FEISTY FOREIGN MINISTER FLAGS NECESSITY OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000572

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/IPA, NEA/ARP, INL/G/TIP, AND PM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/20/2014
TAGS: PREL BA
SUBJECT: FEISTY FOREIGN MINISTER FLAGS NECESSITY OF
CONSENSUS APPROACH TO ACHIEVE MIDDLE EAST PEACE TO NEA A/S
BURNS

REF: MANAMA (KING CABLE)

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

SUMMARY

1.(C) A feistier than usual Foreign Minister Shaikh Muhammad
bin Mubarak Al Khalifa stressed on April 20 to NEA A/S Burns
that the U.S. refashion consensus on the peace process. He
very pointedly stated that the U.S. needs to package its
initiatives better to glean greater Arab support for them.
Embarrassing key Arab leaders like Mubarak and Saudi Crown
Prince Abdullah can have implications beyond the peace
process, like on Iraq policy. Shaikh Muhammad seemed
optimistic that the Arab League Summit might be able to
revive the Arab peace plan and issue a statement on regional
reform. The Bahrainis would publicly endorse reform, he
assured. On FTA-related bilateral issues, an uncomfortable
Shaikh Muhammad pledged action on the Article 98 agreement
"soon," assured A/S Burns of Bahrain's commitment to fight
trafficking in persons, and promised to investigate a recent
spike in Arab League Boycott clauses in GOB and parastatal
contracts.
END SUMMARY.

U.S. NEEDS IMPROVED PEACE PROCESS PACKAGING

2.(C) A feistier than normal Foreign Minister emphasized to
NEA A/S Burns that the U.S. needs to refashion consensus on
the peace process in the wake of the President's announcement
that he supports Prime Minister Sharon's Gaza withdrawal
initiative. Shaikh Muhammad welcomed the news that the
Secretary would meet in early May with the Quartet to reach

SIPDIS
consensus on incorporating the Gaza withdrawal into the
roadmap and to start preparations on programming to help the
Palestinian Authority take control of Gaza. He also was
pleased by A/S Burns's assurance that we will need the U.N.
and the World Bank to provide large scale assistance to the
PA starting the day after it takes over authority in Gaza.
The U.S. must rebuild the PA's capacity to govern and its
ability to be a credible partner for peace. Bahrain, he
stated emphatically, cannot make peace with Israel until the
Palestinians do so.

3.(C) The Foreign Minister stressed that the U.S. needs to
improve its packaging of the peace process. The President's
endorsement of an Israeli plan at a time when the Israelis
are assassinating Palestinian leaders only inflames Arabs
against the U.S. Embarrassing Mubarak and surprising Crown
Prince Abdullah doesn't build sympathy for the U.S. either.
This has major implications for Arab support for the U.S. in
Iraq and other issues, he underscored.

ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT LOOKAHEAD

4.(C) Shaikh Muhammad assured A/S Burns that Arab leaders are
trying to resuscitate the Arab peace proposal for the Tunis
Summit. However, he expected that the Shaikh Yassin and
Rantissi killings will make it hard to gain consensus.
Everyone, he noted, remembers the last time an Arab Summit
presented a peace plan; Sharon attacked Jenin.

5.(C) Responding to A/S Burns's hope that the G-8 could issue
a statement of support for Middle East reform echoing an Arab
League statement, Shaikh Muhammad said that Bahrain agrees
with the philosophy of a new Middle East. He affirmed that
Bahrain would make a statement at the summit in support of
reform. However, the Foreign Minister cautioned that the
pace of reform will differ from country to country. He urged
patience with Saudi Arabia. It's society is very different
from the rest of the region, and the KSA is facing serious
threats from internal terrorism.

BILATERAL ISSUES - ARTICLE 98, TIP, AND ARAB LEAGUE BOYCOTT

6.(C) Keying off Shaikh Muhammad's request that we conclude
and bring into force the FTA by the end of this year, A/S
Burns noted three outstanding bilateral issues that could
have implications on congressional FTA approval -- the
Article 98 Agreement, Trafficking in Persons, and the Arab
League Boycott. A/S Burns asked Shaikh Muhammad how quickly
we could move forward on ratification of Article 98. Clearly
uncomfortable, Shaikh Muhammad responded "soon." On
trafficking in persons, A/S Burns emphasized that Congress is
now demanding statistics on enforcement of anti-trafficking
legislation, and he urged the Minister to provide as much
information as possible about concrete actions like
prosecutions and convictions of traffickers to the Embassy.
Shaikh Muhammad responded that Bahrain is fully engaged on
this issue, had just issued a brochure on worker rights to
migrant workers in the Kingdom and was following up on other
key actions. Surprised by the news about the increase in
boycott requests from Bahraini entities, Shaikh Muhammad
noted that Bahrain had changed its laws on the boycott years
ago and promised to investigate the matter immediately.

COMMENT

7.(C) The Foreign Minister and the GOB want to help with the
peace process and with the regional reform. Most Bahraini
leaders believe that more freedom and increased economic
activity within the region will produce more stability and
security. However, Bahrain can't do much more than lead
reform by example. Shaikh Muhammad was clear that it will
not be a leader on the peace process; hence his encouragement
to re-establish consensus among the major Arab leaders on the
peace process and to increase U.N. and European activity.

8.(U) A/S Burns cleared this cable.
FORD