FORUM FOR THE FUTURE: REGIONAL MEDIA FOCUS ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 001679

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/FO and NEA/PPD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PREL PGOV KMPI BA
SUBJECT: FORUM FOR THE FUTURE: REGIONAL MEDIA FOCUS ON
REFORM AGENDA


1. Summary: In contrast to the American press' focus on
the November 12 Forum for the Future's failure to issue a
final communiqu, characterizing it as "ending in discord"
over Egypt's objection on the role of NGOs, the Bahrain and
regional media highlighted the broader importance of the
Forum's reform agenda. Overall, commentary portrayed
Egypt's objection as an isolated blunder, and recognized the
unprecedented nature of the dialogue taking place between
civil society and BMENA governments. End Summary.


2. Government-owned daily newspapers Al-Ayam and independent
Al-Wasat both ran pull-out sections on the Forum for the
Future, which featured background information on the Forum
and explained its objectives. The two pull-outs gave full
coverage to press roundtable discussions with EUR A/S Fried,
DRL A/S Lowenkron, and ECA/DAS Romanowski in addition to the
one-on-one Al-Wasat interview with NEA/DAS Scott Carpenter.


3. Regional coverage of the Forum was broad and thorough.
Secretary Rice's interview with Arab satellite network Al-

SIPDIS
Arabiya constituted the main news item throughout the day
November 12 every hour on the hour starting with the noon
news bulletin. Prominent Arabic and English regional
dailies carried significant reporting on the Forum and
Secretary Rice's statements, including Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Al-

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Hayat, Al-Riyadh, Gulf News and Khalij Times. All local
Arabic and English dailies and Al-Hayat covered the launch
of the Fund for the Future and Foundation for the Future.
According to regional reports, the Forum closed with summary
documents of the main pillars discussed instead of the
"Bahrain Declaration" after some Arab countries led by Egypt
expressed reservations over funding and supporting
unregistered NGOs by the Foundation for the Future.


4. Al Wasat also reported statements by Secretary Rice
criticizing Syria for its human rights record and calling on
Damascus to release all Syrian political detainees,
including Kamal Labwani. Al-Wasat described the statement
as part of the U.S. campaign to isolate Syria
internationally.

Commentary Highlights Importance of Reform
--------------


5. Esmat Al-Mousawi, leading columnist in Al-Ayam, asserted
that Arabs need the West to fix and reform what they have
been incapable of fixing for decades: "Yes, some Arabs claim
that the Forum is one more way for the West's interference
in our internal affairs. And yes, there is a bit of truth
in that, but reality says that Arabs have always asked the
West for assistance throughout history so why not ask its
assistance with reforms?! All we should do right now is
invest all the foreign initiatives to our advantage but
without closing our minds and eyes, so we are not
manipulated whether from outside or inside our countries."


6. Abbas Busafwan, of Al-Ayam, echoes the need to take
advantage of international initiatives on reforms and
democratization even if "we oppose the policies of those
countries." He adds: "The wheel of reforms has started
spinning and the people are capable of investing the
international climate to push for more reforms. However,
reform will be more streamlined when the people and regimes
agreed on the pace of reform and its form."


7. Mansoor Al-Jamri, of Al-Wasat, asserts that the
Foundation for Future will mark a new beginning on the road
of reforms in the region if it is administered by
independent and honest members who work on distributing the
funds equally among the various NGOs in the
region. Competition between countries wishing to host the
Foundation headquarters also shows the importance and the
authority it will give the host country.


8. Ali Saleh, of often anti-U.S. policy Akhbar Al-Khalij,
believes that the Forum for the Future was a great success
even though participant countries failed to issue the
"Bahrain Declaration." He explains: "The Forum succeeded in
enhancing partnership between governments and civil society
institutions. It made the governments listen to the demands
and aspirations of their peoples through the NGOs that
attended. Even the reservations raised by some countries is
a success on its own because it pointed out the countries
that desire reform and the countries that do not want reform
from the outside or inside."


9. On November 14, Al-Wasat quoted a government source
denying the Forum was a failure because a "Bahrain
Declaration" was not announced as widely reported in the
American and European press. Sources added that there was
no political failure between Bahrain, the United States, and
other G8 countries. There was disagreement between some
countries that opposed the declaration that included
articles granting Foundation for the Future the right to
support all civil society institutions directly including
institutions that are unregistered officially. Sources
explained that Bahrain will participate in a meeting in
Jordan next month to draft the charter of the Foundation for
Future. It is expected that the "Bahrain Declaration" will
be announced during that meeting.


10. Government daily Al-Ayam reported that Bahraini Foreign
Affairs Assistant Undersecretary Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin
Mubarak Al-Khalifa revealed that a meeting would be held
before the middle of 2006 to form board of directors for the
Foundation for the Future to establish conditions and
criteria for supporting NGO activities. Shaikh Abdul Aziz
pointed out that the Foundation will allow the financing of
activities of civil society institutions but not the
activities and programs of political societies. He
emphasized that political societies' law in Bahrain bans
foreign financial support to political societies.


11. In the one negative commentary to date, Sayed Zahra of
the pro-government nationalist Akhbar Al Khalij, referred to
a statement by a U.S. official at the closing of the Forum,
widely quoted in the Western press, "we are frustrated and
not pleased." Zahra comments: "the reason of course is the
reservations raised by Egypt and some Arab countries on an
article about the support offered to NGOs. The American
frustration and anger show that America was holding bad
intentions and hiding its goals and objectives behind
supporting NGOs. America wants Arab countries to accept
unregistered NGOs whereas it put many restrictions on
Islamic charity funds and NGOs in America. The reality is
that America wants to support outlawed NGOs. They want to
see chaos in our countries to facilitate the merger of
Israel in the Broader Middle East and North Africa and
abolish the Arab identity."


MONROE