MINISTER FOR AMIRI DIWAN AFFAIRS SHAYKH NASSER ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004479 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KU SUCCESSION SUBJECT: MINISTER FOR AMIRI DIWAN AFFAIRS SHAYKH NASSER ON SUCCESSION AND THE AMIR'S HEALTH REF: A. KUWAIT 4445 ¶B. KUWAIT 4438 (AND PREVIOUS) Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) The Ambassador met October 18 with Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Shaykh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Shaykh Nasser said the recent succession controversy within the ruling family (reftels) "is calming," although he commented that "there will be some issues in the coming weeks." Asked for more detail, Shaykh Nasser said the Amir "may make a decision" and "will put his house in order" when the Crown Prince returns on October 19 from London where he is receiving medical treatment. What that decision might be, "we don't know," he said. Before the meeting, Undersecretary for Amiri Diwan Affairs Khalid Al-Bannai told the Ambassador he expected "a lot of talk, but little action" when the Crown Prince returns to Kuwait. ¶2. (C) Shaykh Nasser repeated several times that National Guard Chief and leading ruling family member Shaykh Salem Al-Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah's recent comments calling for the formation of a tripartite committee to run the country were "very unfortunate." Bio Note: Amir -------------- ¶3. (C) Shaykh Nasser told the Ambassador that the Amir was in "very good" physical health and in "perfect" mental health. Although the Amir's Parkinson's disease worsened after his stroke in 2001, Shaykh Nasser said that his health improved after receiving medical treatment this summer at the Cleveland Clinic and changing his medications. Despite very poor eyesight, the Amir is an avid reader and often reads the daily newspapers, Shaykh Nasser remarked, putting his hand an inch from his nose to demonstrate how the Amir reads. He said the Amir had himself read carefully the recent criticism by Shaykh Salem Al-Ali. ********************************************* 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 ********************************************* LEBARON