21): "Regrettably, some Arab governments have exploited
the terrorist attacks in order to limit the freedom of their
citizens under the pretext of ensuring security for their
countries. They use the term `combat terrorism' to end any
political opposition against them. The use of such a method
to combat terrorism by these inhumane governments only
encourages extremists to conduct terrorism in response, as
what happened in Saudi Arabia and Morocco."


6. "The Mass Graves in Iraq"
Dr. Sadeq Al-Bassam wrote in independent Al-Seyassah
(5/21): "The US should bear the responsibility for these
massacres which occurred in 1991 after the liberation of
Kuwait. The US, and the entire world, must put the people
who carried out these massacres on trial to be punished. It
is also the responsibility of the US to offer compensation
and assistance to the families who lost their loved ones
over the past 12 years. Justice can be only achieved if the
US officials who were decision makers 12 years ago are also
put on trial, because they kept silent about the massacres
by Saddam."


7. "Partners in Crime"
Dr. Yasser Al-Saleh wrote in independent Al-Rai Al-Aam
(5/27): "A few days ago, some satellite [television]
channels broadcast the execution of three Iraqis who did not
support Saddam. This crime took place in 1983, which was the
golden age of Iraqi-American relations. It was also the year
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld visited Iraq to offer military

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cooperation to Saddam. The American administration cannot
deny that they knew exactly what was happening inside Iraq."


8. "What Every Iraqi Must Know"
Liberal Secretary General of the Kuwait Journalist's
Association, Faisal Al-Qanai wrote in independent Al-
Seyassah (5/21): "For the past 12 years, Saddam convinced
the Iraqi people that Kuwait was the country responsible for
Iraq's economic sanctions and Iraq's destruction and
poverty. One of the best ways to reveal the truth to the
Iraqis is to highlight the positive role in Kuwait's
assistance to the people of Iraq. The media is the most
appropriate weapon for clearing up any misunderstanding and
therefore, we must continue to demonstrate Kuwait's
[positive] position towards the Iraqi people."


9. "We Have to Take Care of Iraq's Children"
Liberal Faisal Al-Qanai wrote in independent Al-Seyassah
(5/24): "If we really want to raise a common generation
between Iraq and Kuwait, then we have to focus on Iraq's
children. Saddam sowed the seeds of this problem in the
minds of those children. He made them hate Kuwait and the
Kuwaitis, and forced them to believe that Kuwait is the
cause for their suffering. The children of Iraq must feel
that Kuwait's children are their friends, and that Saddam
was the one responsible for their dilemma. Likewise, the
children of Kuwait must come to realize that the Iraqi
children are innocent of Saddam's crimes."


10. "Welcome, Mr. President"
Dr. Salah Al-Atteeqi wrote in independent Al-Qabas (5/24):
"A great leader who had a great role in the liberation of
Iraq and Afghanistan will be visiting Kuwait soon. We should
receive President Bush with all the respect and appreciation
he deserves, and we should remember that the US and the
allied countries were the only ones which stood with us
during the Iraqi occupation."


JONES