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Viewing cable 07KUWAIT1140, KUWAITI REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S JULY 16 SPEECH

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07KUWAIT1140 2007-07-18 10:38 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kuwait
VZCZCXRO5743
OO RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKU #1140 1991038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181038Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9632
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS KUWAIT 001140 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/ARP, NEA/PA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KMDR KU OPRC PGOV PREL XF PPAO
MEDIA REACTION 
SUBJECT: KUWAITI REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT'S JULY 16 SPEECH 
ON THE MIDDLE EAST 
 
1. (SBU)  Kuwaiti reaction to the President's July 16 speech 
on the Middle East has been limited so far, but what has 
appeared is generally skeptical or negative.  A positive view 
came from Dr. Ahmed Nasser Mohammed Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaykh Dr. Mohammed 
Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah's Chief of Staff, who told Charge 
July 18 that he welcomed the President's speech and 
appreciated in particular the President's tough line on 
Hamas. 
 
2.  (SBU) In conversations with Poloff July 18, two members 
of the National Assembly criticized the President's message. 
Shia MP Hassan Jowhar accused American and British leaders of 
always making "a move" on the Palestinian issue at the end of 
their terms when it is "too late" to accomplish anything. 
Islamist MP Duaij Al-Shimmari described the speech as biased 
and asked "why doesn't the U.S. support Hamas, which was 
democratically elected, rather than the new Fatah government, 
which came to power through a coup?" 
 
3.  (SBU)  The Kuwaiti press has provided scant commentary on 
the speech thus far, as stories on developments in Iraq and 
possible changes in U.S. military policy in Iraq predominate. 
 An opinion piece by lawyer and regular columnist Dr. Abdul 
Mohsen Jamai in Arabic-language daily Al-Qabas was the sole 
story on the President's speech, which the author 
characterized as "another attempt to support Israel and 
coerce Arabs to admit its existence."  Verbal comments from 
other journalists to emboffs were mostly negative.  "Too 
little too late," said a reporter from pro-government daily 
Al-Seyassah.  "It's a wish of a presidency on a deathbed" 
added a conservative writer from new Arabic-language daily 
Al-Wasat.  A liberal journalist called the speech "a 
diversion of the public opinion away from the U.S. failure 
and mounting casualties in Iraq."  A more moderate response 
came from an Al-Rai columnist, who told emboff that "the U.S. 
must not rely on Arab organizations to bring change.  Arab 
summits are useless and do not result in anything.  If 
President Bush is serious about establishing the two-state 
solution, then he needs to take affirmative action on the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict." 
 
4.  (SBU) We anticipate that additional commentary on the 
speech will appear in the upcoming weekend press. 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
 
Lenderking