Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04MANAMA403
2004-03-24 12:26:00
SECRET
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

MFA MINSTATE ASKS FOR TIME ON ARTICLE 98

Tags:  PREL MARR PTER BA KICC 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T MANAMA 000403 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA FO/PDAS LAROCCO AND DAS DIBBLE, NEA/RA,
NEA/ARP, PM, PM/

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2014
TAGS: PREL MARR PTER BA KICC
SUBJECT: MFA MINSTATE ASKS FOR TIME ON ARTICLE 98
RATIFICATION

REF: A. MANAMA 368

B. MANAMA 200

Classified By: CDA Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4(b)(d).
S E C R E T MANAMA 000403

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA FO/PDAS LAROCCO AND DAS DIBBLE, NEA/RA,
NEA/ARP, PM, PM/

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2014
TAGS: PREL MARR PTER BA KICC
SUBJECT: MFA MINSTATE ASKS FOR TIME ON ARTICLE 98
RATIFICATION

REF: A. MANAMA 368

B. MANAMA 200

Classified By: CDA Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4(b)(d).

1.(C) Bahrain is serious about ratifying the Article 98
agreement, MFA Minstate Abdulghaffar assured Charge on March

23. The GOB is not deliberately delaying progress, he
stressed repeatedly; the government is divided between those
who advocate that the agreement does not have to go to
parliament, and those who believe the National Assembly must
ratify it. The MFA, he emphasized, firmly supports bringing
the agreement into force without submitting it to the
National Assembly.

2.(C) The government, Abdulghaffar explained, does not want
this argument or its signature of the agreement to leak a
currently fractious parliament. He related that he had faced
unexpected criticism during the March 22 Shura (appointed)
Council debate on the ratification of the counter terrorism
conventions on the suppression of terrorist financing and the
suppression of terrorist bombings (septel). Some "Islamist"
members asked why Bahrainis shouldn't provide charity to the
orphans of Hamas martyrs, he highlighted. In the present
climate, he rhetorically argued, it would be better to take
the agreement to the National Assembly after the GOSI/Pension
Fund crisis with the House of Representatives is resolved
(ref b).

3.(C) Abdulghaffar recalled that he had participated in the
negotiation of the Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) and
reiterated that he did not believe that Bahrain would ever
turn over an American to the International Criminal Court.
Responding to POL/ECON Chief's question, Abdulghaffar stated
definitively that Bahrain has no intention at this time of
ratifying the Convention on the International Criminal Court.
However, he quickly added that some within the GOB have
argued that Bahrain should ratify the ICC treaty if it
ratifies the Article 98 agreement.

4.(C) COMMENT: Abdulghaffar's demarche reflects Bahrain's
domestic political stress from internal disturbances, an
increasingly aggressive parliament, the approach of the
Formula 1 race, and the death of Shaikh Ahmed Yassin. A
group of university-educated Sunni Bahrainis blasted the U.S.
for never joining the ICC during Charge's March 22 call on
their political salon. Charge did not raise with the young
men -- already angry about the killing of Shaikh Yassin --
the Article 98 issue. Their rejection of our bilateral
agreement would have been certain. The MFA obviously fears
losing a vote in parliament on the article 98 agreement
ratification. Given the current local political climate, we
think pushing the Bahrainis to send a U.S. bilateral
agreement to parliament now would probably produce a
parliamentary rejection. END COMMENT.
FORD