(C) FOREIGN MINISTER URGES RESOLUTION OF AIK FUEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000922

SIPDIS

STATE FOR PM, NEA/ARP, NEA/REA, NEA/NGA
CPA BAGHDAD FOR AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2014
TAGS: PREL EAID MARR MOPS KU IZ
SUBJECT: (C) FOREIGN MINISTER URGES RESOLUTION OF AIK FUEL
ISSUE

REF: A. KUWAIT 00390

B. KUWAIT 00379

C. KUWAIT 00368

D. KUWAIT 00243

E. KUWAIT 00127

F. SECTO 00042

Classified By: CDA Frank C. Urbancic, reason 1.4(b,d).

1.(U) This is an action message; please see para 5.

2.(C) Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah summoned the Charge d'Affaires to an urgent meeting
after official Kuwaiti business hours March 21 at the request
of Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and
the Council of Ministers to try to reach an understanding on
the AIK fuel issue. Dr. Mohammed told the Charge that the GOK
is under tremendous pressure from the National Assembly and
Auditor's Bureau to justify the continued unlimited AIK fuel
supplies the GOK provides free of charge to U.S. and
Coalition forces in Iraq, "especially now that major
hostilities have been declared over." He added that the
National Assembly's recent "grilling" of Finance Minister
Mahmoud Al-Nouri has aggravated the situation and that the
GOK needs USG support on the fuel issue in order to prevent a
worsening of relations with Parliament. (Note: Al-Nouri faces
a possible no-confidence vote tomorrow, March 22, in the
National Assembly. End Note). Dr. Mohammed stressed that
other Gulf countries were not sharing in the Iraq support
effort and that the GOK does not want to be "burdened" with
the entire fuel cost indefinitely. He hoped that some
"burden-sharing" arrangement could be found to suit both
sides and help the GOK defend politically its continued AIK
support for post-war Iraqi reconstruction.

3.(C) Charge told Dr. Mohammed that GOK assistance in the
form of AIK fuel is indispensable for the post-war
reconstruction and development effort in Iraq, and that the
USG appreciates GOK contributions to date. He stressed the
importance of reaching an acceptable agreement with the GOK
that would enable Kuwait to continue to provide AIK fuel
supplies at the level outlined in January by Assistant
Secretary for Political Military Affairs Lincoln Bloomfield

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Jr. during his visit to Kuwait (i.e., 458 million gallons in
2004).

4.(C) Dr. Mohammed said he hoped the issue could be discussed
in detail before the March 30-31 Joint Military Commission
(JMC) and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad
Al-Sabah's upcoming visit to Washington. He said an advance
team will be traveling to Washington prior to the Minister of
Defense's visit. Charge said the Foreign Minister's message
that it wanted an "agreement" or "contract" that the GOK
could present to the National Assembly in order to ensure
parliamentary support for continued AIK fuel assistance was
clear. Charge suggested that both sides establish technical
committees and convene a meeting to discuss the issue before
Sheikh Jaber's visit later this month.

5.(C) Action Request: That the Department establish a group
empowered to speak with authority on U.S. requests to follow
up on the Bloomfield presentation with the Kuwaiti technical
committee in Washington before the JMC.

6.(U) Baghdad minimize considered.
URBANCIC