Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUWAIT4498
2006-11-21 14:24:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

INFLUENTIAL AL-SABAH EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINR KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5171
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #4498/01 3251424
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 211424Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7664
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 004498 

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NSC FOR RAMCHAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: INFLUENTIAL AL-SABAH EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH
PRIME MINISTER, PARLIAMENT

REF: A. KUWAIT 4075

B. KUWAIT 1911 (NOT ALL)

C. 05 KUWAIT 3677

D. 04 KUWAIT 4540

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 004498

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NSC FOR RAMCHAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KDEM KU FREEDOM AGENDA
SUBJECT: INFLUENTIAL AL-SABAH EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION WITH
PRIME MINISTER, PARLIAMENT

REF: A. KUWAIT 4075

B. KUWAIT 1911 (NOT ALL)

C. 05 KUWAIT 3677

D. 04 KUWAIT 4540

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S/NF) Summary: In a November 17 meeting with Poloff,
Shaykh Mohammed Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, an influential ruling
family member with close ties to the Amir, expressed
frustration with the Prime Minister's "weakness" and his
inability to control an increasingly assertive Parliament.
He complained that Parliament had "encroached" on many
Executive powers and criticized the Government's
"laissez-faire attitude" in allowing this to happen. Shaykh
Mohammed believed the Prime Minister was trying to "re-align"
by distancing himself from controversial figures like Shaykh
Mohammed and former Minister of Energy Shaykh Ahmed Al-Fahd,
but argued that he now had no one capable of "running"
Parliament for him. According to Shaykh Mohammed, the Amir
had not fully dismissed the possibility of dissolving
Parliament unconstitutionally despite his public rejection of
such a move. He claimed "legalizing" political parties would
be "an admission of the weakness of the Al-Sabah family and
their inability to rule," something as a member of the ruling
family he was "sad to see."


2. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed complained that criticism of
government corruption was often hypocritical. He said he
opposed the five constituency electoral system because it
would lead to an "unbalanced Parliament." Shaykh Mohammed
said he "respected" the Islamic Constitutional Movement
(ICM),the political arm of the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood,
but did not completely trust them. He argued that "Kuwaiti
Hizballah" was "the same thing" as Lebanese Hizballah with
"the same structure and the same funding." Shaykh Mohammed
noted that drugs were becoming more prominent in Kuwait as
the supply of alcohol dried up. He believed overall
U.S.-Kuwait bilateral relations were very good, particularly

after the Amir's visit to Washington in September; Shaykh
Mohammed was a member of the Amir's delegation and attended
his meetings with the President. (Refs B, C, and D report
prior conversations with the Shaykh.) End summary.

Shaykh Mohammed Criticized for Corruption
--------------


3. (C/NF) Poloff met November 17 with Shaykh Mohammed
Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah at his luxurious beachfront villa.
Several of the Shaykh's friends were watching television in
same the room and at times chimed in with their comments.
The Head of the Citizens' Services Agency, the government
body responsible for doling out one-time grants to citizens
and for sending Kuwaitis abroad for medical treatment, and
one of two surviving grandsons of former Amir Shaykh Mubarak
Al-Kabir, the founder of modern Kuwait, Shaykh Mohammed is an
influential, young Shaykh in the inner circle of the ruling
family. On November 6, Parliament voted 32 to 21 with seven
abstentions against suspending Shaykh Mohammed from his
position for three months while the recently-created
parliamentary committee on elections violations investigates
charges he attempted to manipulate electoral outcomes in the
June 2006 elections. During the session, some
parliamentarians (MPs) called on the Government to close the
Citizens' Services Agency, arguing that it was "a breeding
ground for corruption." Liberal, opposition MP Saleh
Al-Fadhala claimed Shaykh Mohammed used his position to
support pro-Government candidates in the election, granting
favors to their constituents in return for votes. "Shaykh
Mohammed enjoys tremendous clout as he is close to some
influential people and as a result he continues to be in
office," Al-Fadhala said.

Prime Minister "Weak"; Unable to "Run" Parliament
-------------- --------------


4. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed described Prime Minister Shaykh
Nasser Mohammed as "too nice." After four glasses of wine,
"nice" changed to "weak." Shaykh Mohammed said Shaykh Nasser
was offered the job of Prime Minister based on his seniority
and noted that several older Shaykhs had turned down the
position, including Shaykh Nawaf Al-Ahmed, who wanted to
serve only as Crown Prince. "We need someone who can run the
Parliament," Shaykh Mohammed argued, citing the passage of
women's suffrage legislation and the deflection of seven
ministerial grillings in 2005 as examples of "our success" in
getting key legislation through Parliament. (Comment: In
saying "our success," Shaykh Mohammed was likely referring to
himself, former Minister of Energy Ahmed Al-Fahd Al-Sabah,

KUWAIT 00004498 002 OF 004


former State Minister for Cabinet/National Affairs Mohammed
Sharar, and possibly Shaykh Athbi Al-Fahd, the former
Director of Kuwait State Security (KSS) and Shaykh Ahmed's
brother. The first three, referred to by some as "the
corrupt trio," were accused of corruption and attempting to
manipulate electoral outcomes during the June elections. End
comment.)


5. (S/NF) Asked about the implications of Shaykh Ahmed's
exclusion from Cabinet, Shaykh Athbi's "resignation" as KSS
Director, and Parliament's strong criticism of him, Shaykh
Mohammed said he believed the Prime Minister was trying to
"re-align himself." "And I understand this," Shaykh Mohammed
said, but argued that "now the Prime Minister doesn't have
anyone capable of 'running' the Parliament for him." He
complained that Parliament had "encroached on many of the
powers of the Executive," a process the Government had
allowed to happen by taking such a "laissez faire attitude."
"As a member of the ruling family, this is sad for me to
see," he said.

Unconstitutional Dissolution Still a Possibility
-------------- ---


6. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed claimed the Amir had been talking
about the possibility of an unconstitutional dissolution of
Parliament for months, but admitted that this was "less
likely now than a couple of weeks ago" due to the strong
public reaction to rumors the Amir was considering such a
move. Asked why the Amir had openly discussed this
possibility in meetings with the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce,
the Higher Council for the Application of Islamic Shari'a,
and the Speaker of Parliament, as reported by a number of our
contacts, Shaykh Mohammed responded, "That's Shaykh Sabah.
He is very direct." He said the Amir might still dissolve
Parliament unconstitutionally if opposition MPs continued to
attack the Government, adding that the "red line" would be
"grilling" the Prime Minister. (Note: In a November 19
meeting with the Editors-in-Chief of several local dailies,
the Amir emphatically denied rumors that he was considering
dissolving Parliament unconstitutionally (i.e. for more than
two months). "Reports about a plan to dissolve Parliament
unconstitutionally are totally baseless. This idea has never
come up at all," the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) quoted the
Amir as saying. End Note.)


7. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed said he told the Amir he doubted
the U.S. would strongly condemn such a move, arguing that the
U.S. would not/not do anything to jeopardize its close
relations with Kuwait. Shaykh Mohammed made no mention of
widespread rumors in Kuwait that the U.S. had already given
the Amir the "green light" to dissolve Parliament
unconstitutionally.


8. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed said he told the Amir that "for an
unconstitutional dissolution to be successful," the Council
of Ministers (Cabinet) would need to be composed of
"technocrats" with strong ties to the main political groups
in Parliament. Such a Government "would need to implement an
ambitious development program to be able to show people after
two years that the Government had made significant
accomplishments," he argued. While supporting this option,
Shaykh Mohammed expressed doubt that the Government could
recruit ministers of this type. He argued they would not
want to work with PM Shaykh Nasser nor be a part of a Cabinet
formed during a period of unconstitutional dissolution.
According to Shaykh Mohammed, many competent individuals had
turned down posts in the current Government for similar
reasons and because they "did not want to be punching bags
for Parliament."

"Respect" for ICM, but Opposition to Political Parties
-------------- --------------


9. (S/NF) Asked his views on the Islamic Constitutional
Movement (ICM),the political arm of the Kuwaiti Muslim
Brotherhood, Shaykh Mohammed said he "liked" and "respected"
the organization, but admitted later that he did not
completely trust them. "They are very well organized, well
funded, and transparent, at least on the surface, about what
they want," which makes it easy to work with them, he
explained. Shaykh Mohammed also praised the ICM's "Whip
system," saying he "only need(ed) to talk to one person and I
know that (the ICM's) six MPs will abide by whatever
agreement we reach."


10. (S/NF) If working with an organized political group is
easier, then why not "legalize" political parties, Poloff
asked. (Note: While not technically illegal, political

KUWAIT 00004498 003 OF 004


parties are not recognized by the Government nor specifically
permitted under the Constitution. End note.) "We can't,"
Shakyh Mohammed responded. "Legalizing political parties
would be an admission of the weakness of the Al-Sabah family
and our inability to rule," he explained. He argued that the
Al-Sabah's power lay in their control over the Council of
Ministers and believed that relinquishing this authority to
Parliament by allowing the assembly to elect the Prime
Minister would mean a significant diminution in the power and
influence of the ruling family. "As a member of the ruling
family, I don't want to see this happen," he said. (Comment:
Shaykh Mohammed did not distinguish between the legalization
of parties and a popularly-elected Prime Minister, two
separate issues that seemed synonymous in his mind. End
comment.)

Five Constituencies Will Lead to "Unbalanced Parliament"
-------------- --------------


11. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed said he opposed the five
constituency electoral system because it would result in an
"unbalanced Parliament" with only "four, or at most five,
Shi'a MPs." He argued this would be "unfair" since Shi'a
represent "at least 20 percent of the population." (Note:
Most estimates put the Shi'a minority at between 30 and 35
percent of the Kuwaiti population. End note.) Asked if this
was an intentional result, he said to "ask (Salafi Islamist
MP) Ahmed Baqer," who drafted the proposal that was
ultimately adopted. "In other words, yes," he concluded.
According to Shaykh Mohammed, 27 urban and 23 tribal MPs will
be elected given the current distribution of the five
constituencies.

"Corruption": It Depends on Who You Talk To
--------------


12. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed complained that criticism of
Government corruption was often hypocritical: the critics
were generally corrupt themselves. "Take any MP...OK, (ICM
MP) Nasser Al-Sane. Al-Sane receives 200,000 KD ($692,000)
per year in government contracts that we do not need. That
is a form of corruption. And he is head of Arab
Parliamentarians Against Corruption organization," he noted
ironically. (Note: In October, Al-Sane, along with the other
five members of the ICM in Parliament, made their personal
financial records public to promote transparency in
government (reftel). Although they encouraged other
government officials to do the same, thus far none have
followed their example. End note.)

"Kuwaiti Hizballah" the "Same Thing" as Lebanese Hizballah
-------------- --------------


13. (S/NF) Shaykh Mohammed argued that "Kuwaiti Hizballah"
was "the same thing" as Hizballah in Lebanon with "the same
structure and the same funding." He claimed that "Kuwaiti
Hizballah" directly funded Lebanese Hizballah. Shaykh
Mohammed believed Hizballah was "very active" in Kuwait and
mentioned MPs Adnan Abdul Samad and Ahmed Lari as members.
(Comment: "Kuwaiti Hizballah" is a pejorative term used to
describe pro-Iran Shi'a in Kuwait. Although we don't rule it
out, we have seen no evidence to suggest there is a Hizballah
branch in Kuwait with direct organizational ties to Lebanese
Hizballah. MPs Samad and Lari are both members of the
National Islamic Alliance (NIA),an Iran-leaning Shi'a
political association, which people often refer to as
"Kuwaiti Hizballah." End comment.) Shaykh Mohammed
described Sayed Mohammed Baqer Al-Mohri, a prominent Shi'a
cleric in Kuwait not affiliated with NIA, as "a non-entity"
who "controls at most 200 people in Kuwait."

Drugs More Prevalent as Alcohol Dries Up
--------------


14. (S/NF) On a completely different subject, Shaykh
Mohammed reported that black market alcohol in Kuwait, most
of which comes from Iraq, was becoming more scarce (and
expensive) due to newly-installed vehicle x-ray machines on
the Kuwait-Iraq border. As a result, he said drugs were
becoming more prevalent. According to him, marijuana and
hashish were the drugs of choice, but heroin and other hard
drugs were also increasingly common. Drugs, which come
primarily from Iran, were easier to smuggle into the country
than alcohol, he explained. Shaykh Mohammed said ecstasy and
MDA, both popular in the European rave scene, were not widely
used in Kuwait. "Who wants an 'upper' in Kuwait?" one of his
friends commented wryly.


15. (C/NF) A full bio of Shaykh Mohammed is available on our

KUWAIT 00004498 004 OF 004


classified website.

********************************************* *
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s

Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
********************************************* *
LeBaron