BAHRAIN: RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001775 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP BA KN ROW SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: RESPONSE TO NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR TEST ANNOUNCEMENT REF: STATE 169418 Classified By: CDA Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) The Charge October 10 delivered reftel demarche concerning North Korea's nuclear test announcement to MFA Assistant Under Secretary for Coordination and Follow Up Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, stressing that the United States remains committed to diplomacy and to the full range of our deterrent and security commitments. She urged that Bahrain publicly denounce the North Korean action, support the adoption of a UN Security Council Chapter VII resolution, and take measures against North Korean and all proliferation. She also passed Shaikh Abdul Aziz the text of the President's October 9 statement. ¶2. (C) Shaikh Abdul Aziz stated that the Korean nuclear test was a "more important, more serious" event that Iran's pursuit of a nuclear program, saying North Korea was "the larger of two evils" and a bigger threat. He thought that world attention now might divert from Iran to North Korea, "a good thing," in his view. Bahrain's "worst nightmare" would be military intervention in Iran. The focus should be on a diplomatic solution. If people are concentrating on Korea, perhaps there will be more time to develop a diplomatic response to the Iran situation, he said. ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** ZIADEH