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.

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