MINISTER OF INTERIOR DISCUSSES SECURITY ISSUES

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000497 SIPDIS NOFORN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2016 TAGS: ASEC PTER BA OFFICIALS CTR REGION SUBJECT: MINISTER OF INTERIOR DISCUSSES SECURITY ISSUES WITH AMBASSADOR REF: A. STATE 47881 B. MANAMA 476 Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe. Reason: 1.4 (B)(D) ¶1. (S/NF) Summary. The Ambassador reviewed security and counterterrorism concerns in a March 25 meeting with Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid. The Ambassador, while expressing great appreciation for the excellent cooperation across the board in addressing our security and CT concerns, advised the Minister that we had seen a reduction in police officers at the Embassy and asked the Minister to look into it. The Ambassador raised concerns about reports of a new Jihadist cell forming in Bahrain, and urged strong cooperation between Bahrain agencies and between our two countries in dealing with this potential threat. The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the continuing monitoring of returned Guantanamo detainees, but noted concern about reports that they have had some contact with known extremists. The Minister advised that he has chosen a head for the new JCTC, and that the project should now start to move forward. He expressed optimism that recent small-scale demonstrations by Shia youth were subsiding, noting with satisfaction that Sunni and Shia clerics, in their sermons the previous Friday, had -- at government direction -- criticized the violence. He said he was less worried about these small-scale skirmishes than the potential impact on Bahrain of events in Iraq and Iran. End summary. ¶2. (U) The Ambassador met March 25 with Minister of Interior Shaikh Rashid Al-Khalifa to discuss security issues of concern to the Embassy. Also participating in the meeting were Interior Undersecretary Shaikh Daij bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa and Chief of Public Security Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al-Zayani. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador opened the discussion by expressing his appreciation for the excellent cooperation the Embassy has received from the Bahraini authorities in addressing any and all of our security concerns. More broadly, the cooperation across the board on security and counterterrorism matters has continued to improve under the leadership of Shaikh Rashid and his team (who moved to Interior in the spring of 2004) and Shaikh Khalifa Al-Khalifa (who took over the Bahrain National Security Agency in 2005). Recently, however, we had noticed a reduction in the number of police officers at the Embassy compound, especially in off-hours. Noting the importance of preventing the appearance of perceived weaknesses or vulnerabilities, the Ambassador asked that this issue be looked at and addressed. Shaikh Rashid and General Zayani said they were not aware of any decision to reduce coverage of the Embassy, and did not believe that other operational requirements (Formula-1, recurring demonstrations around town) would have necessitated this. They promised to look into it. ¶4. (S/NF) The Ambassador raised our concern about intelligence reports of a new Jihadist cell forming in Bahrain, and our need to work together to deal with this potential threat. Good coordination between different Bahraini agencies, and between our two governments, would be essential. Shaikh Rashid took note of our concern, and said that he wanted to look deeper into the case before responding in detail. He promised to get back to the Ambassador. ¶5. (S/NF) Finally, the Ambassador raised the issue of the three Bahraini Guantanamo detainees who were returned to Bahrain last November. We greatly appreciate that their activities have been monitored since their return, he said, but are concerned about reports of some contacts they have had with other Sunni extremists in Bahrain. It would seem that more attention needs to be directed toward their rehabilitation and reentry into Bahraini society. Shaikh Rashid said that the government had wanted to give them some months to adjust to life back in Bahrain, but they have now had "enough of a break." They can't just spend their time hanging around mosques and visiting friends. He agreed that more could be done for them, and said he would look into the problem. ¶6. (C) The Minister raised the proposed Joint Counterterrorism Center (JCTC),saying that he had received a call from Crown Prince Salman in New York asking for a status report on the center. (Note: Depsec Zoellick raised the JCTC in his March 21 meeting with the Crown Prince -- ref a.) He said that finding the right people to lead the JCTC had been the biggest challenge, but they had just picked the officer to head it two days ago. Office space will not be a problem, he said, so it should soon be ready for launching. ¶7. (C) The Ambassador asked Shaikh Rashid about the recent small-scale demonstrations and clashes that have taken place in Bahrain's Shia villages in recent weeks (ref b). Shaikh Rashid stated that it appeared that things were calming down. He noted with satisfaction that leading clerics, both Shia and Sunni and including leading Shia cleric Shaikh Isa Qassim, had criticized the violence during their Friday sermons (following a directive from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs),and that many also praised performance of the security (again per the Islamic Affairs directive). He said that the security forces have been under a lot of pressure in recent months because of the continuing demonstrations, and these statements of support from the clerics was good for their morale. Comment: Not every cleric responded to the call to praise the security forces. Al Wifaq leader Shaikh Ali Salman, according to press reports, rejected this directive, saying that it was dangerous not because it asked religious leaders to praise the police but because it reinforced the concept of interference by official institutions in religious sermons. End comment. ¶8. (C) Shaikh Rashid said that at this point he was less worried about the small-scale demonstrations and clashes instigated by small groups of disgruntled youths than he was about developments in Iran and Iraq and their potential to have an impact in Bahrain. "What will happen in Iran? What will happen in Iraq? Will things escalate there? That is what we are monitoring," he stated. ¶9. (SBU) Shaikh Rashid said that the Ministry of Interior has completed compiling its statistics for crime in 2005, and that the figures show a dramatic decrease in reported crimes. The drop in crimes was sharpest in the capital governorate, falling from some 900 crimes in January 2005 to 154 in December. Country-wide, crime was down about 40 percent. He attributed the drop to more police patrols, better partnerships in the community, and more active officers in positions of authority. Comment: Shaikh Rashid would not be pinned down on statistics by type of crime, and only provided a comparison between the first and last month of the year. Without fuller statistics, it is difficult to assess the import of his claim. Anecdotally, there is not a perception that crime has declined in Bahrain. End comment. MONROE