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