In a cable dated 17 December 2007, to the US Secretary of State, the US Ambassador to Algeria, Robert Ford, summarized how former government officials, opposition leaders, and journalists "paint a picture of an Algerian regime that is fragile in ways it has not been before, plagued by a lack of vision, unprecedented levels of corruption and rumblings of division within the military rank and file".
Bahrain
In cables dated between 16 February 2005 and 17 February 2009, the topics covered included threats to Arab solidarity, the assassination of Hariri, and Bahrain's desire to increase its television broadcasting capabilities.
Iran and Qatar conspiring to divide Arab interests
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
and Hamas to split Arab solidarity. Bahrain and other Arab governments lashed out at media reports that an Iranian official described Bahrain as "''Iran's fourteenth province''".
King Hamad said that he instructed Bahrain's minister of information Abdul-Ghaffar to seek help from the US to help Bahrain turn its television broadcasting into a world class operation.
Egypt
In cables dated between 2008 and 2009, opinions are expressed on the declining state of the Egyptian military and the unwillingness of the Defense Minister Tantawi to accede to US suggestions of Egyptian human rights reform in return for US economic aid. They also touch on over a billion dollars worth of military hardware sold to Egypt, to ensure peace with Israel as well as "''priority access to the Suez canal and Egyptian airspace''". They also include issues regarding the Iraq war and Egypt-Iran relations.
Defense Minister Tantawi
Defense Minister Tantawi was credited for his cooperation with Israel and helping maintain the blockade against Hamas, stating that the eighty-year-old veteran of five wars with Israel remains uninterested in another conflict. However, he was described as being extremely change resistant, uncooperative even with his own generals, and cannot comprehend with the post Camp David military paradigm which puts him, as well as his entire Soviet trained leadership, at odds with the younger, American Trained, generation of the Egyptian Military. Even mid-level officers at MOD clubs around Cairo openly complain about Tantawi (who is nicknamed "Mubarak's Poodle"), claiming that he is "running the military into the ground" and that he only has his job due to his unwavering loyalty to Mubarak. His inability to deal with the post 9/11 world is evident through his preference of spending U.S. aid on advanced tanks and fighter jets to fight old-fashioned, large-scale wars, something that continues to annoy David Petraeus. His views were summarized as being opposed to political or economic reform, willing to use the army to curb the Muslim Brotherhood, and rejecting U.S. efforts to condition economic aid on any human-rights reform.
Iraq War
Former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak told the US to find a "fair dictator" to rule Iraq. He explains, "Strengthen the Iraqi armed forces, relax your hold, and then you will have a coup. Then we will have a dictator, but a fair one."
Egypt-Iran relations
Mubarak expressed animosity toward Iran in private meetings, saying the Iranian leaders are "big, fat liars", and that Iran's backing of terrorism is "well-known". According to one US report, Mubarak views Iran as the primary long-term challenge facing Egypt, and an Egyptian official said that Iran is running agents inside Egypt in an effort to subvert the Egyptian regime.
Iran
Israel
Jordan
Iran-Jordan relations
A diplomatic cable, dated 2 April 2009, quotes Zeid Rifai, president of the
Jordanian Senate
The Senate of Jordan is the upper house of the Parliament of Jordan, Jordanian Parliament which, along with the House of Representatives of Jordan, House of Representatives forms the legislature of Jordan.David Hale, US Ambassador to Jordan. The cable further states "while Rifai judged a military strike would have 'catastrophic impact on the region,' he nonetheless thought preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons would pay enough dividends to make it worth the risks".
Kuwait
In cables dated between February 2009 and November 2010, issues regarding Guantanamo Bay, Shi'ite fundamentalism, US military involvement in the Persian Gulf, and Kuwait-sponsored extremism were discussed.
Kuwait allegedly believes Iran was supporting Shia extremists in the Persian Gulf and the Shiite Houthis in Yemen.
US militarily helping Persian Gulf States
US military is assisting the Persian Gulf states in increasing ballistic missile and counter-air defenses, as well as providing early warning systems against the eventuality of an Iranian missile launch.
Kuwait based charities financing extremism
Al Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military targets in various countr ...
and other groups continue to exploit Kuwait, both as a source of funds and as a key transit point.
Lebanon
Lebanese Civil War
In a 1976 diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks, a US diplomat stated "if I got nothing else from my meeting with Frangie,
Chamoun Chamoun, Chamun or Shamoun (Syriac language, Syriac: ܫܡܥܘܢ; Arabic: شمعون), is an Aramaic given name and family name and a variant of Symeon and Shimun.
Notable persons with that surname include:
List of persons with the surname Chamoun ...
and Gemayel, it is their clear, unequivocal and unmistakable belief that their principal hope for saving Christian necks is Syria. They sound like Assad is the latest incarnation of the Crusaders."
Elias Murr
Elias Murr ( ar, إلياس المرّ, '; born 30 January 1962) is a Lebanese politician and an International political figure.
Early life and education
Murr was born on 30 January 1962 in Bteghrine. He is the son of former deputy prime min ...
apparently gave a message to US diplomats, intended to be passed on to Israeli authorities, stating that the Lebanese authorities would not retaliate if Israeli military attacked
Hezbollah
Hezbollah (; ar, حزب الله ', , also transliterated Hizbullah or Hizballah, among others) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group, led by its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah since 1992. Hezbollah's parami ...
in Lebanon.
Murr suggested that Israel would keep the support of Lebanese Christians if they do not attack Christian communities, and that they should not pass certain geographical boundaries to avoid legal retaliation from Hezbollah.
According to the cable, "Murr's opinion is that an Israeli action against Hizbollah would not be a war against Lebanon and that Syria and Iran did not ask Lebanon's permission to equip Hizballah with its rockets. As such, the LAF has been ordered to not get involved with any fighting..."
Murr was especially concerned for members of the 1st and 8th Brigades in the Beka'a valley ... Murr is afraid that these two units could be dragged into the fight, the ultimate disaster that Murr hopes to avoid. As such, Murr is trying to ascertain how long an offensive would be required to clean out Hezbollah in the Beka'a. The LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces) will move to pre-position food, money, and water with these units so they can stay on their bases when Israel comes for Hezbollah--discreetly.
The message had been discussed with the president of Lebanon, Michel Suleiman, who at the time was also the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, with Murr stating that "he promised Suleiman the political cover for LAF inaction."
A cable from 17 July 2006, quotes Nabih Berri suggesting that he supported limited strikes against Hezbollah in a meeting with Jeffrey D. Feltman. The cable says that Berri described the military assault on Hezbollah by Israel as, "It's like honey. A little bit is good, but if you eat the whole jar you get sick." Berri's press office denounced reported cable leaks and described them as part of a "conspiracy".
Nabih Berri and Amal
Nabih Berri and the Amal movement, the party he heads, were mentioned in several of the leaked cables. The cables say that Amal still has significant support among Shi'a in Lebanon, but that the movement is rife with corruption, a situation summarized in one cable as, "Amal is near universally derided as corrupt to the core, but it is also considered the only alternative for moderate, secular Shia." Some of the specific allegations are that Berri was described by a relative of Musa al-Sadr as having provided social services in the south only through "wheeling, dealing, and stealing", and that Berri receives US$400,000 a month from Iran, using a fourth of the sum to shore up his support and pocketing the rest.
The cables also describe how the number of Amal members is declining as its supporters increasingly turn to Hezbollah. Thousands of young people and government workers are thought to have left Amal in favor of Hezbollah. One cable also covers the question of who will be Berri's successor. Berri was allegedly grooming his son to be the leader of Amal, and expelled other popular candidates who could have posed problems for him.
Emirati and Saudi involvement
The online Lebanese newspaper '' Naharnet'' focused on Saudi Arabian financial non-involvement and United Arab Emirates (UAE) military involvement in the
2009 Lebanese general election
Parliamentary elections were held in Lebanon on 7 June 2009 to elect all 128 members of the Parliament of Lebanon.
Background
Before the election, the voting age was to be lowered from 21 to 18 years, but as this requires a constitutional a ...
and US officials' opinions of these. According to an April 2009 cable, Saudi Arabia did not financially support the March 14 Alliance. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton supported military involvement in the election, referring to "the need to support Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in the run up to the elections with concrete displays of support". Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs
Jeffrey Feltman
Jeffrey David Feltman (born 1959) is an American diplomat and former U.S. Special Envoy for Horn of Africa, serving from April 23, 2021 to January 10, 2022. He previously served as United Nations Under- Secretary-General for Political Affairs. As ...
stated that "the UAE had been particularly helpful already by funding the delivery of the first ten refurbished tanks for the LAF".
Saad Hariri's-Hezbollah animosity
According to '' Al Akhbar newspaper'', Saad Hariri has vowed to crush Hezbollah once the Lebanese Army is consolidated. Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, expressed his concerns during a meeting with the US Charge d'Affairs, Michele Sisone, over reports indicating that Prime Minister Saad Hariri's Future Movement was training a Sunni militia composed of 15,000 men in Beirut and more than this number in the northern city of Tripoli to fight Hezbollah. Jumblat said that the establishment of private security companies by Hariri in Beirut and Tripoli indicated that "some persons", like Major General Ashraf Rifi, director general of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), were giving Hariri bad advice. It was also revealed that
Wissam al-Hassan
Wissam Adnan al-Hassan ( ar, وسام عدنان الحسن, Wisām ‘Adnān al-Ḥasan; 11 April 1965 – 19 October 2012) was a brigadier general at the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the head of its intelligence-oriented ...
, the then head of the ISF's intelligence branch and very close to Hariri, said that Rifi was wrong in advising Hariri to establish a Sunni militia. Jumblat was also worried that Hariri's militia might cause heavy damage to the March 14 groups, especially since the Lebanese Forces led by
Samir Geagea
Samir Farid Geagea ( ar, سمير فريد جعجع Lebanese pron.: , also spelled Samir Ja'ja'; born 25 October 1952) is a Lebanese politician and militia commander who has been leading the Lebanese Forces party and dissolved militia ...
and Suleiman Frangieh's Marada Movement were training their supporters at the same time. Frangieh is an arch enemy of Geagea and a key member of the Syrian-backed and Hezbollah-led March 8 alliance.
Lebanese Army's Incompetence
Nimrod Barkan
Nimrod Barkan (Hebrew: נמרוד ברקן) (born September 1, 1952) is an Israeli diplomat and the Ambassador of Israel to Canada. Previously he was the consul general of Israel in San Francisco, Head of the Foreign Ministry Center for Policy ...
, an Israeli official, during a meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman in Israel said that "The March 14 camp is brave, but it has been castrated." Feltman focused on the need to support the Lebanese army against Hezbollah, to which Barkan lashed out at Feltman stating that it would be useless "because the LAF would never directly confront Hezbollah and it could eventually fall under its control". Barkan called for a US-Saudi funded Sunni militia to be organized, Feltman considered that the idea was worth exploring.
Iranian takeover of Lebanon
According to a cable published in the Israeli
Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
quotes the Lebanese Telecommunications Minister, Marwan Hamadeh saying that 'Iran Telecom is taking over the country!' Hamadeh was referring to 'the complete fiber optic system that Hezbollah had established throughout Lebanon' which he claimed receives funding from Iran and signals 'a strategic victory for Iran, since it creates an important Iranian outpost in Lebanon, bypassing Syria.' 'The value for Hezbollah is the final step in creating a nation state. Hezbollah now has an army and weapons; a television station; an education system; hospitals; social services; a financial system; and a telecommunications system'.
'Hezbollah is like a tumour'
According to the Arabic-language Al-Jumhuriya, Lebanon's prime minister-designate Najib Mikati describes Hezbollah, as a "tumour". He further said it was a "tumor that must be removed", Mikati, argued "Lebanon could not survive with a Hezbollah mini-state". Regardless of his personal views on the group, Mikati said he was expecting Hezbollah to bring Lebanon to a 'sad ending". He assessed that Hezbollah was just like a tumour that, whether benign or malignant, must be removed.
Iranian and Syrian conspiracy
Israeli
Mossad
Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
Chief
Meir Dagan
Aluf (Major General) Meir Dagan ( he, מאיר דגן; 30 January 1945 – 17 March 2016) was an Israel Defense Forces Major General (reserve) and Director of the Mossad.
Personal life and education
Meir Huberman (later Dagan) was born on a tr ...
urged caution with respect to Lebanon, noted that "it is necessary is finding the right way to support PM Siniora. He is a courageous man, Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are working hard against him". Dagan noted that "Hariri, Jumblat and others had their parents executed by the Syrians". This anti-Syrian sentiment has forged an alliance based on personal and national interests. Fouad Siniora has worked well with the situation, but Dagan suggested that the odds are against him.
Libya
Uranium shipment
A Libyan shipment of enriched uranium to Russia, brokered by the US, was nearly the cause of an environmental disaster in
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
in 2009.
Petro-Canada
Libya's state oil company called in a senior
Petro-Canada
Petro-Canada is a retail and wholesale marketing brand subsidiary of Suncor Energy. Until 1991, it was a federal Crown corporation (a state-owned enterprise). In August 2009, Petro-Canada merged with Suncor Energy, with Suncor shareholders rece ...
official with a threat to nationalize his firm's operations in Libya if the Canadian government refused to apologize to the Libyan government. This was in response to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon earlier promising a tongue-lashing to Libya for the hero's welcome that it extended to a man convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. While the Libyan government did not follow through on its threat, it did issue an order on 30 September 2009 for Petro-Canada to cut production by 50 per cent.
Morocco
Corruption
A cable from the US embassy in
Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
to Washington, D.C. referred to allegations of deeply established corruption, claiming that corruption was prevalent at all levels of Moroccan society and
the military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
was also plagued by it, particularly at the highest levels. This may partly reflect a grand bargain struck by King Hassan II following at least two nearly successful coups in the 1970s, his offer to those who plotted against him was essentially "remain loyal, and you can profit". A former US ambassador to Morocco is quoted as "lamenting" about "the appalling greed of those close to King Mohammad VI".
State institutions
Leaked cables from the US consulate in
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
claim that the
Moroccan Royal Family
The Alawi dynasty ( ar, سلالة العلويين الفيلاليين, translit=sulālat al-ʿalawiyyīn al-fīlāliyyīn) – also rendered in English as Alaouite, Alawid, or Alawite – is the current Moroccan royal family and reigning d ...
Gaza
Gaza may refer to:
Places Palestine
* Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea
** Gaza City, a city in the Gaza Strip
** Gaza Governorate, a governorate in the Gaza Strip Lebanon
* Ghazzeh, a village in ...
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...
as a bargaining chip in negotiations with other countries. It is "one of Qatar's most valuable political and diplomatic tools."
Financial support for Islamic militants abroad
Hillary Clinton is alleged to have claimed that Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait continue to fund terror.
Diplomatic tendencies
Meir Dagan
Aluf (Major General) Meir Dagan ( he, מאיר דגן; 30 January 1945 – 17 March 2016) was an Israel Defense Forces Major General (reserve) and Director of the Mossad.
Personal life and education
Meir Huberman (later Dagan) was born on a tr ...
, the chief of Israel's spy agency Mossad, said that Qatar, poses "a real problem" as Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani tries to please all parties in the Middle East, including Syria, Iran, and Hamas.
Qatar-US relations
The Qatari Prime Minister Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani, repeatedly described the United States as a "friend" and called US-Qatari relations "strategic".
A Syrian foreign minister was alleged to have fallen for a "tabloid-like story" regarding the death of
Princess Diana
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
. An American ambassador stated that this displayed the Syrian government's "'stark ignorance' of the outside world".
investigation
Investigation or Investigations may refer to:
Law enforcement
* Investigation, the work of a detective
* Investigation, the work of a private investigator
* Criminal investigation, the study of facts, used to identify, locate and prove the guilt ...
'' The Economist'' referred to corruption in Tunisia, stating that "cables from Tunisia bluntly depict the regime of president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali as a sclerotic police state increasingly tarnished by
nepotism
Nepotism is an advantage, privilege, or position that is granted to relatives and friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include but are not limited to, business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, fitness, religion, an ...
", referring to a 17 July 2009 cable. The cable stated, "Corruption in the inner circle is growing." Another from 23 June 2008 said "corruption in Tunisia is getting worse".Text of 23 June 2008 US Tunis Embassy Cable , By Pierre Tristam, MiddleEast.About.com '' The New York Times'' suggested the cables about corruption were one of the reasons behind the overthrow of president Ben Ali in the
2010–2011 Tunisian protests
The Tunisian Revolution, also called the Jasmine Revolution, was an intensive 28-day campaign of civil resistance. It included a series of street demonstrations which took place in Tunisia, and led to the ousting of longtime president Zine El ...
.
Political turmoil
According to
Robert Godec
Robert Frank Godec (born 1956) is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Thailand since October 2022. He formerly served as the United States ambassador to Kenya from 2013 to 2019 and the United States ambassador ...
, the US Ambassador to Tunisia,
Zine el Abidine Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali ( ar, زين العابدين بن علي, translit=Zayn al-'Ābidīn bin 'Alī; 3 September 1936 – 19 September 2019), commonly known as Ben Ali ( ar, بن علي) or Ezzine ( ar, الزين), was a Tunisian politician ...
, President of Tunisia, and his government have "lost touch with the Tunisian people". Furthermore, they "tolerate no advice of criticism whether domestic or international". Godec also reports that " venaverage Tunisians are now keenly aware of orruption in the inner circle and the chorus of complaints is rising. Tunisians intensely dislike, even hate, First Lady Leila Trabelsi and her family".
Allegations of torture
The Canadian Ambassador to Tunisia, Bruno Picard, is reported in released documents to have insisted that Tunisia tortures prisoners who are suspected of terrorism and that he had first-hand evidence. The claim was made at a meeting about returning Tunisian prisoners to their home country from the
Guantanamo Bay detention camp
The Guantanamo Bay detention camp ( es, Centro de detención de la bahía de Guantánamo) is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also referred to as Guantánamo, GTMO, and Gitmo (), on the coast of Guant ...
. Tunisia has insisted it does not practice torture, however Picard claimed this was "bullshit". Following the claims the US Embassy held a meeting with the Canadian, British, French, German and Italian ambassadors to suggest they avoid accepting any Tunisian former prisoners from Guantanamo.
Sakher al-Materi
''The Economist'' stated, 'In a chatty account of a lavish dinner at the beachside villa of the Tunisian president's son-in-law, the American ambassador marvel dat desserts flown in from
Saint-Tropez
, INSEE = 83119
, postal code = 83990
, image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Saint-Tropez-A (Var).svg
, image flag=Flag of Saint-Tropez.svg
Saint-Tropez (; oc, Sant Tropetz, ; ) is a commune in the Var department and the region of Provence-Al ...
, the multitude of servants, and a pet tiger that ate four chickens a day. The host may be interested to know that while bragging about his clout he struck his guest he US ambassadoras "demanding, vain and difficult", with a limited knowledge of or interest in world affairs.'
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Attacks on Al-Qaeda bases in Yemen
Ali Abdullah Saleh, then president of Yemen, said if the US attacks Al Qaida bases in Yemen, he would tell the people of Yemen that it was the Yemeni military that has carried out the attacks rather than the US. He asserted that "we'll continue saying the bombs are ours, not yours" in a meeting with General David Petraeus, head of US Central Command. Yemen's deputy prime minister for defense and security affairs, Rashad Mohammed Alimi, also joked about lying to Yemen's Parliament on US involvement in bombings.
Security of radioactive stockpiles
A January 2010 cable from Sana'a warned of concerns about the security of Yemen's main National Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) storage facility, which "normally contains
IAEA
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was established in 1957 ...
Category I and II amounts of iridium and cobalt-60". The cable stated, "The lone security guard standing watch at Yemen's main radioactive materials storage facility was removed from his post on December 30, 2009" and "The only closed-circuit television security camera monitoring the facility broke six months ago and was never fixed".
Der Spiegel
''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...