Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02KUWAIT5166
2002-11-27 10:21:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
(U) CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP AT STATE SECURITY
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 005166
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARP
DEPT FOR DS, DSS, DS/OP/NEA, INR/B, INR/NESA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2012
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PTER PINR KU
SUBJECT: (U) CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP AT STATE SECURITY
(U) CLASSIFIED BY DCM FRANK URBANCIC; REASON: 1.5 (B, D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 005166
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARP
DEPT FOR DS, DSS, DS/OP/NEA, INR/B, INR/NESA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2012
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PTER PINR KU
SUBJECT: (U) CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP AT STATE SECURITY
(U) CLASSIFIED BY DCM FRANK URBANCIC; REASON: 1.5 (B, D).
1. (U) Kuwait's Assistant Under Secretary for State
Security Affairs (i.e. head of Kuwait State Security, KSS)
Shaykh Mishaal al-Jarrah al-Sabah was not renewed in his
position when his term expired November 17. He has been
replaced on an acting basis by Major General Abdallah
Abdul-Rahman al-Faris.
2. (C) The decision not to renew Shaykh Mishaal was taken
by First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh
Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, who is the de facto ruler given
the poor health of the Amir and the Crown Prince. Two
senior members of the ruling family separately told the
Ambassador that the move was a matter of ruling-family
politics: Shaykh Sabah is feuding with Deputy Prime
Minister and Interior Minister Shaykh Mohammed al-Khaled
al-Hamad al-Sabah (Shaykh Mishaal's boss),and Shaykh
Mishaal got caught in the middle. According to Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs Shaykh Dr. Mohammed al-Sabah al-
Salem al-Sabah, one reason for Shaykh Sabah's displeasure
was that the security services had not prevented the
October 8 Failaka attack in which one US Marine was killed
and another wounded. Both Dr. Mohammed and Shaykh Nasser
Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah, Minister of State for Amiri
Diwan Affairs, assured the Ambassador that nothing would be
allowed to affect Kuwait's counter-terrorism cooperation
with the United States.
3. (C) The new acting head of KSS is approximately two
years shy of the mandatory retirement age of 65. Major
General al-Faris is a career CID officer who rose through
the ranks to become General Director of CID before being
named Assistant Under Secretary for Security Services
Support in 1996 or 1997. He retains that post (a not-
uncommon arrangement in Kuwait). Al-Faris has not had much
exposure to counter-terrorism, force-protection, or Iraq
issues. The Ambassador has impressed upon Shaykh Sabah
personally the vital importance of supporting the security
services both materially and politically.
JONES
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ARP
DEPT FOR DS, DSS, DS/OP/NEA, INR/B, INR/NESA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2012
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PTER PINR KU
SUBJECT: (U) CHANGE OF LEADERSHIP AT STATE SECURITY
(U) CLASSIFIED BY DCM FRANK URBANCIC; REASON: 1.5 (B, D).
1. (U) Kuwait's Assistant Under Secretary for State
Security Affairs (i.e. head of Kuwait State Security, KSS)
Shaykh Mishaal al-Jarrah al-Sabah was not renewed in his
position when his term expired November 17. He has been
replaced on an acting basis by Major General Abdallah
Abdul-Rahman al-Faris.
2. (C) The decision not to renew Shaykh Mishaal was taken
by First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh
Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, who is the de facto ruler given
the poor health of the Amir and the Crown Prince. Two
senior members of the ruling family separately told the
Ambassador that the move was a matter of ruling-family
politics: Shaykh Sabah is feuding with Deputy Prime
Minister and Interior Minister Shaykh Mohammed al-Khaled
al-Hamad al-Sabah (Shaykh Mishaal's boss),and Shaykh
Mishaal got caught in the middle. According to Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs Shaykh Dr. Mohammed al-Sabah al-
Salem al-Sabah, one reason for Shaykh Sabah's displeasure
was that the security services had not prevented the
October 8 Failaka attack in which one US Marine was killed
and another wounded. Both Dr. Mohammed and Shaykh Nasser
Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah, Minister of State for Amiri
Diwan Affairs, assured the Ambassador that nothing would be
allowed to affect Kuwait's counter-terrorism cooperation
with the United States.
3. (C) The new acting head of KSS is approximately two
years shy of the mandatory retirement age of 65. Major
General al-Faris is a career CID officer who rose through
the ranks to become General Director of CID before being
named Assistant Under Secretary for Security Services
Support in 1996 or 1997. He retains that post (a not-
uncommon arrangement in Kuwait). Al-Faris has not had much
exposure to counter-terrorism, force-protection, or Iraq
issues. The Ambassador has impressed upon Shaykh Sabah
personally the vital importance of supporting the security
services both materially and politically.
JONES