Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KUWAIT4527
2005-10-22 09:28:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

FY05Q4 IIP SPEAKER EVALUATION: PATRICK CLAWSON;

Tags:  KPAO OEXC OIIP SCUL XF KU 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004527 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY),IIP/T/IS (DBENCHENER),
IIP/G/NEA-SA (TSCOTT),

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OEXC OIIP SCUL XF KU
SUBJECT: FY05Q4 IIP SPEAKER EVALUATION: PATRICK CLAWSON;
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT CAPTIVATES KUWAITI AUDIENCES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004527

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/PPD (CWHITTLESEY),IIP/T/IS (DBENCHENER),
IIP/G/NEA-SA (TSCOTT),

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO OEXC OIIP SCUL XF KU
SUBJECT: FY05Q4 IIP SPEAKER EVALUATION: PATRICK CLAWSON;
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY EXPERT CAPTIVATES KUWAITI AUDIENCES


1. SUMMARY: October 1-2, 2005, U.S. Speaker Dr. Patrick
Clawson, Deputy Director for Research at the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy, conducted a speaking tour in
Kuwait focusing on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Addressing diverse audiences, Dr. Clawson spoke at Kuwait
University, the Executive Board of the National Union of
Kuwaiti Students, American University of Kuwait's American
Corner, and a dinner attended by liberal columnists
accompanied by Kuwaiti executives, professors, and authors.
The speaker explained U.S. policies on Israel, Palestine,
Iraq, Syria, Iran, and addressed the topic of
democratization. END SUMMARY.

FEMALE STUDENTS IN KUWAIT DEBATE U.S. POLICIES
-------------- -


2. DR. CLAWSON BEGAN HIS TWO-DAY PROGRAM IN KUWAIT ON
OCTOBER 1 WITH AN UNPRECEDENTED TALK BEFORE AN INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS CLASS OF 25 TRADITIONALLY CLAD FEMALE KUWAIT
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. THE WOMEN GRILLED THE POLICY EXPERT ON
U.S. FAIRNESS IN THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT AND
STRENUOUSLY CRITIQUED THE U.S.'S CONFRONTATION WITH IRAN ON
NUCLEAR ISSUES GIVEN THE FAILURE OF WESTERN INTELLIGENCE ON
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ.

SECTARIAN RELATIONS
--------------


3. NEXT, DR. CLAWSON VISITED KUWAIT'S CENTER FOR STRATEGIC
AND FUTURE STUDIES. DURING HIS MEETING WITH DR. SHAMLAN AL-
ESSA, THE CENTER'S LIBERAL DIRECTOR AND COLUMNIST AT PRO-
GOVERNMENT AL-SEYASSAH ARABIC LANGUAGE DAILY, THEIR TALK
FOCUSED ON IRAQ AND REGIONAL SHIA-SUNNI RELATIONS.

PALESTINIANS - REWARDS IN THE AFTERLIFE
--------------


4. THAT EVENING, DR. CLAWSON MET WITH FOUR MEMBERS OF THE
NATIONAL UNION OF KUWAITI STUDENTS' EXECUTIVE BOARD, WHO
REPRESENT ISLAMIST POLITICAL PARTIES. THE MEETING TOOK
PLACE AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF ISLAMISTS SWEEPING THE RECENT
STUDENT ELECTIONS. THREE MEMBERS OF LEBANESE ISLAMIST
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS OBSERVING THE KUWAITI ELECTIONS ALSO
ATTENDED. DR. CLAWSON FACED TOUGH QUERIES ABOUT ISRAEL AND
PALESTINE. QUESTIONS ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM EVOKED
DISCUSSION OF ISRAEL'S. LEBANON'S POLITICAL CRISIS CALLED

UP SHARON'S ROLE IN SABRA AND SHATILA. ONE KUWAITI NOTED
THAT ALTHOUGH PALESTINIANS HAVE HAD LITTLE SUCCESS IN THEIR
STRUGGLE, THE REWARD IN THE AFTERLIFE IS GREATER THAN ANY
EARTHLY VICTORY.

U.S. FOREIGN POLICY -- LOFTY GOALS, SLOW SUCCESS
-------------- ---


5. DR. CLAWSON ENDED THE DAY SPEAKING AT A DIWANIYA
(GATHERING) HOSTED BY KUWAITI EXECUTIVE AMER AL-TAMEEMI,
FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE KUWAIT ECONOMIC SOCIETY, FREQUENTED
BY LIBERAL KUWAITI WRITERS, PROFESSORS, AND BUSINESSMEN.
DR. CLAWSON STATED THAT THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION IS SATISFIED
WITH PROCLAMATIONS OF LOFTY POLICY GOALS, WHILE ACCUMULATING
SLOW, INCREMENTAL PROGRESS. INDICATING EGYPT DEVELOPMENTS
AND OTHER TRENDS AS POSITIVE STEPS, CLAWSON ARGUED THAT
DEMOCRATIC CHANGE MUST BE EVOLUTIONARY RATHER THAN
REVOLUTIONARY, CITING IRAQ AND IRAN AS EXAMPLES.

WHAT'S GOING ON IN SYRIA?
--------------


6. DR. ABDUL-REDHA AL-ASIRI, HEAD OF KUWAIT UNIVERSITY'S
POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, TACKLED SIMILAR THEMES WITH
DR. CLAWSON. THEIR DIALOG REVOLVED MOSTLY AROUND IRAN,
WHILE BROACHING OTHER REGIONAL THEMES, INCLUDING SUCCESSION
IN SYRIA. CLAWSON ARGUED THAT THE U.S. HAS LITTLE IDEA OF
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ASSAD WERE TO FALL. HE ADDED THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING TOWARD REGIME BEHAVIOR CHANGE IN
SYRIA, RATHER THAN TOWARD REGIME CHANGE, AS MANY SUSPECT.
HE SURMISED THAT SYRIA IS THE MOST LIKELY COUNTRY IN THE
REGION TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

LIVELY DIALOG ON DEMOCRACY
--------------


7. DR. CLAWSON CONCLUDED HIS PROGRAM IN KUWAIT WITH A VISIT
TO AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF KUWAIT (AUK) WHERE HE ADDRESSED A
GROUP OF 30 STUDENTS AND JOURNALISTS AT THE AMERICAN CORNER.
AUK STUDENTS PRESSED CLAWSON ON HOW THE U.S. CAN PROMOTE
DEMOCRATIZATION IN THE REGION, CONFRONT IRAN'S NUCLEAR
PROGRAM, AND MANAGE THE REFERENDUM ON THE IRAQI
CONSTITUTION. FOLLOWING THE AMERICAN CORNER EVENT, DR.
CLAWSON MET WITH UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DR. SHAFIQ AL-GHABRA.

ENGAGING KUWAITIS ON REGIONAL ISSUES
--------------


8. THIS SPEAKER ADVANCED THE EMBASSY'S GOAL TO ENGAGE
KUWAITIS ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND TO
DESCRIBE THE U.S. POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. FACING
EXTREME CRITICISM, DR. CLAWSON CLARIFIED U.S. MIDEAST
POLICIES, DEFENDED THE U.S. POSTURE TOWARD ISRAEL AND
PALESTINE, IRAQ, IRAN, AND SYRIA. HE ADEPTLY HANDLED THE
TOPIC OF TRANSFORMATIONAL DEMOCRATIZATION AND THE EXPANSION
OF FREEDOM IN THE REGION. TARGET AUDIENCES INCLUDED
CONSERVATIVE ISLAMISTS AND LIBERAL KUWAITIS. THIS PROJECT
ADDRESSED KEY MPP THEMES, INCLUDING "CLOSE TIES WITH ALLIES
AND FRIENDS," "PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TO TERRORISM,"
"DEMOCRATIC SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES," "RESOLUTION OF REGIONAL
CONFLICTS," AND "AMERICAN VALUES RESPECTED ABROAD."

WIDE-RANGING IMPACT
--------------


9. THE COINCIDENCE OF DR. CLAWSON'S VISIT WITH THE KUWAITI
STUDENT ELECTIONS WAS SIGNIFICANT. THE TENOR AND WEIGHT OF
QUESTIONS FROM THE AUK STUDENTS WERE IN STARK CONTRAST WITH
THOSE OF THE KUWAIT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. KUWAIT UNIVERSITY
STUDENT LEADERS, MOSTLY ISLAMISTS, FOCUSED ENTIRELY ON THE
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. AUK STUDENTS, WHO TEND TO BE
MORE LIBERAL, SHOWED GREATER INTEREST IN IRAQ AND REGIONAL
DEMOCRATIZATION. DR. CLAWSON DEFTLY ADDRESSED ISSUES
PERTAINING TO U.S. FOREIGN POLICY IN THE REGION, RESPONDING
APPROPRIATELY TO DIVERSE VIEWPOINTS PREVALENT WITHIN KUWAIT,
ON BOTH THE LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE SIDES. MEETINGS AT THE
UNIVERSITIES AND THE DIWANIYA WERE IMPORTANT BECAUSE MOST
PARTICIPANTS PLAY DUAL ROLES IN KUWAITI SOCIETY, AS
PROFESSORS AND MEDIA COMMENTATORS, ENSURING THAT DR.
CLAWSON'S FOREIGN POLICY MESSAGE WILL REACH AN EVEN BROADER
AUDIENCE THOUGH THEIR COLUMNS OR COMMENTARIES IN THE
NEWSPAPERS AND ON LOCAL TELEVISION. THESE POLICY
PERSPECTIVES WILL ALSO BE SHARED BROADLY WITH LIBERAL AND
CONSERVATIVE STUDENTS IN THEIR LECTURES.

Positive, Plentiful Press
--------------


10. Dr. Clawson's visit received excellent print coverage,
particularly considering the sensitive topics addressed:

--Al-Qabas, 10/3/05, p. 20, Arabic, full page interview,
circ. 65,000
--Al-Rai Al-Aam, 10/3/05, p. 5, Arabic, 1/8 page, circ.
70,000
--ARAB TIMES, 10/3/05, P. 5, ENGLISH, 1/4 PAGE, CIRC. 40,000
--THE DAILY STAR, 10/4/05, P. 19, ENGLISH, 1/4 PAGE, CIRC.
15,000

LEBARON