Kuwait: 2004 Annual Terrorism Report Draft

UNCLAS KUWAIT 004428

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR S/CT KINCANNON AND MCCUTCHAN, NEA/ARPI FOR BERNS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER ASEC KCRM EFIN KHLS KPAO KU
SUBJECT: Kuwait: 2004 Annual Terrorism Report Draft

REF: State 245841


1. (U) Embassy Kuwait's submission for the 2004 Patterns of
Global Terrorism report is provided below. The text will
also be submitted electronically as instructed reftel.
Addendum information will be provided septel. Post contact
is Political Chief Natalie E. Brown who can be reached at
BrownNE2@state.gov.


2. (U) Begin text:
Kuwait continued to engage with the U.S. Government and with
its neighbors to thwart domestic threats to Kuwaiti and
foreign interests. It also continued to provide significant
support to U.S. efforts to stem terror financing. Following
the four terror attacks carried out against Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Coalition Forces between October 2002 and
December 2003 -- which resulted in the death of one U.S.
Marine and a U.S. defense contractor -- the Government of
Kuwait (GOK) strengthened domestic counterterrorism efforts,
but the potential for further attacks remains a serious
concern.

The Kuwaiti Government has taken some measures to bolster
security and enhance protection for Coalition Forces
transiting Kuwait. Kuwait State Security (KSS) has worked
to identify and arrest terror suspects, but the office of
the public prosecutor claims that insufficient, concrete
information has hampered the conviction of many suspected
terrorists. Those actually sentenced to jail for
recruiting, supporting, or being a terrorist have often had
their sentences suspended or commuted to a nominal fine.

As part of its campaign against terror, the GOK formed in
October a ministerial committee chaired by the Minister of
Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to develop strategies to combat
terror and extremists. Kuwaiti officials and clerics also
denounced terror attacks in the region and sharply
criticized those who condoned them. In November, the
Government forbade Kuwaiti ministries and religious
institutions from extending official invitations to 29 Saudi
clerics who reportedly signed a statement in support of
jihad in Iraq. No entry ban was imposed, however, and at
least one cleric visited the homes of some Members of
Parliament and other private gatherings, sparking widespread
public criticism of the cleric's presence. The Islamic
political bloc has been critical of the Government's methods
in confronting and dealing with Islamic extremists.

Following the December 6 attack on U.S. Consulate General
Jeddah, the Government of Kuwait augmented security around
U.S. installations in Kuwait. In addition, Kuwait,
responded quickly to U.S. concerns about a possible terror
attack in December, reviewing security and initiating a
search for the individual believed to be the source of the
threats. Kuwaiti officials have also heightened security
along their border with Iraq to prevent militant
infiltration and have also worked with Syria and Iran to
develop procedures to increase intelligence sharing and
enhance customs and border-monitoring cooperation. In July,
Syria repatriated to Kuwait four minors and one adult
recruited to carry out suicide bomb attacks in Iraq. Kuwait
subsequently arrested up to 12 Kuwaitis reportedly being
trained to attack U.S. and Coalition Forces in Iraq. To the
best of our knowledge, all but two of them have been
released on bail.

Kuwait also continued to implement every U.S.-ordered
terrorist-fund freeze. In August 2003, the Government froze
the assets of HAMAS over the objections of some elements of
the Kuwaiti population.

Kuwait is a party to ten of the 12 international conventions
and protocols relating to terrorism. Kuwait is not party to
the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of
Terrorism or the Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist
Bo