ARAB NATIONALIST CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON IRAQ,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAMA 000412 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV BA REGION SUBJECT: ARAB NATIONALIST CONFERENCE FOCUSES ON IRAQ, PROVOKES CONTROVERSY Classified By: DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) A three-day Arab nationalist conference in Bahrain was marked by the comments of an Iraqi cleric calling for closer coordination between the insurgency and Al Qaeda, and the showing of a supposed "documentary" on violence in Iraq that had a subtitle reading, "This is what happens to Sunnis in Iraq." These incidents led to a great deal of criticism, including inside the conference itself, and local columnists condemned those using the event to incite sectarianism. Other speakers addressed more traditional topics, with former Knesset member Azmi Bishara calling for all Arabs to get together to further expose the "imperial designs" of the United States and Israel. Conference participants told the DCM that Shura Council member and pro-Saddam Baathist columnist Samira Rajab was the driving force behind the event, saying she had put together the list of attendees opposed to the new Iraq - "mostly rejectionists and pro-Baathists, not Arab nationalists." Local activists complained about the extremism voiced at the conference and attempts to "widen our differences." End Summary. -------------- -------------- Cleric Calls for Insurgency-Al Qaeda Coordination -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) A three-day Arab nationalist conference held in Bahrain April 28-30 under the patronage of local daily Akhbar Al Khaleej ignited controversy by seemingly focusing more on the situation in Iraq than on traditional nationalist causes. The conference, which was chaired by Moroccan Secretary General Dr. Khalid Al Sofyani and attended by some 600 delegates, was marked by the comments of a Sunni Iraqi cleric who called for closer coordination between the Iraqi "resistance" (insurgency) and Al Qaeda, and a "documentary" film showing gruesome images of Sunni victims of violence in Iraq. On the first day of the conference, head of the (Sunni) Ulama Council in Iraq Hareth Al Dhari (apparently living in exile) called for a better mechanism to promote collaboration between the Sunni insurgency and Al Qaeda. He denied there is a sectarian war in Iraq and said the "occupation" is in very bad shape because of the tough resistance. He asserted that the source of terrorism is the coalition forces and Iraqi government. ¶3. (SBU) His comments unleashed a torrent of criticism, including by columnist Esmat Al Mousawi, who wrote a scathing article stating sarcastically, "Perhaps the conference should have invited some Al Qaeda leaders to participate under the claim of political transparency. We hope that his call does not find a place on the list of recommendations that the conference will issue, otherwise the conference will turn into another disaster to add to our long list of disasters in the Arab world." -------------- "Documentary" Incites Sectarianism -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The film shown the next day, April 29, proved to be even more explosive. Abdul Jabbar Al Azzawi, who said he is the advisor to the Iraqi Prisoners and Detainees Union, showed the film during a break in the conference proceedings. It featured scenes of bloody incidents in Iraq with a subtitle that read, "This is what happens to Sunnis in Iraq." It caused a shouting match among the delegates and the leadership intervened to turn it of, complaining that it was played without the perission of the General Secretariat. In response t questions, Al Azzawi said he did not intend to nstigate sectarianism by playing the film. ¶5. SBU) Al Wasat editor-in-chief Mansour Al Jamri wroe April 30 that the incident "expresses the tragdy of the project...to revive Arab nationalism. So instead of reinforcing nationalism we discovered that some of the participants are up to their ears in sectarianism to the extent that a film against the essence of the nationalist movement was displayed at the conference... Isn't the Arab nationalist identity supposed to melt all other identities?" -------------- Speakers Address Regional Issues -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Regional personalities who addressed the conference were former Lebanese PM Salim Al Hoss, former Knesset member MANAMA 00000412 002 OF 003 Azmi Bishara, and former Saddam-era Iraqi Ambassador to the UN Mohammed Al Douri. Al Hoss said the conference would help bridge gaps between Arab nations. "Continuous development should be our major focus," he said, "because with it our unity will strengthen and our differences will dissolve." Addressing the tensions between Lebanon and Syria, Al Hoss called on Syria to be a "respectable neighbor, with whom we have to further strengthen our ties. There are problems still between both countries at various levels and it is not in the best interest of either nation that it continues to be so." ¶7. (SBU) Bishara stated that "the total failure of the Americans in Iraq and the humiliation of Israel in Lebanon last summer mark the beginning of the end for their imperialistic policies in the region." This, he said, creates an opportunity for all Arabs to get together and expose even more the imperial designs of the United States and Israel. Al Douri said that what has happened in Iraq "cannot get any worse. Blame it on the Americans or on the Iraqis, it is sad that a once great civilization is in shambles." He said, "We need to make the world understand that we (the Iraqi people) need their backing at this critical juncture, so that we can resist those who have ruined our country and destroyed our civilization." ¶8. (SBU) The conference issued a final declaration May 1 expressing concern about the Arab nation being penetrated by foreign military bases in the Gulf region. It denounced the "political assassination" of Saddam Hussein and called on Arab governments to boycott the United States and the Iraqi government, which is "an agent to the occupation." It also included familiar language on supporting the Palestinian people and rejecting normalization with Israel, and called for enhancing democratic, political, and civil freedoms, releasing all political detainees, and opening the doors to peaceful transitions of power. -------------- Rajab Manipulates Conference Message -------------- ¶9. (C) Two long-time supporters of Arab nationalism who attended the conference told the DCM that it was "a gathering of rejectionists and pro-Baathists, not Arab nationalists." They learned that Bahraini Shura Council member and Akhbar Al Khaleej columnist Samira Rajab received BD 250,000 (over $660,000) from the Prime Minister to fund the conference. As a key member of the executive committee, she put together the list of attendees, which had a primary focus on opponents of the new Iraq. In the opinion of the two participants, 40 percent of the attendees were old guard Arab nationalists while 60 percent were not seen as legitimate. They said that Hamas had sent a delegation that attended only the opening and closing sessions and spent the rest of its time networking with local Islamist groups. There were tensions among the representatives from Lebanon, some who were aligned with Hariri and some with Hizballah. Because many viewed Rajab and the forum as pro-Saddam, there were no representatives from Kuwait, which has a long tradition of Arab nationalism, the UAE, and Qatar. The final communique, they said, took hours to draft due to the parochial in-fighting. ¶10. (C) In their April 30 meeting, the Ambassador asked Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa his views of the conference, particularly Rajab's role in pushing a sectarian agenda by delivering a controversial speech and having the "documentary" shown. Shaikh Khalid said the event was a "gathering of relics" and he would not meet with any of the delegates. They should not have allowed a sectarian film to be shown. He noted that the conference opened on Saddam Hussein's birthday, April 28, which he did not think was a coincidence. -------------- Participants, Activists Complain -------------- ¶11. (C) Chairman of the Al Meethaq political society Ahmed Juma told EmbOff that although he supports the conference, he could not understand how one of the speakers, Al Dhari, could call for Osama Bin Laden to interfere in Iraq. Many of the participants, he said, thought this was unwise and pointed out that one of the main problems in the Arab world is the existence of this type of extremism. Former MP Farid Ghazi and Al Waad political society chairman Ibrahim Sharif complained about the organizers of the conference, who "tried to impose their own agenda" about Iraq, Ghazi said. Sharif stated that most participants totally rejected the film about MANAMA 00000412 003 OF 003 Iraq and Rajab's speech. "We are here to strengthen our unity, not widen our differences," he commented. ¶12. (C) That said, Sharif thought the conference was a good opportunity for Arab intellectuals and activists to meet and openly discuss the problems and concerns the Arab nation is facing, such as Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, and sectarianism. Human rights advocate Abdul Nabi Al Ekri noted that a positive aspect of the conference was that the delegates discussed democracy, including praising the recent presidential election in Yemen and transition of power in Mauritania. The more cynical Ghazi commented, "I am not convinced of the usefulness of these conferences. It was just a repetition of what all the Arabs know very well and learned by heart hundreds of years ago: we speak the same language, have the same religion, and share the same destiny. But I don't think Arab leaders will listen." -------------- Comment -------------- ¶13. (C) An outspoken, divisive Baathist sympathizer, Samira Rajab hijacked the Arab nationalist conference and focused it on Iraq. Through her speech and decisions about delegates, speakers, and activities, she was able to spread her virulent views in favor of the armed insurgency and against the United States, Iraqi government, and those supporting it. The conference was also used as a forum for further sectarian incitement. To their credit, participants, analysts, politicians, and activists saw through Rajab's ploy, resulting in a flood of negative commentary. ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** MONROE