BORDER ISSUE NOT SETTLED, BUT GOK SATISFIED WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003396 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/30/2015 TAGS: PREL PBTS PGOV ASEC IZ KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS SUBJECT: BORDER ISSUE NOT SETTLED, BUT GOK SATISFIED WITH ITG RESPONSE REF: A. BASRAH 93 ¶B. KUWAIT 3331 (NOTAL) ¶C. KUWAIT 3287 (NOTAL) Classified By: CDA Matthew Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah told Charge d'Affaires in a meeting July 31 that the border issue with Iraq was "not settled yet," but the GOK was "very happy and satisfied" with the Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) response so far. Al-Jarallah said the situation on the border was "almost quiet." The GOK contained the situation despite initially encountering some problems with the Iraqis, he added without elaborating. The GOK will approach Iraqi officials to begin negotiations over "five or six" Iraqi houses/farms near Umm Qasr, which the GOK believes were constructed on Kuwaiti territory, Al-Jarallah said. Kuwait planned to resume installation of the vehicle barrier along the border "within days," he added. ¶2. (SBU) The GOK is prepared to talk to Iraqi officials about compensating the residents of the houses/farms in question, Al-Jarallah said; however, since the structures were built after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 833 and the demarcation of the border, it is not clear whether UN-designated funds can be used. He did not specify other funding sources for compensation. ¶3. (C) Post has received no additional information of Iranian involvement in the protests (ref B). ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* TUELLER