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