TFLE01: GOB CONDEMNS QANA BOMBING, PUBLIC ACTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001391

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC PTER BA REGION POL
SUBJECT: TFLE01: GOB CONDEMNS QANA BOMBING, PUBLIC ACTIVE
YET ORDERLY

Classified By: CDA Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

--------------
Summary
--------------


1. (C) The PM's Cabinet expressed July 30 its strong
condemnation of the Qana bombing and urged the international
community to intervene to stop the bloodshed of innocent
civilians. While still relatively low-key and orderly, the
number of public events has increased, including plans by
leading Shia political society Al Wifaq to hold a "festival"
August 2-3 in the government-run International Exhibition
Center in support of Lebanon and "the resistance."
Contributions and volunteer efforts have also become more
robust, to include a UNDP delegation traveling to Damascus
July 31 on behalf of the local Red Crescent Society to
deliver financial assistance. Two prominent Sunnis, Shaikh
Salah al Jowder and MP Shaikh Adel Al Ma'awada, are now
expressing support for Hizballah's resistance. Editorials
and political cartoons are more vitriolic in their
anti-Israeli and anti-American sentiments. End summary.

--------------
Outrage over Qana
--------------


2. (U) The Prime Minister's Cabinet expressed July 30
"strong condemnation and shock over Israel's brutal massacre
in Qana which claimed lives of tens of children, women, and
innocent civilians." It urged the international community to
intervene to stop the bloodshed and permit rescue workers
access to assist the injured. The Cabinet reaffirmed its
solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian peoples who face
"brutal Israeli crimes."


3. (U) All papers July 31 featured front page stories of the
attack on Qana, most including a picture of a child being
carried by a rescue worker. Headlines included "The Massacre
of Qana II in Honor of Condoleezza," "U.S.-Zionist Massacre
in Qana," and "Qana Massacre Is the Price of Arab Silence."
Leading Shia political society Al Wifaq released a statement
July 30 "denouncing the terrorist massacre committed by the
Zionist enemy. The massacre killed innocent women and
children with the support of U.S. arms and the bias of U.S.
diplomacy." The statement also praised the Lebanese
resistance's endurance in the face of Israeli aggression.

--------------
Public Events: a Festival and Protests
--------------


4. (U) Al Wifaq, in cooperation with the Islamic
Enlightenment Society, has scheduled a "festival" entitled
"We Are Ready for Resistance" on August 2 and 3 at the
government-run International Exhibition Center. The
festivities will be opened the first evening with speeches,
poetry, and art. The next day, musical bands from Bahrain,
Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia (reportedly from Qatif in the
Eastern Province) will sing nationalist and Islamic songs in
support of Lebanon and the resistance. Funds from food sales
and public contributions will go to the Lebanese people and
the Lebanese resistance.


5. (U) Over the past weekend, large banners and billboards
prominently displayed throughout Bahrain proclaimed July
27-28 "Lebanon Solidarity Days." In several areas of high
volume vehicle traffic, youths waved Hizballah or simple
yellow flags while others carried collection boxes to solicit
contributions from motorists. There were several village
rallies around Bahrain including at the main Shia mosque in
the Manama central market. Two events were staged at the UN
House: a protest by Bahraini children July 30, supported by
parents and others, and a sit-in by Bahraini labor unions
July 28.

--------------
Financial Aid and Volunteer Assistance
--------------


6. (C) An Embassy source told Emboff that the local Red
Crescent office is coordinating with UNDP and the Ministry of
Social Development, which has oversight of all civil society
organization activities, including financial donations going
out of Bahrain, to channel contributions to Lebanon.
Twenty-three members of the Bahrain Medical Society have
volunteered to participate in a medical mission to Lebanon
and Syria to assist in the treatment of victims of the
conflict. A collection drive led by the National Committee
in Aid of the Lebanese People, in association with the

Lebanese Embassy, reportedly has raised 42,000 BD ($112,000)
from the public in shopping malls and other public places.
Rotary clubs and other societies have launched collection
campaigns independently.

--------------
Sunni Leaders Join the Fray
--------------


7. (U) Sunni Shaikh Salah Al Jowder stated in his Friday
sermon July 28 that the Israeli action in Lebanon is part of
a larger plan called the "New Middle East" that the U.S.
announced at the beginning of the war on terror. Al Jowder
condemned the international community for its inability to
pressure Israel on its criminal acts of the last two weeks
and denounced the U.S. administration's full support to
Israel. He stated that even if he disagrees with Hizballah
(politically and ideologically),he supports its resistance
to Israel.


8. (U) MP and Al Asala political society (Salafi) president
Adel Al Ma'awada stated in an interview with Arabic daily Al
Waqt that there is no choice but to support the resistance
against the "Zionist Enemy." He denied that Al Asala stood
against the resistance in Lebanon and said that the Bahraini
people should support the resistance and protect Arab people
just as Israel went to rescue and protect their two soldiers.
Al Ma'awada suggests that if Arab regimes had come to the
rescue for Lebanese civilians, Israel would not have gone so
far in its actions.

--------------
Editorials and Cartoons Critical of the U.S.
--------------


9. (U) Secular, liberal Arabic daily Al Waqt featured a
front page editorial July 31 entitled "The American Bombs of
Qana" holding the U.S. responsible for the incident. It
asserts that the current war features Israel carrying out the
war on America's behalf to disarm Hizballah. "The Lebanese
know that this is her (Secretary Rice's) war and it was she
who refused to call for a cease-fire until Hizballah was
completely destroyed and Lebanon with it." Akhbar Al Khaleej
columnist Sayed Zahra July 31 wrote, "America participated
fully in the Israeli massacre (at Qana) and the international
community was backing it up. Even Arab governments that kept
silent are partners in this massacre. It is time that your
peoples punish you for this." In addition, political
cartoons over the past several days have been equally graphic
and harsh. One depicts President Bush and Israeli PM Olmert
wearing surgical scrubs and shaking hands, which are dripping
blood, after handing Secretary Rice the "New Middle East"
baby that is drawn as a small reptilian monster.

--------------
Comment
--------------


10. (C) Two common themes continue to underlie public
criticism of Israel's military actions: Arab governments'
silence and what is perceived as U.S. complicity. Media
criticism that had been up until now, reserved largely for
Israel, now includes the U.S. The Sunni political
community, even though it may not agree with Hizballah
theologically and politically, is voicing its protests
against Israeli actions in Lebanon and does not want to be
seen as unsupportive of the resistance. A government
concession to the Shia community to use a government-run
facility for activities in support of Lebanon is a telling
development. The emotional temperature has continued to grow
in Bahrain, yet the Bahraini summer heat has to date helped
dissuade people from hitting the streets en masse. Not only
has the GOB backed away from its earlier veiled criticism of
Hizballah, but it appears that it is now making efforts to
quietly enable activities that may release some of the
emotional steam and societal pressure.

********************************************* ********
Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/
********************************************* ********
ZIADEH