Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KUWAIT4391
2003-09-23 04:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

(C) KUWAITIS STILL UNEASY OVER AL-ONAYZEH ARREST

Tags:  PREL MOPS IZ KU 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004391 

SIPDIS

NSC FOR THEROUX

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2013
TAGS: PREL MOPS IZ KU
SUBJECT: (C) KUWAITIS STILL UNEASY OVER AL-ONAYZEH ARREST

REF: KUWAIT 4275

Classified By: Frank C. Urbancic, DCM. Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004391

SIPDIS

NSC FOR THEROUX

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2013
TAGS: PREL MOPS IZ KU
SUBJECT: (C) KUWAITIS STILL UNEASY OVER AL-ONAYZEH ARREST

REF: KUWAIT 4275

Classified By: Frank C. Urbancic, DCM. Reasons 1.5 (B) and (D).


1. (C) Kuwaiti contacts continue to be concerned about
repercussions stemming from the arrest of Iraqi tribal sheikh
Mtaib bin Mahrouth bin Hadhal al-Onayzeh. Prominent
businessman Fuad al-Ghanim told Charge from London September
21, 2003, that he believed the arrest and detention of
al-Onayzeh had been seriously mishandled. He said the
perception in Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia was that the US
was "insulting" the al-Onayzeh tribe which, he emphasized,
was the mother tribe of the ruling families al-Saud of Saudia
Arabia, the al-Khalifah of Bahrain, and the al-Sabah of
Kuwait.


2. (C) Al-Ghanim said he had been in touch with leading
families in Iraq in recent days to urge them not to
overreact. Despite al-Ghanim's interventions, his contacts
told him the anti-American demonstrations were being
organized in Baghdad for Monday, September 22, 2003, in
reaction to the arrest. Al-Ghanim said that his moderate and
liberal contacts in Iraq, Saudia Arabia and Kuwait are
reporting consternation at the arrest. They worry that this
will breed anti-American sentiment and feed the Islamist
propaganda machine. Al-Ghanim emphasized that America's
friends in the region here were not in a position to dispute
the evidence against the sheikh. They counsel their American
friends to deal with him differently. For example, arrest
and detention was not perceived as commensurate with
al-Onayzeh's exalted position. It would be better, he said,
to deal with him in a more traditional way such as house
arrest and restrictions on his outside contacts.


3. (C) Al-Ghanim said he had been trying to register these
points with all his contacts in London and the US. He has
made some high-level presentations which he hopes will be
presented to the NSC this week for action.


4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
JONES