BAHRAIN WILL SUPPORT IRAQI LEADERS, AGREEMENT AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000825 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2017 TAGS: PREL IZ AL BA SUBJECT: BAHRAIN WILL SUPPORT IRAQI LEADERS, AGREEMENT AT ARAB LEAGUE REF: STATE 120806 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Christopher Henzel for reasons 1. 4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge conveyed reftel demarche to FM Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa on August 28. Sheikh Khalid said the GOB is deeply concerned about the situation in Iraq, especially what he called Iraq's inability to control its borders and keep out Iranian weapons and agents. He concurred that the agreement among Iraqi parties, if it prevented further weakening of the Maliki government, was welcome. He said he would push during the Arab League meeting September 5 in Cairo for a League statement welcoming the agreement. When Charge encouraged Bahrain to make its own statement, Sheikh Khalid demurred, but said that GOB spokesmen would respond positively if asked. ¶2. (C) Separately, the Foreign Minister confirmed that Bahrain would attend the meeting of the Security Committee in Baghdad on September 7 and 8, just prior to the expert-level Neighbors Conference. Currently Bahrain's Baghdad embassy is open, but no diplomats are present. Sheikh Khalid stated that, "if we can ensure security, we will send back our diplomats." ********************************************* ******** Visit Embassy Manama's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/manama/ ********************************************* ******** HENZEL