Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MANAMA1087
2006-06-18 13:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:
BAHRAIN: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - ANTICIPATED
how-toVZCZCXRO2639 OO RUEHDE DE RUEHMK #1087 1691326 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 181326Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5032 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0226 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0053 RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001087
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM BA ROW HUMRIT
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - ANTICIPATED
OIC ASSAULT ON ISRAEL
REF: A. STATE 99490
B. MANAMA 1064
C. STATE 95619
Classified by A/DCM Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001087
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM BA ROW HUMRIT
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - ANTICIPATED
OIC ASSAULT ON ISRAEL
REF: A. STATE 99490
B. MANAMA 1064
C. STATE 95619
Classified by A/DCM Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) A/DCM met with MFA Assistant Under Secretary for
Coordination and Follow Up Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al
Khalifa June 17, prior to receipt of Ref A. Shaikh Abdul
Aziz said he would depart June 18 for Geneva, where he would
head the Bahraini delegation to the UN Human Rights Council
inaugural session. He made no mention of any anticipated
action against Israel.
2. (C) A/DCM raised the U.S. interest in a session focused
primarily on non-controversial procedural matters, per Ref C,
and Shaikh Abdul Aziz agreed with this approach. He said the
GOB was concerned that human rights organizations with
anti-Bahrain agendas could try to embarrass Bahrain during
the HRC meeting. He was prepared to deliver a positive
evaluation of Bahrain's progress on human rights issues while
acknowledging that the GOB could do better in some areas. He
said that his personal view is that the GOB should be in
direct contact with human rights groups to work cooperatively
with them on perceived problems.
3. (C) Upon receipt of Ref A, A/DCM delivered the demarche
to Shaikh Abdul Aziz's personal assistant, who pledged to fax
it as a non-paper to him via the Bahraini mission in Geneva.
4. (C) In a previous June 14 conversation, MFA Director for
International Organization Affairs Ghassan Shaikho told A/DCM
that Bahrain agrees with many of the U.S. positions on the
HRC (Ref B),but has some "variations" on other points.
Shaikho affirmed that these issues would be handled in a way
so that there would be the "smallest gap possible" between
the U.S. and Bahrain, and no harm done. While he did not
specifically address Israeli-Palestinian matters, he said
that Bahrain would do what it could to narrow differences
with the United States.
********************************************* ********
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/
********************************************* ********
MONROE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM BA ROW HUMRIT
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL - ANTICIPATED
OIC ASSAULT ON ISRAEL
REF: A. STATE 99490
B. MANAMA 1064
C. STATE 95619
Classified by A/DCM Steve Bondy for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) A/DCM met with MFA Assistant Under Secretary for
Coordination and Follow Up Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al
Khalifa June 17, prior to receipt of Ref A. Shaikh Abdul
Aziz said he would depart June 18 for Geneva, where he would
head the Bahraini delegation to the UN Human Rights Council
inaugural session. He made no mention of any anticipated
action against Israel.
2. (C) A/DCM raised the U.S. interest in a session focused
primarily on non-controversial procedural matters, per Ref C,
and Shaikh Abdul Aziz agreed with this approach. He said the
GOB was concerned that human rights organizations with
anti-Bahrain agendas could try to embarrass Bahrain during
the HRC meeting. He was prepared to deliver a positive
evaluation of Bahrain's progress on human rights issues while
acknowledging that the GOB could do better in some areas. He
said that his personal view is that the GOB should be in
direct contact with human rights groups to work cooperatively
with them on perceived problems.
3. (C) Upon receipt of Ref A, A/DCM delivered the demarche
to Shaikh Abdul Aziz's personal assistant, who pledged to fax
it as a non-paper to him via the Bahraini mission in Geneva.
4. (C) In a previous June 14 conversation, MFA Director for
International Organization Affairs Ghassan Shaikho told A/DCM
that Bahrain agrees with many of the U.S. positions on the
HRC (Ref B),but has some "variations" on other points.
Shaikho affirmed that these issues would be handled in a way
so that there would be the "smallest gap possible" between
the U.S. and Bahrain, and no harm done. While he did not
specifically address Israeli-Palestinian matters, he said
that Bahrain would do what it could to narrow differences
with the United States.
********************************************* ********
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/
********************************************* ********
MONROE