Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KUWAIT486
2005-02-02 14:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES ANTI-TERRORISM

Tags:  PTER KISL EFIN PGOV KU 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000486 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, S/CT AND EB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2015
TAGS: PTER KISL EFIN PGOV KU
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES ANTI-TERRORISM
POLICIES AND PASSES NEW ARMS LAW

Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000486

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, S/CT AND EB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2015
TAGS: PTER KISL EFIN PGOV KU
SUBJECT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES ANTI-TERRORISM
POLICIES AND PASSES NEW ARMS LAW

Classified By: DCM Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: During separate February 2 discussions with
the Ambassador, Members of Parliament (MPs) Dr. Yousef
Al-Zalzalah and Abdullah Al-Roumi discussed the National
Assembly's February 1 passage of a new law which expands law
enforcement powers to search and seize illegal weapons,
calling it a positive development that demonstrated
solidarity between the GOK and Parliament in confronting
extremism. They also shared their views on terror financing
and educational curricula reform. One felt that current
terror financing laws and enforcement need strengthening, the
other thought current laws are adequate but said he would
personally bring to the floor amendments needed to close any
loopholes. MP Al-Zalzalah noted that Prime Minister Shaykh
Sabah, in a departure from past statements, has vowed to hunt
down terrorists and stated that the terror problems in Kuwait
are not over. Both MPs agreed that more must be done to
combat terror, but disagreed on some of the particulars. End
Summary.

Special Session Unanimously Passes Arms Law
--------------


2. (U) In the wake of recent crackdowns and shoot-outs with
militants, Kuwait's National Assembly passed on February 1,
during a closed-door special session, a law which permits law
enforcement to search and seize illegal firearms in an effort
to confront terrorism. The bill was unanimously approved by
all 45 MPs present. (Note: Three of the four MPs who did not
attend the special session were Islamist MPs Abdullah Akkash,
Awad Barad, and Jassem Al-Kandari. End Note.) The law will
be in effect for two years and is renewable thereafter; it
was originally enacted in 1992 and was enforced until 1994 to
reduce the number of weapons from the numerous arms caches
found after the Iraqi invasion. The measure empowers public
prosecutors to issue search warrants to conduct searches on
people and residences in the search for illegal weapons.


3. (C) In separate discussions with the Ambassador on
February 2, MPs Dr. Yousef Al-Zalzalah and Abdullah Al-Roumi

discussed the new arms law and other anti-terror policies and
initiatives. Both MPs praised the new law saying that it was
necessary to revisit the old policy. MP Al-Roumi said that
he opposed the measure in 1992, but believed that it was
necessary this time to show support to the GOK. MP Al-Roumi
told the Ambassador that the vote was a declaration of
support to the GOK in its efforts to combat terrorism. He
said Kuwaitis were happy that there was unanimous agreement
between the GOK and the National Assembly on this issue and
that National Assembly is ready to support any GOK measures
it deems necessary to fight the spread of this ideology, to
include limiting sources of funding.


4. (C) He mentioned that the roles of mosques and educational
reform were discussed during the session and that KD 5.5
million (approx. USD 18.5 million) was already earmarked for
programs to combat terrorism. He said the intention of one
policy is to publicly discuss the takfiri ideology and to
show that it is in opposition to Islamic Sharia. MP
Al-Zalzalah also said that during the closed session there
was discussion about reviewing Kuwait's Islamic groupings and
their ideologies. He told the Ambassador that some MPs are
blaming the GOK saying that its openess with the Islamists
set the stage for the current security situation. The
National Assembly also addressed the issue of opposing
sectarianism in Kuwait.

Shaykh Sabah Firm Against Terror... For Now
--------------


5. (C) Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed publicly stated
that the terror problem in Kuwait was not over and that
Kuwait will continue to hunt down the terrorists. Noting
that the Prime Minister's position on terror is "crystal
clear," MP Al-Zalzalah said that the PM did not permit anyone
to offer a justification for terrorism during the closed-door
session. Al-Zalzalah pointed out that the PM's position is a
big change from past statements. While he was convinced that
Shaykh Sabah's stance against terrorism was firm, he was not
certain whether the Prime Minister would stand by his
convictions over the long-term. He pointed out that last
year the PM publicly stated the Kuwait University Faculty of
Sharia was espousing intolerant and sectarian ideas and
needed to be combined with the Faculty of Law in order to
control it. Despite personal statements promising to reform
the Faculty of Sharia, Al-Zalzalah said, Shaykh Sabah decided
not to make any changes and claimed the decision came not
from him, but from the Council of Ministers.


6. (C) MP Al-Zalzalah also said that although he personally
likes Interior Minister Shaykh Nawaf Al-Ahmed, his
personality does not lend itself to standing firm against
terror. He explained that Shaykh Nawaf must make stronger
statements against the extremists. He said that the Interior
Minister refers to them as "outlaws" when he should be
calling them "killers and criminals."

Curricula Needs Reform
--------------


7. (C) Al-Zalzalah told the Ambassador that he confronted the
Education Minister on the need for curricula reform. The MP
stated that the curricula is flawed and is often
misinterpreted by religious education teachers who define
religious principles in terms of violence and intolerance.
(Note: Al-Zalzalah pointed out that Sulayman Bu Ghaith,
spokesman for Al-Qaida was a religious education teacher in
Kuwait. End Note.) He claimed that the Council of Ministers
was well aware of this problem and that he was given a
promise from an Undersecretary in the Ministry of Education
that the offending parts of the curricula would be removed.
Al-Zalzalah said that the Undersecretary made no changes to
the curricula and because of this Al-Zalzalah asked Shaykh
Sabah to fire Education Minister Dr. Rasheed Hamad Al-Hamad
if he refused to recognize these problems. (Note: MP
Al-Zalzalah is a Shi'a MP and often speaks against the
educational, societal, and legal disparities encountered by
Kuwaiti Shi'a. End Note.)


8. (C) MP Al-Roumi disagreed with Al-Zalzalah saying the
educational curricula in Kuwait is not the problem. He said
the problem is the foreign extremist exploitation of young
people and speculated that some of the foreigners captured
during January's shoot-outs in Kuwait may have influenced the
Kuwaiti members of the militant group to commit acts of
violence. (Note: A number of Saudis and one Jordanian citizen
have been detained in connection with the January shoot-outs.
End Note)

Terror Finance Controls Unaddressed
--------------


9. (C) The Ambassador raised with both MPs the existence of
unauthorized charity collection boxes, shortfalls in Kuwait's
money laundering law, and the need to lift the
information-sharing restrictions of the Central Bank's
Financial Intelligence Unit. MP Al-Zalzalah claimed that
unauthorized charity collection problems still exist. He
said that money collection boxes could still be found all
over Kuwait and that he saw one recently at a local hospital.
The Ambassador stated these unauthorized money flows should
be cut off and terror financing should be criminalized.
Al-Zalzalah agreed that efforts to fund terrorist
organizations should be criminalized and that Kuwait's
Financial Intelligence Unit should be more flexible in
sharing financial transaction information with other
countries.


10. (C) MP Al-Roumi said he hasn't seen any unauthorized
collection boxes, not even during this past Ramadan, and is
unaware of current violations. He claimed the real problem
was that security agencies in Kuwait were "penetrated," and
that this needs to be controlled. While MP Al-Roumi agreed
that money laundering was a key source for terror funding, he
told the Ambassador that there is already an article in
Kuwait's money laundering law that penalizes those who fund
terrorists. He said that current articles in the penal code
are sufficient and that the GOK expressed a willingness to
review all the laws and to strengthen them where necessary.
MP Al-Roumi said that he would personally bring to the floor
of Parliament any loopholes in the laws that need to be
addressed. He further stated that the GCC Anti-Terrorism
security agreement signed by GCC ministers in May 2004 would
pass in the National Assembly. He explained there was
pressure from the GOK to pass the measure which would
facilitate anti-terror related law enforcement cooperation
within the GCC.

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