KUWAITI GOVT FUNDING HAMAS: "NOT ONE PENNY"

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 008116 E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/08 TAGS: PREL KU IS PA SUBJECT: KUWAITI GOVT FUNDING HAMAS: "NOT ONE PENNY" (U) CLASSIFIED BY THE AMBASSADOR. REASON 1.5. D. ¶1. (C) DURING A CALL BY CONGRESSMAN ROHRABACHER ON FONMIN SABAH TODAY, THE CONGRESSMAN TOLD SHAYKH SABAH THAT CHAIRMAN ARAFAT HAD TOLD A SENIOR CONGRESSMAN YESTERDAY IN WASHINGTON THAT THE KUWAITI GOVERNMENT WAS PROVIDING FUNDING FOR HAMAS. ¶2. (C) SHAYKH SABAH RESPONDED WITH SOME EMOTION, UNDERLINING THAT HE COULD ASSURE US THAT "NOT ONE PENNY" OF KUWAITI GOVERNMENT FUNDS HAD GONE TO HAMAS. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT HE COULD PROVIDE NO SUCH ASSURANCE OF KUWAITI PRIVATE SUPPORT FOR HAMAS, WHICH COULD NOT REALLY BE CONTROLLED BY THE GOK. HE NOTED THAT KUWAITIS PROVIDED FUNDING NOT SO MUCH OUT OF SYMPATHY FOR HAMAS AS OUT OF HATRED FOR ARAFAT FOR HIS STAND DURING THE GULF WAR. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: AS WE REPORTED DURING SHAYKH YASSIN'S VISIT HERE EARLIER THIS YEAR, CONSIDERABLE KUWAITI PRIVATE FUND RAISING FOR HAMAS DOES OCCUR, BUT WE ALSO HAVE NO EVIDENCE OF OFFICIAL FUNDS GOING TO HIM. (IT IS WORTH NOTING ALSO, HOWEVER, THAT SHAYKH SABAH IS NO FRIEND OF HAMAS AND TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO BLOCK YASSIN'S VISIT.) LAROCCO