KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- COLUMNISTS DENOUNCE RECENT MOSUL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000525 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PA, NEA/AIA, NEA/PI, INR/NESA, R/MR, I/GNEA, B/BXN, B/BRN, NEA/PPD, NEA/IPA LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO XF KU MEDIA REACTION SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION -- COLUMNISTS DENOUNCE RECENT MOSUL SUICIDE ATTACKS REF: KUWAIT 0499, KUWAIT 0500 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- Thursday, May 8, 2008 Summary and comment: Numerous Kuwaiti Arabic language dailies have printed editorials and op-eds denouncing the alleged role of three Kuwaiti nationals in a recent suicide bombing attack near Mosul, Iraq. It is worth noting that several of the below editorials tie these suicide attacks to the larger issue of how to monitor extremist activity in Kuwait, ultimately connecting both issues to the upcoming May 17 Kuwaiti elections. End summary. Block Quotes: -- Under the headline 'Where is the State Solemnity' Al- Qabas, a moderate Arabic language daily opined (05/08): 'It is unfortunate that it is no longer strange to hear about Kuwaiti citizens attacking a police station, or a government security establishment. Nevertheless, the renewed activities by some terrorist organizations to send suicide bombers to Iraq and Afghanistan are more dangerous and troublesome. These suicide bombers were not unknown individuals without any history of terrorism in their records; or members of sleeper cells. In fact, some of these people have just come back from the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Supposedly their passports should have been confiscated, and they were allegedly under heavy security monitoring by the State... There is no room for procrastination in these matters. The state should exercise its power and enforce the implementation of the rule of law in the country; otherwise we would be facing a phase of chaos and insecurity especially after the recent political mess that we have witnessed recently in the country.' -- A front page editorial in Al-Jarida, a recently founded moderate Arabic language daily carried the headline 'Enough Victims' (05/08): 'This was not the first time that Kuwaiti young men were involved in suicide operations. However these latest suicide bombing missions that took place in Iraq last week were perceived as new news. Kuwaitis have mistakenly thought that those victims of mislead information who have been coerced to partake in terrorism was a thing of the past, and that they were not part of Kuwait. These three suicide operations were a wakeup call to Kuwait and Kuwaitis that these terrorist groups are living amongst in our own society. Kuwait has realized it remains a victim of terrorism, and its citizens can still be coerced by groups that promote and encourage terrorist ideology and export terrorist bombers abroad. The government is responsible for these terrorist acts because government activities should not be limited to reacting to disasters after the fact. The state is responsible for diffusing and disarming these sleeping time bombs before they are detonated. The government should foster an environment that promotes tolerance and moderation. The government should prevent its people from falling victims to terrorist and suicide bombing ideologies. This can only be achieved if the society and the government worked hand in hand to uproot these radical ideas.' -- The same moderate Arabic language daily published an editorial by Dhari Al-Jutaily under the headline 'Time Bombs Amongst Us', in which he wrote (05/08): 'These brain washing operations that have claimed the lives of our young men, who have fallen victims to terrorist preaching are nothing but the product of the alleged Islamic Awakening, or alleged enlightenment that our Islamist candidates are promoting in the current elections. Young men are becoming time bombs that are walking and living amongst us... If the our country continues to elect these members to the National Assembly based on election slogans that are triggered by religious sentiments and playing with people emotions; if we continue to not select those who have practical solutions for our education, economic, and health conditions the entire country would become a time bomb.' --In an editorial, 'Mentality of a Suicide Bomber' in the new Al-Dar Arabic language daily, Dr. Abdullah Yousef Sahar, wrote in the new Al-Dar Arabic daily an editorial headlined (05/08): 'We should not ignore the fact that those who blew themselves up in Iraq and those who are spreading sectarianism, and radicalism, and feelings of hatred in Kuwait are considered outlaws. Both have violated the nation's rule of law and created for themselves another set of illusionary laws. These two groups of people are time bombs that are living among us and can very well select the time and place to detonate their bombs. The danger lies in supporting and electing someone with these ideas and state of mind to become a member of the KUWAIT 00000525 002 OF 002 National Assembly. On election day, we should ask ourselves is there anything in common between the guy who blew himself up in Mosul, and the candidate who believes in the same radical ideas but is now running for a seat in the National Assembly?' --The moderate Arabic language daily Al-Rai carried an Op-Ed by columnist Dr. Hassan Abdullah Abas under the headline, 'The Battalion of Abu Omar Al-Harbi' (05/08): 'We were all shocked to hear about the suicide bombing operation in Mosul, Iraq, which was carried out by three Kuwaitis. We were shocked not because we have not heard of similar operations in the past, but that Kuwaiti citizens were the ones who executed these suicide missions... An important question is: should we not worry because these radicals detonated their bombs outside our borders, and we were not hurt? Unfortunately this selfish belief is shared by many. We should not want to do to others what we do not want to do to ourselves. Our government should wake up and re-examine our educational curriculum and the centers of radicalism in mosques and suspicious homes.' ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * JONES