Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04KUWAIT4312
2004-12-13 08:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

MUBARAK RUNS INTERFERENCE FOR ABU MAZEN DURING

Tags:  PREL KDEM PHUM ECON KU IZ EG 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004312 

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2014
TAGS: PREL KDEM PHUM ECON KU IZ EG
SUBJECT: MUBARAK RUNS INTERFERENCE FOR ABU MAZEN DURING
VISIT TO KUWAIT


Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004312

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2014
TAGS: PREL KDEM PHUM ECON KU IZ EG
SUBJECT: MUBARAK RUNS INTERFERENCE FOR ABU MAZEN DURING
VISIT TO KUWAIT


Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary: Ambassador met December 12 with the Egyptian
Ambassador to Kuwait, Abdel-Rahim Shalaby, to discuss
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak,s December 7-8 visit to
Kuwait. Shalaby said the meeting covered three GOE concerns:
support for Mahmoud Abbas, candidacy in upcoming Palestinian
elections, need for Sunni participation in Iraq,s January
elections, and encouragement of GOK to increase involvement
in Sudan to stabilize the Darfur region. The Egyptian
ambassador also discussed Kuwait,s increasing investment
role in the Egyptian economy and mentioned a visit of Mrs.
Mubarak to Kuwait around December 18 to participate in the
Al-Qurain Festival. (Abu Mazen is meeting GOK officials
December 13 following his public apology for Palestinian
support for Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.)

Mubarak Stumping for Abu Mazen
--------------


2. (C) During a December 7 meeting with GOK officials,
including Amir Shaykh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (whom
Shalaby described as smiling, without his customary dark
sunglasses and &exceptionally alert8) and Prime Minister
Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Mubarak conveyed his
strong support for Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as the next
Palestinian president to be chosen in elections scheduled for
January 9, 2005. Mubarak was against the candidacy of Marwan
Barghouti, who withdrew from the race on December 12,
commenting that Barghouti had &burned himself out.8
Referring to the December 12 fundraising visit to Kuwait by
Abu Mazen, the Palestinian Minister of Finance, and Speaker
of the Parliament, Shalaby said the GOK wants to ensure that
any Kuwaiti financing is spent properly. As prudent
investors, the Kuwaitis want to know how and where the
Palestinians will spend their money before contributing.
Shalaby reported that the GOK was already a proponent of Abu
Mazen and did not need much convincing from Mubarak to lend
their support to the Palestinian,s candidacy.

Concern that U.S. Is Siding with Shi,a in Iraq

-------------- --


3. (C) Shalaby mentioned that about half of Mubarak,s talks
with GOK officials centered around Iraq. While the timing of
the elections did not come up, Shalaby stressed that the GOE
and GOK were concerned about the elections, legitimacy
should the Sunni minority not participate in significant
numbers. Shalaby said that a perceived U.S. pro-Shi,a bias
in Iraq put Kuwait,s Sunni political leadership in trouble
with domestic public opinion. Shalaby commented on a personal
basis that if the U.S. offers gestures to the Iraqi Sunnis,
they would be grateful. (In his personal view, a two-week
postponement of elections might be a productive step, but he
did not support a six-month delay.) Shalaby added that, while
Egypt does not have a significant Shi,a minority like
Kuwait, a perceived pro-Shi,a bias is also a problem for
Egypt.

Kuwait Encouraged to Expand Sudan Involvement to Darfur
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Mubarak provided the GOK a briefing, characterized as
a &monologue8 by Shalaby, on the situation in Sudan. The
GOE is keen to protect the territorial integrity of Sudan as
completion of the peace accord with the South is expected by
month,s end. Shalaby mentioned that the opposition in Darfur
is trying to imitate what happened in the south. By garnering
support of the international community, the Darfur opposition
became emboldened and intransigent during negotiations.
Kuwait is the only other Arab country, aside from Egypt, with
a presence in southern Sudan and has been there for more than
30 years working through charitable organizations, most
likely Islamic. Mubarak would like to see greater Kuwaiti
involvement with the Darfur crisis, seeking financial support
to work in tandem with Egyptian diplomacy.

Kuwait Overtakes Saudi Arabia as Top Arab Investor in Egypt
-------------- --------------


5. (C) According to Shalaby, Kuwait, with 27% of total Arab
direct investment, is now the largest Arab investor in Egypt,
surpassing Saudi Arabia. Current bilateral economic projects
include a joint petro-chemical project and the development of
Egyptian natural gas exports to Kuwait. These two
developments alone will result in a ten-fold increase in
Egyptian-Kuwaiti bilateral trade ties currently valued at
$135 million annually. Shalaby cautioned that the talk of big
new petroleum and gas projects had been going on for some
time, and he did not expect quick outcomes. The largest
single investor in Egypt is now Nasser Al-Khorafi, the
brother of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Speaker Jassem
Al-Khorafi, displacing former front-runner Saudi Prince
Waleed bin Talal.

Egyptian First Lady to Visit Kuwait
--------------


6. (U) Egyptian first lady, Suzanne Mubarak, will arrive in
Kuwait early next week at the invitation of the Kuwaiti Crown
Prince,s wife, Shaykha Latifa Al-Sabah. Mrs. Mubarak will be
the guest of honor at the annual Al-Qurain Arts Festival.


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LEBARON