ARTICLE 98

S E C R E T KUWAIT 000367

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM, PM/B, L/PM, T, NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/2014
TAGS: PREL MARR KU IZ
SUBJECT: ARTICLE 98


Classified By: CDA FRANK C. URBANCIC. REASON: 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. This is an action cable. See para 4.


2. (S) During his January 27, 2004 meeting with visiting
Assistant Secretary Lincoln Bloomfield Jr. and Principal
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International
Security Affairs Peter C.W. Flory, the Kuwait Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah told his guests that
the GOK has decided not to participate in the ICC. He said
that the legal committee has reviewed the ICC legislation
carefully, and decided that it conflicted with Kuwait's
constitution. Therefore, he said, on the advice of Foreign
Ministry legal counsel, the Article 98 Agreement with the
United States had been pulled back before undergoing
ratification in Parliament. Dr. Mohammed added that since
Kuwait would not be a signatory to the ICC, signing the
Article 98 Agreement with the U.S. becomes moot.


3. (S) Bloomfield responded that while he was not able to
address the Ministry's legal rationale for concluding that
ratification is unnecessary, the U.S. was bringing agreements
into force with Rome Statute parties and non-parties alike.
Flory told Dr. Mohammed that several countries were in
similar situations and the U.S. preferred to proceed with the
agreement, despite the GOK decision against the ICC. This
was because without the agreement it was still possible that
some of these countries could decide to refer Americans to
the ICC, even though they were not obliged to. Bloomfield
said the U.S. would come back to the Minister with an
authoritative view on ratification and entry into force. Dr.
Mohammed commented, as an aside, that he did not think the
Parliament would consider the agreement controversial.


4. (C) Action requested: Request Department provide
Embassy a legal view, to be shared with Dr. Mohammed, on the
importance and value of the Article 98 Agreement even between
non-parties to the Rome Statute, and on the necessity of
Parliamentary ratification in order to bring the agreement
into force, if indeed this is the case.


5. (U) Assistant Secretary Bloomfield has cleared this
message.

URBANCIC