Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07MANAMA47
2007-01-17 14:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Manama
Cable title:  

DEFENSE MINISTER AND CNO PANEL COVER REGIONAL

Tags:  PREL MARR BA REGION OFFICIALS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0249
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHMK #0047 0171433
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171433Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6314
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RHBVAKS/COMUSNAVCENT PRIORITY
RUENAAA/CNO WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000047 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR BA REGION OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTER AND CNO PANEL COVER REGIONAL
ISSUES

REF: A. MANAMA 0044

B. MANAMA 0024

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000047

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017
TAGS: PREL MARR BA REGION OFFICIALS
SUBJECT: DEFENSE MINISTER AND CNO PANEL COVER REGIONAL
ISSUES

REF: A. MANAMA 0044

B. MANAMA 0024

Classified By: Ambassador William T. Monroe for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
.


1. (C) CNO Executive Panel co-chairs Dr. Dov Zakheim and Dr.
Kiron Skinner met January 9 with Minister of Defense GEN
Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa for a discussion of
regional issues, including Hizballah, Iran, India, and
Bahrain's defenses. Dr. Zakheim described the mission of the
CNO Executive Panel, saying it was a forum for considering
issues in a more complete way on behalf of the Chief of Naval
Operations. From this perspective, Dr. Zakheim asked Shaikh
Khalifa his view of the impact of the Israel-Hizballah war on
the region. Shaikh Khalifa replied that when certain
problems are ignored, they grow, and this was the case with
Hizballah. Iran has close relations with Hizballah and
assisted in the group's development of dangerous military
capabilities. Bahrain opposes Hizballah, and he emphasized
there should not be a state within a state. The
international community should help the Lebanese government
and Lebanese Armed Forces grow stronger.


2. (C) Iran, the Minister continued, is doing well in
Lebanon and Iraq and is trying to exert its influence around
the region. President Ahmadi-Nejad just a few days earlier
had threatened regional countries hosting U.S. forces. "We
don't care what Iran says," Shaikh Khalifa stated, "there are
no problems between the United States and Bahrain." The way
to deal with Iran, he said, is to keep it busy with domestic
politics. Iran interferes in the domestic politics of Iraq,
Lebanon, and Bahrain, "and we should do the same to them." A
significant percentage of Iran's citizens are not Persians,
and many people are sick of the system there. Bahrain, he
said, is proud to be participating with the U.S. in regional
combined naval task forces, regardless of Iran's warning.


3. (C) Asked about India's role in the region, Shaikh
Khalifa said that Bahrain has good relations with India.
However, India has some ambitions and strong military forces
and could become a threat in the future. He noted that India
and Iran have a defense agreement and there is some activity
between the two countries under this agreement.


4. (C) Turning to Bahrain's defenses, the Minister said
Bahrain had been hit by missiles during the first Gulf War
and still has no ability to defend itself against missiles.
He recognized that steps had been taken to integrate Bahrain
into the regional air defense picture, but said that Bahrain
wants to be able to react to, not just see, missiles. He
noted that the GCC countries signed a defense agreement a few
years earlier and they are looking to improve cooperation in
command-and-control and other areas.


5. (C) In response to Dr. Skinner's question, Shaikh Khalifa
said there is no big terrorism problem in Bahrain. There may
be some sleeper cells but he felt they did not represent a
threat to Bahrain or its friends. He stated that Bahrain's
intelligence system and counter-terrorism units, with U.S.
help, were sufficient to handle potential threats.


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