(S) HOMELAND SECURITY WORKING GROUP

S E C R E T KUWAIT 000366 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2014 TAGS: PTER PREL MARR KU IZ SUBJECT: (S) HOMELAND SECURITY WORKING GROUP Classified By: CDA FRANK URBANCIC; REASON: 1.4 (D) ¶1. (S) Charge chaired Post's monthly Homeland Security Working Group (HSWG) meeting January 26. (Visas Viper meeting reported septel.) The group agreed that the Embassy is taking all appropriate security measures. ¶2. (S) Embassy has facilitated a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the GOK and US military forces in Kuwait, represented by Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC),regarding procedures at the land border crossings between Kuwait and Iraq. This MOU, which is undergoing final review by the GOK after having been cleared within the US military, will enable more thorough coverage by Customs and Immigration of the massive volume of convoy traffic to and from Iraq associated with US forces and CPA. The US military has already invested several million dollars to upgrade these border crossings, in advance of MOU signature. This close coordination between the US military and the host nation should greatly reduce the threat of smuggling, including of terrorists and weapons/explosives. ¶3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. URBANCIC