KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, NOVEMBER 1-3: WAR ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 005080

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
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KU KDMR
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION, NOVEMBER 1-3: WAR ON
TERROR; MADRID DONORS CONFERENCE; INFILTRATION OF FOREIGN
FIGHTERS; PD EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF US POSITION


1. SUMMARY: A prominent liberal commentator states that the
government refuses to admit that "Al-Qaeda exists in
Kuwait" so as to not irritate Kuwait's Islamist groups in
parliament. Another states that the only way for liberals
to confront "extremist religious interpretations" is with a
"modernist religious ideology" that embraces democracy and
human rights.

A liberal writer opines that despite the "American failure
to understand other cultures," the US has taken "great
steps to build cultural bridges with the Arab world" after
Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The debate on Kuwait's contributions to Iraqi
reconstruction continues on the editorial pages, with one
commentator saying the money would be better spent in
"building up Kuwait's new areas." END SUMMARY.


2. News Stories: Liberal MP Mohammad Al-Saqer will lead a
Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation to an emergency session of
the Arab Parliamentary Union Council in Syria on November 2
to discuss "the Israeli aggression on Syria and the 'Syria
Accountability' Act," Al-Qabas reports.

Al-Qabas reports that Iraqi Kurdish leader of the Patriotic
Union of Kurdistan Jallal Talebani met with Kuwaiti Prime
Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad during an official visit
this week in which he affirmed the strength of Kuwaiti-
Iraqi relations.

Chairman of the Board of the Social Reform Society Abdulla
Al-Mutawa stated: "I challenge any one to prove that a
single Kuwaiti Dinar from a Kuwaiti charity has been sent
to terrorists," according to Al-Qabas.

All newspapers report that the Kuwaiti Gulf Center for
Strategic Studies issued a study about Kuwait's democracy,
concluding that it is "transparent and fair" despite
widespread allegations of vote-buying during the July 2003
parliamentary elections.

Al-Qabas reports that National Assembly Speaker Jassim Al-
Kharafi stated that discussion of the challenges facing the
Kuwaiti educational system is on the agenda for the next
session of the parliament.

Al-Qabas reports that Ministry of Education plans to
introduce computers and Internet to the curricula are
limited by the fact that over 90% of the ministry's budget
is dedicated to salaries.

Al-Watan and Al-Qabas report on November 1 that Kuwaiti
security authorities disrupted an attempt to smuggle over
1800 bottles of whiskey from Iraq into Kuwait.

Editorials:


3. "Political Distortion and the Security of Kuwait"
Secretary General of the National Democratic Movement Dr.

SIPDIS
Ahmad Bishara wrote in independent Al-Qabas (11/01): "Our
MPs have made a mistake in opposing contributions to Iraq
[for reconstruction]. Kuwait has bet on its future, the
future of Iraq and the region. We should not allow the
rabble-rousers in the Parliament to harm Kuwait and its
efforts to build new relations with the people of Iraq."


4. "Precedence Should Be Given to Building Kuwait"
Faisal Al-Barjes wrote in independent Al-Qabas (11/01):
"Isn't it a priority for us to use a fraction of [the USD
1.5 billion pledged by Kuwait for the reconstruction of
Iraq] for rebuilding the infrastructure of the new areas in
Kuwait? Shouldn't we use this amount to rebuild our
hospitals or to find new jobs for our Kuwaiti graduates? We
must tell the powers abroad that have been applying
pressure that Kuwait and its people have a priority to
spend their wealth."


5. "Kuwait Mujahedeen in Iraq"
Director of Kuwait University's Center for Future and
Strategic Studies, Dr. Shamlan Al-Essa wrote in independent
Al-Seyassah (11/01): "Despite the fact that we in Kuwait
have witnessed terrorist attacks on American soldiers,
politicians here still deny the existence of Al-Qaeda [in
Kuwait] in order to satisfy the political Islamic groups in
Kuwait. The most serious consequences of Kuwaitis joining
the Islamic Jihad cells in Iraq is that we will end up with
Iraqi-Kuwaiti Mujahedeen, expert in planting bombs on roads
and blowing up oil pipelines, here in Kuwait after they
accomplish their mission in Iraq.


6. "America's War on Terrorism Begins At the Gates of
Freedom"
Liberal Dean of the College of Social Sciences at Kuwait
University, Dr. Ali Al-Tarrah wrote in independent Al-
Seyassah (11/02): "Despite the humanitarian work offered by
the US to the rest of the world, it remains the most
vulnerable country to terrorist attacks and the most hated
by Muslims. This is because America fails to understand the
nature of other cultures. After the war on Iraq, the US
began to review its policies and presented solutions for
its disordered cultural relations with the Islamic world.
The US has taken great steps at the appropriate time to
build cultural bridges with the Arab and Islamic world
America must work to bring the region out of this dark
tunnel and should not pay any attention to the voices which
claim that this region is not qualified for democracy."

7."The Kuwaiti Liberal Ideology and the Necessity to
Reform Religion"
Fakher Al-Sultan wrote in independent Al-Watan (11/01):
"If liberals in Kuwait adopt enlightened Islam-- Islam
based on visions that do not contradict democracy, respect
for human rights, and intellectual and religious diversity-
- this will pave the way to confronting the extreme
religious interpretation of the political Islam groups who
dominate political and religious life in Kuwait. The
position in the society held by fundamentalist ideology
cannot be shaken unless it is confronted with another
religious ideology... a modernist religious ideology that
embraces liberalism, democracy, and respect for human
rights as concepts that do not clash with religion, but are
in accordance with it."


8. "Execution is the Solution"
Faisal Al-Qanai wrote in independent Al-Seyassah (11/02):
"Bombings in Iraq are terrorist attacks that only create
suffering for the Iraqi people. Arab people and countries
must support the Iraqi people and reject such acts because
stability and democracy are the only ways to achieve a
prosperous Iraq. The first step that must be taken to
control the situation in Iraq is to implement the death
penalty for criminals and violators of national security."


9. "Beware of Judaization in Iraq"
Dr. Ayed Al-Manna wrote in independent Al-Watan (11/02):
"There is no doubt that there are Jews who entered Iraq to
buy some properties there The issue of Judaization of
large geographic areas and the control of economic and
financial institutions in Iraq is a serious matter.
Allowing the Jews, especially Israeli Jews, to exploit the
needy Iraqis by buying their property is a violation of
Iraq's sovereignty. We hope that Paul Bremmer will ban the
entry of Israeli Jews to Iraq because this would be as
harmful to the Americans as to the Iraqis."

JONES