KING STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF U.S. ROLE IN REGIONAL

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 001599

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV BA OFFICIALS REGION BILAT
SUBJECT: KING STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF U.S. ROLE IN REGIONAL
STABILITY

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe. Reason: 1.4 (b)(d)


1. (S) Summary. Bahrain's King Hamad, during an August 29
discussion with the Ambassador, repeatedly stressed the value
he placed on the U.S. relationship, and the importance of the
U.S. role in maintaining peace and security in the region.
He expected Bahrain to initiate discussions shortly with
NAVCENT on possible Bahrain Navy participation with TF-150 in
the Arabian Sea. He said the Arab League has asked FM Shaikh
Khalid to lead an AL delegation at the UN next month to
develop a fresh formulation to push the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process forward, focusing on two points: the existing
Arab initiative and increased Arab engagement with Israel.
On Iran, he stressed the importance of GCC unity to confront
Iran's goal of regional hegemony. An Iranian MFA official
came to Bahrain this week to present/defend Iran's nuclear
response; his main point was that Iran wants to keep talking.
The King described relations with Saudi Arabia as better,
although requiring careful management and still troubled by
lingering economic-related irritants. While bilateral
relations with Qatar are quite good, the King was critical of
Qatari actions at the UN and its tilt towards Iran. He
engaged only briefly on domestic issues, speaking positively
of the upcoming parliamentary elections and the benefits of
having broader participation (leading opposition Shia society
Al-Wifaq) this time. The meeting received prominent and
unusual front-page coverage, clearly reflecting the King's
desire to signal the value he places on the U.S. relationship
at a time of much critical local reporting and commentary
about U.S. policies in the region. End summary.


2. (SBU) King Hamad invited the Ambassador for a "business
lunch" August 29 at Safriya Palace. Joining the King were
Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa and
National Security Advisor Shaikh Ahmed Al-Khalifa. The
Ambassador was accompanied by the DCM.


3. (C) The King opened the meeting by stressing the value he
placed on Bahrain's bilateral relationship with the United
States. He returned to this theme several times during the
discussion. This is a long-standing relationship, he stated.
Bahrain was the first country in the Gulf to welcome a U.S.
military presence on its soil. When Iraq invaded Kuwait and
the U.S. built up its military forces in the region, it was
only in Bahrain that the U.S. military already had a real
presence. He repeatedly emphasized the "crucial role" that
the U.S. plays in preserving the security and stability of
the region. He spoke frankly of the role that the U.S.
military presence plays in helping protect Bahrain from Iran.
He described the U.S. as providing a "ring of fire"
protecting Bahrain.


4. (C) Bahrain values the U.S. relationship, and would like
to strengthen it, the King stated. In that connection, he
said he has initiated internal discussions on the possibility
of Bahraini participation with the navy coalition operating
outside the Strait of Hormuz (TF-150),and the government
will approach NAVCENT shortly to discuss this issue. The
Ambassador noted that we were serious about developing a
security dialogue with Bahrain and other GCC countries which
would look at ways to expand cooperation, and that a team
would be coming to Bahrain in the fall for a round of
discussions. The King welcomed this initiative.


5. (S) On Iran, the King stressed that it was important that
the GCC countries remain united in dealing with the Iranians,
who clearly want hegemony over the region. While this unity
is strong, two countries are walking a tightrope -- Oman and
Qatar. The Omanis, in walking this tightrope, lean towards
the GCC. They have been doing this for years, and have a
special concern because of the Strait of Hormuz. The
Qataris, in contrast, lean towards Iran, and this worries
other GCC partners.


6. (C) When Foreign Minister Mottaki visited Bahrain earlier
this year, the King stated, he told the Bahrainis that Iran
is friends with the Taliban, Iraq, Syria, Hamas, and
Hizbollah, and so Bahrain should be on the side of Iran. The
King said his reaction was: "with friends like that, we don't
want to be partners with you." The Ambassador asked about
the visit the day before of Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister
Mahdi Mastafawi, who met with Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid.
Shaikh Khalid said that he came to present/defend Iran's
response on the nuclear issue. Mastafawi's main point was
that the Iranians want to keep talking.


7. (S) Turning to the Middle East, the King stated that at
last week's Arab League Foreign Ministers' meeting, it was
decided to task Shaikh Khalid, as rotating chair of the Arab
League for the next six months, to lead an Arab League

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delegation to the United Nations next month to develop and
discuss a fresh formulation to push the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process forward. He said this formulation would be
based on two points: the Arab initiative already on the
table, and a proposal for more engagement with Israel. On
the latter point, he noted that the Egyptians and Jordanians
already talk to the Israelis, the Palestinians always like to
talk to them, the Lebanese want to, and Bahrainis and other
GCC countries meet with them (more quietly). Why not raise
the confidence of the Israelis by talking with them, he asked.


8. (C) On Syria, the King said that he told President Bashar
Al-Asad that he should break off his ties with Hamas leader
Khalid Mishal. Bashar's response was that he hated Khalid
Mishal, but since this was a Palestinian issue he really had
no choice. The King expressed exasperation with Bashar, but
likewise felt there was no choice. Bashar was better than
the alternative - the Moslem Brotherhood.


9. (S) The King talked at length on Bahrain's relations with
Saudi Arabia, which he described as better than in the past
but still in need of careful management. He stated that
Bahrain works hard to keep the relationship peaceful, adding
that the ties remain smooth because "we do all the work." He
raised long-standing irritants, including oil from the joint
Abu Safah offshore field (300,000 b/d production divided
equally) and exports of sand from Saudi Arabia. On the Abu
Safah oilfield, he did not raise the usual complaint that the
Saudis dropped a 50,000 b/d grant, but brought up a new issue
that the Saudis have provided no transparency on the
production and sales from the field (the field is operated by
Aramco),leading to accusations in Bahrain's parliament that
the Al-Khalifa's are siphoning off some of the income from
Bahrain's share. He said he has written four letters and
raised the issue personally with King Abdullah, but has
received no answer. He would be happy if the Saudis sent the
information directly to the Parliament. In the King's view,
the issue is all the more annoying because historically the
territorial waters belonged to Bahrain (comment: the Saudis
may have a different view.).


10. (C) On the sand sales, he acknowledged that a resolution
had been reached and exports of sand to Bahrain (vital for
the construction industry) had resumed. Unfortunately, the
Saudi solution was to give the rights to sell sand to Bahrain
to one company, which has sharply raised the price.


11. (C) When the King mentioned, as he has in the past, that
the Saudis watch with concern the democratic reform steps
that Bahrain has taken, the Ambassador asked if the Saudi
leadership had complained directly to him. The King offered
no concrete examples, but pointed to regular attacks and
criticisms of Bahrain's democratic reform efforts in the
Saudi daily "Al-Watan."


12. (S) On Qatar, the King expressed strong criticism of
Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassim's statement at the UN
Security Council after the July vote on Lebanon. He said
that HBJ maintained that he was speaking on behalf of the
Arabs. If that were the case, the King said, he should have
consulted with the Arab League, the GCC, even the OIC, before
preparing his statement. He also said that HBJ indicated he
had to reflect the "Arab street." What "Arab street is there
in Qatar, he wondered.


13. (C) The Ambassador asked the King how he saw the upcoming
Parliamentary elections, expected to take place after Eid in
late October or November. The King thought the process was
going well. "Let's put this in perspective," he said.
"We've come a long way in just four years since the first
election." It is important to bring people into the system,
he said, and give them a stake in the country's affairs, and
that is happening. He was pleased that Al-Wifaq (major Shia
opposition political society) had decided to participate in
this election. More hard-line oppositionists, while refusing
to participate, have been quieter lately. Of course, there
are some who will always remain outside the system, such as
Said Shehabi, who remains in London and refuses to come back
even though he has been encouraged to do so. People like
him, the King said, prefer to complain from the relative
comfort of their homes in London.


14. (C) Comment. The Ambassador's previous meetings with the
King have been private affairs, not reported in the local
newspapers. This meeting, taking place two days after the
King's return to Bahrain, received lead front-page coverage,
with the press reporting that the King called for a revival
of the Middle East peace process and stressed the crucial
role of the U.S. in promoting peace and security in the
region. Coming at a time of much critical reporting and

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editorial commentary about U.S. policy in the region, this
was clearly an effort to remind Bahrainis (and Iran) that
Bahrain does value its relationship with the U.S. The
Ambassador's meeting with the Crown Prince the same day also
received press coverage, focusing on the potential benefits
of the FTA. The King's interest in exploring possible
cooperation with TF-150 could be a positive, practical result
of the King's desire for engagement in the security area.

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