(S) OIF FUEL ISSUE: GOK INVITES COMMERCIAL

S E C R E T KUWAIT 002072 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA, PM E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2014 TAGS: PREL MARR EPET EAID MOPS IZ KU SUBJECT: (S) OIF FUEL ISSUE: GOK INVITES COMMERCIAL CONTRACT REF: KUWAIT 2018 Classified By: AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES; FOR REASONS 1.4 (A, B, D) ¶1. (S) Further to the conversation reported reftel, Embassy has received a diplomatic note from the MFA Americas Dept. (number 20041488 dated July 7, 2004),in Arabic, marked "Urgent and Secret." Informal Embassy translation follows: BEGIN TEXT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents its best compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America, and with reference to the amounts consequent upon the State of Kuwait's provision of fuel to the American forces, and after the meeting held between His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and His Excellency the Ambassador of the United States of America on Wednesday, June 30, 2004 regarding the referenced subject, This Ministry is pleased to inform the esteemed Embassy that the Government of the State of Kuwait, in appreciation for the great role played by the United States of America in Iraq, has decided not to request the amounts consequent upon the State of Kuwait's provision of fuel to the American forces up to the date of transfer of authority to the Iraqis. After the transfer of authority to the Iraqis, we assess that the presence of the American forces and their stay in Iraq springs from the desire of the Iraqi authority, upon which falls the duty to provide all types of facilitation and support for that presence, including the provision of the necessary fuel for these forces. For its part, the Ministry assures that the State of Kuwait is prepared, if the American forces wish the continuation of the provision of fuel, to conclude a contract between the two parties arranging the matter on a commercial basis. (Complimentary closing) END TEXT. ¶2. (U) Baghdad Minimize considered. JONES