DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND OTHERS STIFFING KUWAIT ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 005368 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2013 TAGS: PREL MARR ASEC ELAB DR PO SN PL KU SD SUBJECT: DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND OTHERS STIFFING KUWAIT ON SOFA AND JEOPARDIZING FUTURE KUWAIT COOPERATION REF: A. SANGO DOMINGO 06452 ¶B. SANTO DOMINGO 6302 ¶C. WARSAW 03803 Classified By: CDA Frank C. Urbancic. Reason 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) This is an action message. See Para 3. ¶2. (C) MFA continues to drub us on lack of Dominican and other coalition members' responsiveness in completing SOFA discussions. As addresses know, Kuwait bent its own rules and allowed Dominican and other battalions to transit Kuwait in advance of a SOFA Accord. Now that the Dominicans are in Iraq, the Kuwaitis feel abused, and they want the Dominicans and the rest to engage. ¶3. (C) ACTION REQUEST: The U.S. leaned heavily on Kuwait to break its own rules and to allow the Dominican Republic, Moldova, Portugal and Singapore to deploy troops through Kuwait without a signed SOFA. These countries are now stiffing the Kuwaitis and the Kuwaitis are not happy about it. This kind of disregard for Kuwait's sovereignty and sensibilities is putting a crimp on our ability to deliver additional exceptions to Kuwaiti SOFA rules. Request Department intervene immediately with these unresponsive countries to get them to conclude SOFA negotiations with the GOK. URBANCIC