COUNTERTERRORISM POLICY PROGRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000448

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/RA, NEA/ARP, S/CT, DS/ITA, AND DS/IP/NEA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2029
TAGS: PTER EFIN PREL ASEC BA
SUBJECT: COUNTERTERRORISM POLICY PROGRESS

REF: A. STATE 63901

B. MANAMA 411

C. MANAMA 264

D. MANAMA 235

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

SUMMARY

1.(C) On March 22, Bahrain's legislature approved
ratification of the international conventions on the
suppression of terrorist financing and terrorist bombings.
According to the GOB's top international lawyer, the GOB has
sent three other counterterrorism agreements to parliament
for approval to ratify. The lawyer said Bahrain is drafting
a new counterterrorism law based on Canada's and South
Africa's laws because they criminalize all terrorist acts
listed in the 12 international conventions. The GOB believes
this approach will win National Assembly approval. END
SUMMARY.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES RATIFICATION OF TWO
COUNTERTERRORISM CONVENTIONS

2.(U) The press reported that Shura Council voted on March
22, in favor of Bahrain's ratification of the International
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terror and
the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist
Bombings. During discussion of the conventions, newspapers
reported that some members said that there should be a clear
definition of what constitutes a terrorist organization. One
paper quoted First Vice-Chairman Abdul Rahman Jamsheer as
saying, "Organizations such as Hamas, for example, are
considered terrorist organizations by the U.S. and other
Western countries but not in the Arab World. A clear
distinction should be made between groups like Hamas which
are fighting against occupation and others like Al Qaeda,
which are involved in international terror and don't enjoy
popular support in Bahrain or most of the Arab World." The
press also reported that Member Faisal Fulad said that steps
should be taken to protect Islamic banks and institutions, to
prevent them being victimised and to protect one of the most
important business sectors in Bahrain.

3.(U) According to the press, Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Dr. Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar, who represented the
government during the debate, said the agreement would not
prevent aid from reaching people in genuine need. However,
he reportedly cautioned that "Bahrain must follow
international standards when it comes to providing financing
for the Palestinians or other similar causes because we don't
want the funds to be used for anything other their intended
purpose which has happened in the past."

THREE MORE CONVENTIONS SENT TO PARLIAMENT

4.(C) Director of Agreements and Treaties for the Directorate
of Legal Affairs Jameel al-Alawi (strictly protect) told P/E
Chief that once he receives the paperwork on the two
agreements from the National Assembly, his office would
prepare them for signature by the King. He did not expect
this to take long. Al-Alawi added that the government has
forwarded to the National Assembly for authorization to
ratify the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of
Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons Including
Agents, the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts
against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, and the Protocol
for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of
fixed Platforms Located on the Contintental Shelf. Al-Alawi
said the government has not yet begun the bureaucratic
process for sending the Convention against the Taking of
Hostages and the Convention on the Physical Protection of
Nuclear Material to the parliament for approval to ratify.

NEW COUNTERTERRORISM LAW BEING DRAFTED

5.(C) After the brief on the progress on CT convention
accession, al-Alawi volunteered out of the blue that he is
involved in the drafting of a new counterterrorism law that
is based on the Canadian and South African versions of the
Commonwealth model counterterrorism law. Al-Alawi said that
unlike the Jordanian or Moroccan counterterrorism laws (which
he said he reviewed and rejected as inadequate models),the
Commonwealth model is comprehensive in criminalizing every
offense catalogued in the 12 international CT conventions.
The government, he said, hopes to have the law ready to go to
the National Assembly once Bahrain has acceded to all 12
conventions. The GOB has adopted this approach, al-Alawi
said, to forestall parliamentary argument against the law.
The government believes it will be easier to overcome
opposition when it can point to the National Assembly's
previous votes in favor of accession to the conventions.

COMMENT
6.(C) After months of pressing the GOB to move forward on
both ratification of the counterterrorism conventions and the
drafting of counterterrorism legislation, this is welcome
news, especially if the new counterterrorism law criminalizes
planning a terrorist act. END COMMENT.
FORD