(C) NEED TO GET MILAIR ARRIVALS UNDER CONTROL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001663 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/IR, NEA/ARP BAGHDAD FOR DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR JONES AND JJEFFREY TEL AVIV FOR DCM LEBARON RIYADH FOR TUELLER TUNIS FOR NATALIE BROWN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2014 TAGS: PREL MARR OTRA IZ KU SUBJECT: (C) NEED TO GET MILAIR ARRIVALS UNDER CONTROL Classified By: CDA FRANK URBANCIC; REASON 1.4 (B, D). ¶1. (C) CDA was summoned by Foreign Ministry Acting Undersecretary Amb. Khaled al-Babtain May 25. Among other topics, Babtain complained at the way the US military continues to ignore Kuwaiti immigration procedures. Specifically, Babtain said, Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) Alternate Member Ameer Hormiz had arrived May 24 unannounced via milair from Iraq, expecting to find waiting for him a Kuwaiti visa and complementary accommodations and transportation for the duration of his planned two-day stay to obtain a US visa and board a commercial flight to the US. Hormiz was originally to have been part of a three-person IGC delegation that came here a few weeks ago and was hosted by MFA. The GOK knew he was due to come sometime, and it did scramble to issue him a visa after hours. In his discussion with CDA, Babtain stressed his government's commitment to being supportive of the IGC and the CPA. However, he emphasized, proper coordination is required in order to ensure adequate security arrangements, which need to be worked out in advance with the Ministry of Interior. ¶2. (C) Babtain specifically noted that because Hormiz arrived via milair, the coalition should have made sure before he boarded that he had the necessary paperwork to enter Kuwait, or proof that it would be awaiting him on arrival -- and this should be standard procedure. Continued flouting of these rules was unacceptable. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: We strongly urge close attention to this point, as we have been saying for the past several months. Constant disregard for Kuwaiti hospitality antagonizes the very people whose help we need to resolve these cases. ¶4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. URBANCIC