DELIVERY OF ORAL MESSAGE ON SUPPORTING THE IRAQI

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001279 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2015 TAGS: PREL BA IZ SUBJECT: DELIVERY OF ORAL MESSAGE ON SUPPORTING THE IRAQI CONSTITUTION REF: A. STATE 163177 ¶B. MANAMA 1237 Classified by Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Ambassador delivered Ref A oral message on supporting the Iraqi constitution to Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa during a September 4 meeting covering several subjects. Shaikh Mohammed, who had requested USG input (Ref B) prior to the GCC Foreign Ministers meeting in Jeddah (now set for September 6), affirmed that the GCC was the United States' "number one partner" in the region and said that the GCC wants to be an active partner of the United States "in war and in peace." Iran is not playing a helpful role in Iraq, the ForMin asserted, saying that the GCC needs to be involved in Iraq like Iran is. ¶2. (C) Shaikh Mohammed took the point on public Arab support for Iraq and indicated that any public statement would be positive. (Note: We have heard rumors that the GCC Foreign Ministers may not issue a statement following the meeting so as not to draw attention away from or conflict with a statement following the September 8 Arab League meeting.) In addition to a statement by the GCC, Shaikh Mohammed stressed that Bahrain wants to do more in practical terms. He welcomed our ideas on concrete steps GCC countries like Bahrain could take. In response to the Ambassador's suggestion, Shaikh Mohammed said that he had invited Iraqi Foreign Minister Zebari to visit Bahrain and had been dismayed when Zebari went to the UAE and Kuwait but bypassed Bahrain. MONROE