KUWAITIS PRAISE SAUDI TERROR ARRESTS; PROMPTS SOUL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000639

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

STATE FOR S/CT, DS/ATA, AND NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2022
TAGS: PGOV PTER KCIP ASEC SA KU TERRORISM
SUBJECT: KUWAITIS PRAISE SAUDI TERROR ARRESTS; PROMPTS SOUL
SEARCHING

REF: A. KUWAIT 570

B. 05 KUWAIT 264

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C/NF) Summary: Kuwaitis welcomed the recent terrorist
arrests in Saudi Arabia and condemned those involved. So
far, no Kuwaitis have been implicated in the plots, but
Kuwait is working with Saudi officials to investigate any
possible connections. One local daily reported that the
Saudis are looking for two Kuwaiti citizens, Mohsen Al-Fadhli
and Khaled Al-Dosari, who are also wanted in Kuwait in
connection with the Peninsula Lions terrorist cell broken up
in January 2005 (reftels). The Cabinet issued a statement
praising the Saudi arrests and reaffirming Kuwait's
commitment to combating terrorism. Liberal editorialists
spoke out strongly against the plots, criticized extremist
interpretations of Islam, and called for greater oversight of
charity organizations. Chairman of the Revival of Islamic
Heritage Society (RIHS) Tareq Al-Issa also condemned the
terrorist plots and those involved, but stressed that "the
majority (of Muslims) should not be punished for the sins of
the (misguided) minority." Kuwait Petroleum Corporation CEO
Hani Hussain told the Ambassador April 29 he hoped the Saudi
arrests would provide further impetus for GOK authorities to
be more aggressive in strengthening Kuwait's Critical Energy
Infrastructure Protection (CEIP) regime. End summary.


2. (C/NF) Kuwaitis praised the recent terrorist arrests in
Saudi Arabia and condemned those involved in the plots as
"deviant" and "misguided." Defense/Interior Minister Shaykh
Jaber Al-Mubarak told press no Kuwaitis were arrested, but
Kuwaiti officials were in close consultation with their Saudi
counterparts to determine if any Kuwaitis were involved in
the plots. A senior official at the Kuwaiti National
Security Bureau (NSB) confirmed this information during an
April 29 meeting with PolOff, but said he expected an
announcement of some Kuwaiti connection to be made in the
coming weeks, without elaborating. According to local press
reports, a Kuwaiti security delegation is in Saudi Arabia to
discuss the arrests and another Kuwaiti delegation will be
arriving soon. Quoting "high-level security sources,"
Al-Qabas (Arabic daily) reported April 30 that Saudi
officials have told Kuwait that Mohsen Al-Fadhli and Khaled
Al-Dosari, Kuwaiti citizens wanted in connection with the
Peninsula Lions case (reftels),are among the 36 individuals
they are still searching for for involvement in the terrorist
plots. The Cabinet issued a statement April 29 praising the
Saudi arrests and reiterating Kuwait's "full rejection" of
terrorist acts and support for international efforts to
combat terrorism.

Arrests Prompt Soul Searching
--------------


3. (SBU) The arrests prompted some collective soul searching
in Kuwait and sparked strong condemnation of extremism from
liberals. Liberal columnist Salah Al-Sayer argued in Al-Anba
(Arabic daily) April 29 that "terrorism will not vanish from
our region unless the concerned countries exert concerted
efforts...to promote a new culture other than the culture of
death and destruction." Liberal lawyer Mohammed Musaed
Al-Saleh questioned how these "Al-Qaeda elements" could plot
to assassinate public figures when "Islam categorically
prohibits Muslims killing Muslims," in an April 29 article in
Al-Qabas. Another liberal columnist, Nabeel Al-Fadhil, wrote
April 29 in Al-Watan (Arabic daily),"The 'factories' which
produce the terrorist thought and the mechanism which has
been engineered to finance it will be stopped only through a
bold confession that the methods of violence have sneaked
into Islam." They also noted that the terrorist cells had
collected money in the name of legitimate business and
charity organizations, and stressed the need for better
oversight mechanisms to prevent innocent people from
inadvertently donating money to terrorist organizations.

Leading Salafi Voices Support For Saudi "King and Govt"
-------------- --------------


4. (SBU) Tareq Al-Issa, the Chairman of the Revival of
Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS),a Kuwaiti charity
organization whose branches in Pakistan and Afghanistan were
designated by the U.S. Treasury Department as terrorist
financiers in 2002, also spoke out in support of the arrests.
In an April 29 article in Al-Qabas, Al-Issa expressed
support for "the Saudi king, government and people," and
characterized the plots as "a horrendous crime" and those
involved as "a deviant, misguided group." However, he
stressed that "the majority (of Muslims) should not be

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punished for the sins of the (misguided) minority." He
continued: "We should all strive to deter this misguided
group, stop this great sedition, and remove the great offense
brought against Islam as a result of what they did. I appeal
to all youths of this nation, particularly religious youths,
to abide by the Holy Book and the Prophetic Traditions and
avoid extravagance and extremism."

Underscore Need for Energy Infrastructure Protection
-------------- --------------


5. (C/NF) In an April 29 meeting with the Ambassador, Kuwait
Petroleum Corporation CEO Hani Hussain remarked on press
reports suggesting that many of those detained in Saudi
Arabia were planning to carry out attacks against oil
infrastructure. Hussain said that along with the thwarted
terrorist attack against the Abqaiq petroleum complex in
Saudi Arabia in February 2006, this should serve as a wake-up
call to the Kuwaiti security services and petroleum
companies. He said he hoped that the Saudi arrests would
provide further impetus for GOK authorities to be more
aggressive in strengthening Kuwait's Critical Energy
Infrastructure Protection (CEIP) regime with the support and
cooperation of the USG. Hussain added that he had been
briefed by KPC security officials on the preliminary findings
of the CEIP assessment conducted by a State-DHS-DOE team in
March, and he agreed that a number of the recommendations
should be implemented as soon as possible, especially in
light of the developments in Saudi Arabia.

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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/
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LeBaron