Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04KUWAIT3842
2004-11-09 08:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

GOK TO TAKE "LEADERSHIP ROLE" ON IRAQI DEBT

Tags:  EFIN EAID PREL IZ KU 
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090843Z Nov 04
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003842 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2014
TAGS: EFIN EAID PREL IZ KU
SUBJECT: GOK TO TAKE "LEADERSHIP ROLE" ON IRAQI DEBT
REDUCTION; AND AGREES ON SOME USG CHANGES TO CONFERENCE
COMMUNIQUE

REF: A. SECSTATE 238110


B. SECSTATE 237994

Classified By: Ambassador LeBaron for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003842

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/2014
TAGS: EFIN EAID PREL IZ KU
SUBJECT: GOK TO TAKE "LEADERSHIP ROLE" ON IRAQI DEBT
REDUCTION; AND AGREES ON SOME USG CHANGES TO CONFERENCE
COMMUNIQUE

REF: A. SECSTATE 238110


B. SECSTATE 237994

Classified By: Ambassador LeBaron for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador delivered 8 November reftel
points to Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaykh Dr. Mohammed
Al-Sabah, following up on Deputy Secretary Armitage's 7
November raising of Iraqi debt and the Sharm el-Sheikh
conference with Prime Minister Sabah. Dr. Mohammed said the
GOK would take a "leadership role" and be "proactive" towards
writing down Iraqi debt, and agreed that a public statement
from the GOK would be appropriate and forthcoming. He also
agreed with some of the USG-recommended changes to the
Egyptian Sharm el-Sheikh communique, including the removal of
a reference to ending "all forms of violence" and replacing
it with a condemnation of "all acts of terrorism." End
Summary.

GOK To Take "Leadership Role" in Reducing Iraqi Debt
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Ambassador delivered 8 November reftel points to
Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah
Al-Salem Al-Sabah, following up on Deputy Secretary
Armitage's 7 November raising of Iraqi debt and the Sharm
el-Sheikh conference with Prime Minister Sabah (septel.) The
Ambassador said it was USG understanding that the GOK would
follow the Paris Club lead and provide comparable treatment
on Iraqi debt, and Dr. Mohammed concurred. "We will take a
leadership role in this," he said, "and we will be proactive,
we will demand a write-down of Iraqi debt." Dr. Mohammed
also said that the GOK had expressed its position on debt to
Iraqi President al-Yawar and that standing orders had been
given to the GOK Minister of Finance and other officials to
follow this position in all meetings involving the World Bank
and other international financial bodies. The Ambassador
urged Dr. Mohammed to have the GOK make a public statement
confirming its position. (Note: We assess that such a
statement will not come before the Sharm meeting.)

GOK Agrees with USG Changes to Sharm el-Sheikh Communique
-------------- --------------


3. (C) The Ambassador shared USG concerns about the Egyptian
Sharm el-Sheikh communique with Dr. Mohammed, and Dr.
Mohammed said that the GOK had already communicated its
concerns with the Egyptian government. The Ambassador said
the USG preferred to ask for a reduction of "the vast
majority" of Iraqi sovereign debt and not just a
"substantial" amount, and Dr. Mohammed referred vaguely to
language used when former Secretary Baker visited Kuwait.
The Ambassador also raised the USG-suggested change in the
communique from condemning "all forms of violence and
terrorism" to condemning "all acts of terrorism in Iraq," and
Dr. Mohammed wholeheartedly agreed on this point. Simply
referring to violence, Dr. Mohammed said, would "make the
terrorists and the military the same, and that is not
correct." He said the GOK had independently made this point
to the Egyptians.

FM on Falluja: "Don't Let Enemy Define Your Role."
-------------- --------------


4. (SBU) Dr. Mohammed said that he appreciated the Deputy
Secretary's 7 November visit and reviewed the main points of

SIPDIS
DepSec Armitage's discussion with the Prime Minister with the
Ambassador. On Falluja and other Iraq troublespots, Dr.
Mohammed said "public diplomacy efforts must be redoubled,
don't let your enemies define your role in Iraq." He added
that the USG "must explain why any military action is for the
benefit of the Iraqis," and he hoped that the USG image would
not be tarnished in the current Falluja campaign. He agreed,
however,