SCENESETTER: KING HAMAD'S NOVEMBER 29 VISIT TO

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 001745

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2014
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC PHUM ECON ETRD BA
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER: KING HAMAD'S NOVEMBER 29 VISIT TO
WASHINGTON

Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d)


1. (S) King Hamad requested to visit Washington to
congratulate the President on his reelection, reaffirm
Bahrain's strong support for U.S. Iraq policy and the war on
terrorism, and consult with the President on Bahrain's
hosting of the December 20 GCC Summit and outcomes the USG
would like from the summit on Iraq, Iran, and
Israel/Palestine. We should take the opportunity to raise
our concerns about Bahrain's lack of seriousness in combating
terrorism from within the Kingdom, and potential steps
backwards in respecting human rights and freedom of assembly.
We should also discuss Bahrain's leadership in the Broader
Middle East/North Africa reform initiative, the King's offer
to deploy a special forces company to Afghanistan embedded in
the Emirati contingent already in theater, and ratification
of the U.S.-Bahrain free trade agreement (FTA).

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Objectives
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2. (S) What we want from the visit:

-- Commitment by the King to deal forcefully and effectively
with terrorist threats within Bahrain, most notably with the
four terrorist suspects that were initially detained last
June.

-- Recognition by the King that, while we are deeply
appreciative of the positive moves he has taken towards
democracy, we view with concern possible steps backwards,
such as the closing down of the Bahrain Human Rights Center
and possible new restrictions on freedom of assembly. His
November 21 pardon of human rights activist Abdul Hadi Al
Khawaja sends the right message to Bahrain's civil society.

-- Continued Bahraini support, both politically and in
practical terms, for our efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, as
well as OEF maritime operations.

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Issues of Interest to Bahrain
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3. (S) What the King wants from the visit:

-- Reaffirmation of what he feels is his strong personal
relationship with the President, as exemplified by the
invitation to be the first regional leader to visit the White
House since the election.

-- Recognition that he is a close friend who remains in
lock-step with the Bush administration on the key issues of
Iraq, Iran, and counter-terrorism.

-- Message from the President that he can personally bring to
the GCC Summit, which he will host in Bahrain on December 20,
on Iraq, Iran, and Israel/Palestine.

-- Administration commitment to press for expeditious
congressional ratification of the FTA.

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Key Issues to Raise
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4. (S) We suggest making the following points:

-- We greatly value Bahrain's support on Iraq and
Afghanistan, including the King's recent offer to provide a
company of special forces in support of OEF in Afghanistan.

-- Understand that the King will host the GCC Summit December
20, and appreciate his desire to consult with us in advance
to help him develop a positive outcome for the meeting. (Use
opportunity to make points on Iraq, Iran, and
Israel/Palestine.)

-- The Global War on Terror remains the administration's
overriding priority. We need Bahrain's help. We remain
extremely concerned about the four terror suspects,
especially their recent release pending trial. It is
imperative that they be dealt with forcefully. They need to
be detained and vigorously prosecuted. Allowing them to roam
freely sends the wrong message to terrorists and others in
the region fighting terrorism.

-- (When the King raises rule of law concerns, and suggests
that the case is in the hands of the courts): We fully
understand rule of law concerns. But within the rule of law,
they must be prosecuted vigorously. Failure to do so will
have consequences for our otherwise very strong relationship.

-- We recognize the noteworthy democratic steps the King has
taken in recent years and value the King's personal
participation in the G8 Sea Island summit. We appreciate the
positive leadership role being played by Bahrain in the Forum
for the Future initiative and for the King's November 21
pardon of activist Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja. We hope that these
very positive moves will not be undermined by possible steps
backwards. We urge you to revisit the decision to close the
Bahrain Center for Human Rights and the government's proposed
law that would apply new restrictions on Bahraini citizens'
ability to demonstrate.

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Issues Briefs
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Counter Terrorism and Security
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5. (S) All of Bahrain's leaders are adamantly determined to
maintain security for Americans in the Kingdom. Whenever we
make requests for extra security, the police respond
immediately and appropriately. The GOB has not shown the
same determination, however, in cracking down on terrorism
threats coming from within. On November 1, the court
released four Sunni Bahraini terrorism suspects after holding
them since mid-July. (Note: The police subsequently
re-detained one of the four, Yasser Kamal, on a separate
charge of fleeing the court room during a September hearing.
End Note.) The GOB is currently keeping them under heavy
surveillance.


6. (S) Despite repeated interventions from the Embassy and
Washington, the GOB's performance in handling this case over
the last six months continues to raise concerns about its
commitment to successful prosecution of the suspects. While
the Bahrainis continually claim not to have sufficient
evidence to convict the suspects, releasing them even before
the trial begins sends the wrong message about Bahraini
commitment to fighting terrorism. The four will return to
court on December 6 for a hearing on a defense motion
contesting the constitutionality of the charges against them.
We should urge the King to take the suspects back into
custody and prosecute the case aggressively and thoroughly.
It is imperative that he hears this message from the
President.

Human Rights and Civil Liberties
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7. (C) Bahrain's trend line on commitment to political and
economic reform is strongly positive, but there inevitably
are ups and downs. In late September the government arrested
human rights activist Abdul Hadi Al Khawaja following his
comments at a forum on poverty in which he reportedly accused
the Prime Minister of mismanaging the economy during his
30-plus years in office. Days later, the government closed
the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, which organized the
forum, accusing it of political activities that contravened
the Societies Law and the Center's own charter. After
several court hearings and demonstrations, the court November
21 found Al Khawaja guilty of insulting the regime and
sentenced him to one year in prison. Later that day, the
King pardoned him and set him free. We should recognize the
King's positive gesture, and ask him to consider finding a
way to re-open the Bahrain Center for Human Rights.


8. (C) In response to demonstrations in support of Al
Khawaja, the GOB presented a draft law to parliament which
would regulate citizens' right to assemble. The law would
apply significant bureaucratic hurdles to obtaining
permission to demonstrate, allowing the government to assert
greater control over protests. (Note: During a recent
meeting with the Ambassador, the Shura Council (appointed
upper house of parliament) leadership requested information
on U.S. laws related to assembly. End Note.) We should
point out that implementing the law as it is currently
drafted would be a step back on Bahrain's path toward greater
freedoms and openness.

FTA
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9. (SBU) The United States and Bahrain signed a free trade
agreement on September 14, marking a new level of commitment
in our bilateral economic relationship. Bahrain is the first
country in the Gulf region to have an FTA with us, and joins
Jordan and Morocco as the only Arab states with FTAs. We
hope to use the Bahrain FTA as a springboard to promote
economic reform, openness, and transparency in the region,
and as an important step in realizing the President's vision
of a Middle East Free Trade Area by 2013. Bahrain will cite
the FTA as the United States' endorsement of its economy and
to market Bahrain as a regional center for finance,
insurance, banking, business services, education, and health
care. The King is most interested in expeditious
congressional ratification of the FTA and will likely request
the Administration's support.

Iraq/Iran
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10. (C) Despite opposition in the parliament and the press,
the King has been a strong supporter of our policy in Iraq.
The Foreign Ministry told us that one aim of the King's visit
is to remind Bahrainis and others in the Gulf that the U.S.
is a great ally who liberated Kuwait and removed Saddam
Hussein from power. Bahrain has historically worried about
the Iranian threat to Bahrain and the region, and supports a
strong policy of containing Iran.

MONROE