(C) GOK PROTESTS MISTREATMENT OF MINISTER AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001748 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, T, CA RIYADH FOR TUELLER TEL AVIV FOR DCM LEBARON TUNIS FOR NATALIE BROWN E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2014 TAGS: PREL OVIP KU SUBJECT: (C) GOK PROTESTS MISTREATMENT OF MINISTER AT CHICAGO AIRPORT Classified By: CDA FRANK URBANCIC; REASON 1.4 (B, D). ¶1. (U) Action request - please see paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) Charge was summoned to MFA after its cob June 2 to receive a formal protest at the treatment given to Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Feisal al-Hajji at the Chicago port of entry May 2, when he was transiting from London to Houston for medical treatment. According to the MFA protest, the Minister declared cash in excess of USD10,000 but was humiliated and detained for four hours causing him to miss his connecting flight, even though the Immigration officer knew he was a Minister of a friendly country traveling on a diplomatic passport. Apparently the humiliation included being questioned aggressively, fingerprinted, photographed, and subjected to a search of his person. ¶3. (C) The Minister has kept this matter quiet in order to spare embarrassment to himself as well as to the USG, but MFA Americas Dept. Director Amb. Khaled al-Babtain made clear that his Government was lodging an official protest and demanding a formal reply. Babtain added that he himself had encountered similar treatment in 2000. ¶4. (C) ACTION REQUESTED: Department please provide explanation that we can pass to MFA. URBANCIC