Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04KUWAIT2747
2004-08-24 06:45:00
SECRET
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

GOK CONCERNED WITH TONE OF DISCUSSIONS OVER AIK

Tags:  MOPS PREL EAID MARR PGOV KU IZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002747 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM, NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2014
TAGS: MOPS PREL EAID MARR PGOV KU IZ
SUBJECT: GOK CONCERNED WITH TONE OF DISCUSSIONS OVER AIK
FUEL FOR IRAQ

REF: A. BERNS-TUELLER EMAIL 08/21/04

B. 03 KUWAIT 5540

C. KUWAIT 127

D. KUWAIT 130

E. KUWAIT 243

F. KUWAIT 379

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matthew H. Tueller, Reasons 1.4(a),
(b) and (d)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 002747

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM, NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2014
TAGS: MOPS PREL EAID MARR PGOV KU IZ
SUBJECT: GOK CONCERNED WITH TONE OF DISCUSSIONS OVER AIK
FUEL FOR IRAQ

REF: A. BERNS-TUELLER EMAIL 08/21/04

B. 03 KUWAIT 5540

C. KUWAIT 127

D. KUWAIT 130

E. KUWAIT 243

F. KUWAIT 379

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matthew H. Tueller, Reasons 1.4(a),
(b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Following A/S Bloomfield and PDASD Flory's
August 20 meeting in Washington with the Kuwaiti Charge
concerning the GOK's decision to suspend assistance-in-kind
(AIK) fuel for operations in Iraq effective September 4 in
the absence of a formal contract, Acting Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Minister of Information Mohammed Abulhassan
summoned CDA on August 23 to voice a number of concerns.
First, Abulhassan objected to the implied threat that
Kuwait's termination of free fuel for Iraq would harm the
US-Kuwaiti relationship. Second, he took issue with the US
side's "constant references" to Congress and the warning that
the GOK's decision to stop supplying OIF fuel would lead
Congress to believe that Kuwait had not helped with OIF.
Third, the Minister was critical of the suggestion that
Kuwait,s major non-NATO ally (MNNA) status would be
jeopardized by the fuel issue. CDA hoped the GOK would allow
experts to work out a contract, but leave the price open for
future discussions at the political level. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of
Information Mohammed Abulhassan summoned CDA on August 23 to
follow up on A/S Bloomfield and PDASD Flory's August 20
meeting with Kuwait's Charge d'Affaires Ahmad Razouqi.
Abulhassan began by stressing that the US-Kuwait relationship
is one that Kuwait values highly, and is strong enough to
weather differences of opinion. He professed surprise that
the U.S. had "hammered" Kuwaiti CDA Razouqi on the effect
that Kuwait's proposed termination of free fuel for Operation
Iraqi Freedom (OIF) would have on the US-Kuwait bilateral
relationship, which he said Kuwait has worked to strengthen
for forty years.



3. (C) Abulhassan said that the language used in the meeting
"caused concern" within the Government of Kuwait (GOK),
specifically in three areas. First was the implied threat
that Kuwait's termination of free fuel for Iraq would harm
the US-Kuwaiti relationship. (Later in the meeting,
Abulhassan pointedly remarked that although Kuwait has seen
little progress on access to or repatriation of its nationals
detained at Guantanamo Bay -- an issue that he characterized
as "very important" to Kuwait, and a source of constant
tension between the government and the National Assembly --
Kuwait never threatened that it would affect the bilateral
relationship with the US.)


4. (C) Second, he took issue with the US side's "constant
references" to Congress and the warning that the GOK's
decision to stop supplying AIK fuel would lead Congress to
believe that Kuwait had not helped with OIF. "We have given
the whole of Kuwait for the liberation of Iraq while the
entire Arab world was against us," Abulhassan stressed,
"because we believe in your operation." He continued by
saying that "every day, we demonstrate our commitment,"
citing present and future access to Kuwait,s ports and
airport. Within this broader context, Abulhassan said, the
fuel dispute is a small matter. Furthermore, he complained,
the reaction of Kuwait's National Assembly to the fuel deal
had not been taken into consideration. He pointed out that
the National Assembly had recently excoriated the government
for Kuwait's comparatively small assistance package for
Jordan, and warned that if the USG thought that the GOK could
ignore the National Assembly, we would need to think again.


5. (C) Third, the Minister objected to the suggestion that
Kuwait,s major non-NATO ally (MNNA) status would be
jeopardized by the fuel issue, which he said was not even
relevant to MNNA. The Minister openly wondered if the same
"yardstick" was being used to measure other MNNA countries'
cooperation.


6. (C) CDA agreed that the OIF fuel issue should not affect
the bilateral relationship; however, our mutual vital
interests in Iraq could be badly affected if fuel was
interrupted. CDA hoped the GOK would allow experts to work
out a contract, but leave the price open for future
discussions at the political level. (Ambassador Khalid
Al-Babtain, the head of MFA's Americas Desk, later said that
he hoped the US would not leave a blank in the contract.)
The Minister was not prepared to discuss the technical
details, but stressed that the GOK oil sector is concerned
with the "non-clarity" of the US position. He claimed that
the US plans everything years in advance, and the GOK
therefore could not understand why the US could not be
specific about its fuel needs. For its part, he emphasized,
the GOK could not go any further without planning and a
contract.


7. (S) CDA asked that a clear distinction be made between
fuel for forces in Iraq and fuel to be used by U.S. forces in
Kuwait under the Defense Cooperative Agreement (DCA).
Abulhassan confirmed that this distinction was clear. The
Minister said that the GOK has analyzed the DCA, and found
that it does not/not support the provision of fuel for Iraq.
For this reason, he added, the GOK needed to enter into a
separate agreement with the US so that they could continue
supplying fuel for use in Iraq. The Minister then inquired
about agreements that neighboring countries (Qatar
specifically) had with the US to provide fuel for Iraq
operations. CDA replied that he believed Kuwait was the main
supplier.


8. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
TUELLER