KUWAITI FACILITATOR AL-JALAHMAH DETAINED, RELEASED

S E C R E T KUWAIT 001057 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS; NSC FOR KIFAYAT, TREASURY FOR A/S PATRICK O'BRIEN, DANIEL HARRIS, AND BENJAMIM DAVIS; S/CT FOR MONOSSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2017 TAGS: ECON PGOV PTER PREL KU KTFN SUBJECT: KUWAITI FACILITATOR AL-JALAHMAH DETAINED, RELEASED ON BAIL REF: A. KUWAIT DIPNOTE 307 DATED 22-MAY-2007 ¶B. KUWAIT 808 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) On June 24, U.S.-designated terrorist facilitator Jaber Al-Jalahmah was taken into custody by GOK authorities for questioning regarding his involvement in the recruitment of Kuwaiti jihadists. He was released on July 1 on a KD 300 (USD 1050) bond. (Background: Jaber Al-Jalahmah is a Kuwait-based jihadist who has provided financial, logistical, and recruitment support to the Al-Qaeda network in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In December 2006, Al-Jalahmah and two other Kuwaitis were designated terrorist facilitators by the U.S. Department of Treasury. End background.) ¶2. (SBU) Al-Jalahmah's detention was widely reported in both Arabic- and English-language dailies. Reports included statements from Al-Jalahmah, his attorney, GOK officials, and family members of Kuwaitis Al-Jalahmah allegedly recruited. On June 30, Arabic-language daily Al-Qabas quoted Al-Jalahmah as saying "Yes, I encouraged youths to go for Jihad in Iraq." The same day a second piece from family members of recruits claimed "our sons were deceived." On July 1, only a day after his release, however, Al-Jalahmah reportedly told Al-Qabas that he was "detained just for suspicions." On the same day, another article in Al-Wasat quoted him as saying he "advised youth not to go to Iraq." In July 3 press reports, Al-Jalahmah appeared to recant even further, telling Arabic-language daily Al-Watan "I do not incite youth to go to Iraq and I do not know the two Kuwaitis who were rounded up in Syria." He further noted that the "cases of Islamist youths are fabricated by the Ministry of Interior." ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * LeBaron