Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KUWAIT1467
2005-04-12 05:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

AMB. JONES CONSULTS WITH KUWAITI PM ON KEY

Tags:  KDEM PHUM PREL EAID KU IZ KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001467 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2015
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PREL EAID KU IZ KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS
SUBJECT: AMB. JONES CONSULTS WITH KUWAITI PM ON KEY
OBJECTIVES IN IRAQ, PM PLEDGES SUPPORT

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 001467

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2015
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PREL EAID KU IZ KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS
SUBJECT: AMB. JONES CONSULTS WITH KUWAITI PM ON KEY
OBJECTIVES IN IRAQ, PM PLEDGES SUPPORT

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


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador and Senior Advisor and
Coordinator for Iraq Policy, Ambassador Richard Jones, met
with Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah on April 9
to discuss political, security and economic support for the
new Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG). Ambassador Jones,
who had just returned from Iraq, briefed the Prime Minister
on recent developments in Iraq's transition to democracy,
laying out the top priorities that we and the Iraqis would be
focussing on in the coming months: defeating the insurgency,
completion of the political process, strengthening of the
rule of law, improvment of essential services, development of
provincial governments, and promotion of economic security.
The Prime Minister expressed Kuwait's support for the
political process in Iraq, and its relief at the selection of
a Presidency Council and Prime Minister. He offered Kuwait's
continued economic support for Iraq, lamenting that a KD 60
million aid proposal had not been taken advantage of by the
Interim Iraqi Government. The Prime Minister agreed in
principle to debt relief for Iraq, but noted the need for
National Assembly approval. He twice referred to the need to
maintain the UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) claims
process, and not link this to relief for Iraq's financial
burdens. On security, the PM said Kuwait had extended an
offer to Iraq to train up to 500 police for a year. In
response to Amb. Jones' presentation about it, the PM said
the GOK would happily participate in the upcoming conference
U.S./EU-sponsored on Iraq. He added that Kuwait and Iraq
would be exchanging Ambassadors in the near future. The PM
said the Kuwaiti government would issue a statement at its
Sunday cabinet meeting in support of the new Iraqi
government, (which it did).

Participants:

U.S.
Ambassador Richard Jones, Senior Advisor and Coordinator for
Iraq Policy
Ambassador Richard LeBaron
Mr. Larry McDonald, Treasury Department
Col. Philip Smith, Department of Defense

Mr. Matthew Fuller, Special Assistant to Ambassador Jones
Mr. Constantinos Nicolaidis, U.S. Embassy Kuwait (notetaker)

Kuwait
Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah
Ambassador Mohammed Abulhassan, Senior Prime Ministerial
Advisor
Ambassador Khaled Al-Jarallah, Undersecretary of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs
Ambassador Khaled Al-Babtain, Director, MFA Americas Division
Shaykh Fawaz Saud Al-Sabah Asst. U/S, Prime Minister's Diwan
(notetaker)

End Summary.

Laying Out the Major Goals
--------------


2. (C) During their April 9 meeting, Senior Advisor and
Coordinator for Iraq Policy, Ambassador Richard Jones and
Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah discussed the
political process in Iraq, and the way ahead. Ambassador
Jones, who had just returned from Iraq, said he had had the
opportunity to meet with all members of the Presidency
Council and other senior Iraqi officials, who had agreed on a
number of key priorities for their new government: 1) defeat
the insurgency; 2) complete of the political process by
adopting the new constitution and holding new elections; 3)
strengthen the rule of law through a capable police force,
trained judiciary, and adequate prison service; 4) provide
essential services such as electricity and fuel; 5) develop
provincial governments by empowering provincial councils to
manage projects; and 6) promote economic security through
creation of jobs, forgiveness of debt, implementation of IMF
agreements, and restoration of the agricultural sector.
Noting that the accomplishment of these goals would help
create a democratic and federal Iraq that would contribute to
peace and stability in the entire region, Ambassador Jones
urged Kuwait to participate in a planned U.S/EU/Iraqi
conference to be held in early June. He further encouraged
Kuwait to lend any and all support to meeting these goals, be
it symbolic, political or financial.

Security Cooperation
--------------

3. (C) The Prime Minister opened by expressing Kuwait's
pleasure with the January 30 Iraqi elections and the
subsequent naming of the Presidency Council. He said Iraq
was on the correct path, but noted the difficulty would be
convincing Sunnis it was in their best interest to
participate in the political process. He highlighted former
IIG President Shaykh Ghazi Al-Yawar as a good example for
Sunnis, but noted somewhat sardonically that he had accepted
a Vice President position in the new government. As a Sunni
himself, Shaykh Sabah said he was "bitter" that Sunni
elements had chosen to fight other Iraqis, rather than
joining together. Disparaging this lack of Sunni commitment,
he mentioned that no Sunni IIG member had visited Kuwait to
discuss cooperation between the two states. On security,
Shaykh Sabah articulated Kuwait's indebtedness to the U.S.
for having rid Kuwait and Iraq of "these devils." He urged
U.S. forces to make more use of former military personnel in
Iraq's new security forces. Even among officers, he said,
"not all of them are Ba'athists." The Prime Minister said
that Kuwait had already extended an offer to Iraq to train up
to 500 officers for one year in its police academy, but had
recieved a response requesting training for 10,000.

Kuwait Committed to Economic/Reconstruction Support
-------------- --------------


4. (C) On economic support, Shaykh Sabah said Kuwait had
approached former IIG President Iyad Allawi's office eight
months ago and offered KD 60 million as part of their overal
USD500 million pledge to Iraq to fund construction of
hospitals, schools and clinics. To date, he said, Kuwait had
not received any plans from Iraqi authorities specifying
where they wanted these finds spent. Shaykh Sabah said
Kuwait stands ready to fund projects such as clinics and
hospitals "from Basra to Kirkuk," but said the labor and
engineers should be "all Iraqis."

Debt Relief Agreed
--------------


5. (C) Regarding debt relief, the PM said Kuwait was
committed in principle, but relief would require approval by
the National Assembly. He warned the delegation not to
further reduce the UNCC compensation level below its current
5 percent rate, which would have the effect of linking debt
reduction with the UNCC issue in the minds of MPs, making the
passage of debt relief difficult. UNCC funds "do not belong
to the government, but to the people," he said. "Do not mix
Iraqi debts to Kuwait with compensation." Shaykh Sabah noted
that Kuwait had told Special Envoy Baker and others that it
would follow the 80 percent debt reduction agreed by the
Paris Club. Ambassador LeBaron pointed out that large
payments had recently been made to Kuwaiti UNCC claimants.

Exchange of Ambassadors Forthcoming
--------------


6. (C) The Prime Minister said that Iraq had proposed an
Ambassador to Kuwait, and his name was with the Amiri Diwan
for approval. He said Kuwait would reciprocate when it could
ensure the security of its new envoy. (We will report on
this septel.) He said Kuwait would participate in the
international gathering in Europe in June.


7. (U) Baghdad: Minimize Considered.

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