SENIOR KUWAITI SHI'A CLERIC ON HIZBALLAH, IRAQ,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 003733

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/IR, NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT, TREASURY FOR
HECHT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/17/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KTFN IR IZ KU KUWAIT IRAN RELATIONS
KUWAIT-IRAQ RELATIONS, SHI'A
SUBJECT: SENIOR KUWAITI SHI'A CLERIC ON HIZBALLAH, IRAQ,
IRAN, AND SUNNI CHARITY ORGANIZATIONS

REF: A. KUWAIT 3618

B. KUWAIT 630

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reason 1.4 (d)


1. (C/NF) Summary: In a September 13 meeting with PolOff,
senior Kuwaiti Shi'a cleric Sayed Mohammed Baqer Al-Mohri
shared his views on regional developments and Shi'a-Sunni
relations in Kuwait. Al-Mohri said Hizballah was more
popular among Kuwaiti Shi'a than before the recent
Israel-Hizballah conflict. Downplaying the fears voiced by
some Salafis, he claimed the conflict had also brought Shi'a
and Sunnis in Kuwait closer together, since many Sunnis came
to sympathize with Hizballah. Al-Mohri said he supported the
creation of a largely independent Shi'a region in southern
Iraq, a development which he argued would not/not negatively
impact Kuwait. On Iran, Al-Mohri said he believed President
Ahmadinejad would remain in power until the next elections,
but would not be re-elected. He explained that Ahmadinejad
had made numerous enemies due to his policies and did not
have the support of "the street." Al-Mohri supported the
Russian government's designation of the Social Reform Society
(SRS) and the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) as
terrorist organizations and urged the U.S. to continue
monitoring these charities. End summary.

Hizballah More Popular than Ever
--------------


2. (C/NF) Senior Kuwaiti Shi'a cleric Sayed Mohammed Baqer
Al-Mohri told PolOff during a September 13 meeting that U.S.
support for Israel during the latter's recent conflict with
Hizballah had "definitely" damaged the image of the U.S.
among Kuwait's generally pro-American Shi'a population.
(Note: Approximately thirty percent of Kuwait's one million
citizens are Shi'a. End note.) Overall, Kuwaiti Shi'a were
more supportive of Hizballah and Hassan Nasrallah after the
conflict than before, Al-Mohri claimed. He noted that even
many Sunnis in Kuwait, including Islamists like Member of
Parliament Waleed Al-Tabtabaei and Ummah Party
leader/columnist Dr. Sajed Al-Abdali, had defended
Hizballah's actions and were now more sympathetic towards the
Shi'a. Al-Mohri downplayed some Kuwaitis' criticisms of
Hizballah and warnings of rising Iranian influence in the
region, commenting that Shi'a-Sunni relations in Kuwait were
better now than before the conflict. (Comment: Other
contacts have argued the opposite, claiming that rising
sectarian violence in Iraq, the possible emergence of a
largely autonomous Shi'a state in southern Iraq, and the
increasingly bellicosity of Iran are making Sunnis in Kuwait,
particularly Islamists, very nervous. Those Sunni Islamists
in Kuwait that did publicly support Hizballah were primarily
affiliated with the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood and the Ummah
(Nations) Party, a controversial Salafi political
association. End comment.)

Federalism Not Fatalism
--------------


3. (C/NF) Al-Mohri said he supported the creation of a
largely autonomous Shi'a region in southern Iraq. He argued
this would not/not have a negative impact on Kuwait, noting
that many of Iraq's top leaders were already Shi'a and this
had not affected Kuwait-Iraq relations. Kuwait had a
"special set up," he explained: Kuwait's Shi'a population was
well-integrated into the society and Shi'a-Sunni relations
were generally good. Except for a few pro-Iran Shi'a,
Al-Mohri claimed the majority of Kuwaiti Shi'a were moderate,
loyal Kuwaiti citizens. (Comment: Many of our contacts echo
this point: Kuwaiti Shi'a are Kuwaiti first and Shi'a second.
When compared to Shi'a-Sunni relations elsewhere in the
region, Shi'a in Kuwait are indeed very well-off, as Al-Mohri
claimed. Where overt tensions do exist they are primarily
between the more hard-line, pro-Iran Shi'a and conservative,
Salafi Sunni Islamists. End comment.) Al-Mohri, who
allegedly has the right to collect khums (Shi'a religious
tax) for Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani in Kuwait, claimed
Al-Sistani was concerned about rising sectarian violence in
Iraq and said he believed Al-Sistani would also support a
largely autonomous Shi'a region in southern Iraq. Moqtada
Al-Sadr, on the other hand, was opposed to discussing an
autonomous Shi'a region as long as Iraq was "under
occupation," Al-Mohri said.

Ahmadinejad Going the Distance
--------------

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4. (C/NF) Turning to Iran, Al-Mohri said he believed Iranian
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would remain in power until the
next elections in 2009, but would not be re-elected. He
claimed Ahmadinejad had made a lot of enemies through his
economic policies and by replacing many highly-placed people
with hard-liners. Asked if these ousted leaders represented
a serious opposition to Ahmadinejad, Al-Mohri said they were
more of a balance than an opposition to the President. "The
U.S. mistakenly views the Iranian regime as synonymous with
Ahmadinejad," Al-Mohri advised. "There are many other, more
moderate people (within the Iranian government)." Al-Mohri
did not believe the hard-liners, led by Ahmadinejad, had the
support of "the street," noting that some women in Tehran
still do not wear the hijab in public.

Continue Charity Oversight
--------------


5. (C/NF) As PolOff was leaving, Al-Mohri pulled him aside
and said he supported the Russian government's designation of
the Social Reform Society (SRS) and the Revival of Islamic
Heritage Society (RIHS),both Sunni Islamist charities, as
terrorist organizations. He urged the U.S. to continue
monitoring these charity organizations, which he believed
were funding illicit activities oversees; he did not
specifically say "terrorism," though this was certainly the
implication. The U.S. should carefully "monitor the flow of
money" out of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab
Emirates, Al-Mohri concluded.

Bio Note
--------------


6. (C/NF) Though always civil, Al-Mohri, the Secretary
General of the Shi'a Clerics Congregation, was more open and
friendly in this meeting than in previous encounters, perhaps
an indication that he is relatively pleased with the course
of events in the region. He only lightly admonished the U.S.
to avoid "negative policies," like supporting Israel's
attacks on Lebanon, which give America's enemies a pretext
for fighting against the U.S. Al-Mohri recently returned
from Frankfurt, Germany where he underwent an operation on
his left eye for a condition related to "blue fluid."
According to several contacts, including Al-Mohri himself,
Al-Mohri is the representative of Iraqi cleric Ali Al-Sistani
in Kuwait and is authorized to collect khums (Shi'a religious
tax) on his behalf. Al-Mohri also claims to have close
connections to many of Iran's top leaders, including Iranian
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and former presidents
Khatami and Rafsanjani. Al-Mohri seems to relish his
connections and regularly drops names in meetings. For
example, when discussing Iraq, he casually mentioned that
Abdul Aziz Al-Hakim had called him "two days ago" from Najaf,
Iraq.


7. (SBU) In an interview published in the Arabic-daily
Al-Watan on September 13, Al-Mohri strongly criticized
Al-Qaeda and condemned terrorism in general. The following
is a translation of the article.

Begin text:

Secretary General of the Shi'a Clerics Congregation Mohammed

SIPDIS
Baqer Al-Mohri stated that the threat made by Ayman
Al-Zawahiri, the number two man in the Al-Qaeda organization,
to the Gulf countries proves the infidelity, apostasy, and
murderous nature of this cursed person who does not accept
the Islamic Shari'a that prohibits intimidating and
terrorizing people. This proves that Al-Qaeda is an apostate
and atheistic organization that has departed from Islam. It
also proves the criminal, Satanic, and retaliatory spirit of
this organization, which fights Muslims and Islamic states in
the service of the criminal, Zionist masters. Everyone knows
that the leader of this organization, Shaykh Osama bin Laden,
is licentious and debaucherous; has spent his life serving
colonialism and committing grave offenses and sins; was an
agent for a known foreign party; and has never believed in
Allah, though he and Al-Zawahiri try to pretend to be
religious and jealous of Islam.

His (Zawahiri's) last statement against Muslims and their
rulers in the Gulf States has uncovered the presence of the
Satanic leadership of the terrorist Al-Qaeda organization,
which is responsible for murdering thousands of innocent
people in various parts of the world. The Kuwaiti government

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should take the statements of this malignant man seriously
and monitor economic and other installations, suspicious
gatherings, and places related to the groups sympathizing
with bin Laden. Imams of mosques and scholars should
propagate awareness among the ranks of the youth so they
won't be taken away and dragged by the misleading Al-Qaeda
organization, the soldiers of Satan and the followers of the
Jews who are hostile to Islam and Muslims.

Let all know that the Al-Qaeda organization serves the goals
of the Zionists who want to weaken and undermine the Muslims
and rulers. Therefore, beware of sympathizing with them
because they are disbelievers and agents working against
Islam, and whoever sympathizes with them or supports them is
considered an accessory to them in their Satanic acts and
terrorist operations.

End text.

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LeBaron