FLOOD OF SUPPORT FROM KUWAITI POPULATION

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001075 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI MOPS PREL KU SUBJECT: FLOOD OF SUPPORT FROM KUWAITI POPULATION ¶1. At 7:45am March 25, Op Center Kuwait received a call from a Kuwaiti woman expressing support for our role in the military action in Iraq. She said her call was the result of a text message she received on her cell phone telling her to call the Embassy to let us know her opinion of the conflict (pro or con). The message also instructed her to forward it to all of her friends. The trickle of calls in the early morning soon became a torrent, overwhelming the Embassy switchboard, and all lines at the Op Center are now engaged non-stop fielding phone calls from message recipients. Between 9:30am and 4:30pm, the Embassy received 303 phone calls supporting our actions in Iraq from people who received the text message, and no/no phone calls opposed to the conflict. ¶2. Post has no idea of the identity or motivation of the person who began this message chain. There is no doubt that the phone calls are genuine expressions of support from people who feel strongly enough about the issue to take the time to call in. Since the start of the war, even before this call-in campaign, our contacts were typically starting each phone call with expressions of support. JONES