Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUWAIT486
2007-04-04 13:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
TOP KUWAITI JOURNALIST CLAIMS "US TO ATTACK IRAN
how-toVZCZCXYZ0002 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHKU #0486 0941339 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 041339Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8694 INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS KUWAIT 000486
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR KU KUWAIT IRAN RELATIONS
SUBJECT: TOP KUWAITI JOURNALIST CLAIMS "US TO ATTACK IRAN
BY END APRIL"
REF: KUWAIT 50
UNCLAS KUWAIT 000486
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR KU KUWAIT IRAN RELATIONS
SUBJECT: TOP KUWAITI JOURNALIST CLAIMS "US TO ATTACK IRAN
BY END APRIL"
REF: KUWAIT 50
1. (SBU) In an April 4 editorial, one of Kuwait's leading
journalists claimed inside information that the U.S. was
planning to attack Iran's nuclear facilities by the end of
April. Quoting unnamed sources in Washington, Ahmed
Al-Jarallah, the Editor-in-Chief of the Arab Times (English
daily) and Al-Seyassah (Arabic daily),said "various White
House departments have already started preparing the
political speech, which will be delivered by the President of
the United States later this month, announcing the military
attack on Iran." According to Al-Jarallah, Iran's support of
militias involved in killings of American soldiers in Iraq
and Iranian actions in "Somalia, the Horn of Africa,
Afghanistan, Yemen, and Lebanon" would be among the
justifications for the attack outlined in the speech.
Al-Jarallah claimed the strike would be limited to Iran's
nuclear facilities and would not be accompanied by a
corresponding U.S. ground attack. Citing Russian news
reports, Al-Jarallah noted comments by Russian officials on
the difficulty of a military strike against Iran and the
potential negative political ramifications. He also reported
that "Russian media late last month quoted unnamed sources in
Russian military intelligence as saying the United States
could launch a strike against Iran as early as April."
2. (SBU) Comment: Al-Jarallah wrote an almost identical
article in January, in which he asserted that the U.S. would
attack Iran "before April" (reftel). Most of the more
sophisticated Al-Seyassah readers dismissed that article as
"sensational," and are unlikely to take this latest one any
more seriously. Unfortunately, such provocative articles
feed into the growing sense in Kuwait that a U.S. attack on
Iran is imminent. End comment.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
Tueller
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR NEA/IR AND NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR KU KUWAIT IRAN RELATIONS
SUBJECT: TOP KUWAITI JOURNALIST CLAIMS "US TO ATTACK IRAN
BY END APRIL"
REF: KUWAIT 50
1. (SBU) In an April 4 editorial, one of Kuwait's leading
journalists claimed inside information that the U.S. was
planning to attack Iran's nuclear facilities by the end of
April. Quoting unnamed sources in Washington, Ahmed
Al-Jarallah, the Editor-in-Chief of the Arab Times (English
daily) and Al-Seyassah (Arabic daily),said "various White
House departments have already started preparing the
political speech, which will be delivered by the President of
the United States later this month, announcing the military
attack on Iran." According to Al-Jarallah, Iran's support of
militias involved in killings of American soldiers in Iraq
and Iranian actions in "Somalia, the Horn of Africa,
Afghanistan, Yemen, and Lebanon" would be among the
justifications for the attack outlined in the speech.
Al-Jarallah claimed the strike would be limited to Iran's
nuclear facilities and would not be accompanied by a
corresponding U.S. ground attack. Citing Russian news
reports, Al-Jarallah noted comments by Russian officials on
the difficulty of a military strike against Iran and the
potential negative political ramifications. He also reported
that "Russian media late last month quoted unnamed sources in
Russian military intelligence as saying the United States
could launch a strike against Iran as early as April."
2. (SBU) Comment: Al-Jarallah wrote an almost identical
article in January, in which he asserted that the U.S. would
attack Iran "before April" (reftel). Most of the more
sophisticated Al-Seyassah readers dismissed that article as
"sensational," and are unlikely to take this latest one any
more seriously. Unfortunately, such provocative articles
feed into the growing sense in Kuwait that a U.S. attack on
Iran is imminent. End comment.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
Tueller