BAHRAINI CROWN PRINCE SAYS SHEIKH YASSIN KILLING

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000404 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014 TAGS: BA KISL PREL SUBJECT: BAHRAINI CROWN PRINCE SAYS SHEIKH YASSIN KILLING BLOW TO ARAB REFORMERS Classified By: CDA Robert Ford, reason 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Bahraini Crown Prince Sheikh Salman told CENTCOM's General Abizaid March 24 that the killing of Sheikh Yassin was a setback to those in the Arab World who want more and faster reforms. Notably, he said the Bahraini Government (still the chair of the Arab League) has heard that the Tunis Arab League summit may be delayed as a result of the killing. He added that some Arab League members are even shopping the idea of withdrawing from the table Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah's peace initiative until after Israeli PM Sharon departs the scene. Salman also doubted the Tunis summit now would do much to address reform issues. ¶2. (C) Salman stressed that without progress on the Israel-Palestinian peace process, it would be impossible for America's Middle East regional reform initiative to succeed. Events like the killing of Sheikh Yassin make it easy for conservatives who don't want change to hold up reform in the name of solving the Palestinian problem first. Too many people in the region, he commented, want to blame outsiders for their problems, and the Palestinian issue is the perfect foil. He urged the U.S. Government to engage more seriously on the peace process to enable reformers to advance their own agenda. ¶3. (C) Separately, the host of one of Manama's largest political salons blasted Charge on the evening of March 22 over the killing of Sheikh Yassin. This host, an older and very successful, British-educated businessman said Bahrainis perceive that a particular lobby is responsible for what he labeled America's uneven approach to the Arab-Israeli dispute. That lobby does not, he claimed, understand America's real interests in the region. If such interest groups constitute America's vision of democracy, he concluded acidly, then people in Bahrain want no part of it. FORD