KUWAITI FM TO CAIRO TO CONSULT ON RECONCILIATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004774 SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARPI; LONDON FOR TSOU; PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2015 TAGS: PREL KU IZ SUBJECT: KUWAITI FM TO CAIRO TO CONSULT ON RECONCILIATION CONFERENCE; OFFER SUPPORT TO SUNNI MODERATES REF: STATE 207921 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In a brief aside at luncheon on 15 November, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah told the Ambassador he would travel to Cairo on Saturday to be present for some of the preparatory work for the Iraqi reconciliation conference. He said he expected that some of the senior Iraqi leadership would be there as well. Dr. Mohammed said he would be in Cairo to offer a show of support for moderate Sunnis. He contended that the Sunni agenda has been hijacked by the a small minority of radicals on either end of the political spectrum -- the Baathists on the left and the Zarqawi people on the right. He believes the vast majority of Sunnis want an end to the violence so they can get on with their lives. He went on to say that Sunni states in the region had not done enough and they need to do more to assist the political process in Iraq. ¶2. (C) When queried, Shaykh Dr. Mohammed said he did not expect to participate formally in the meetings, beyond perhaps some sort of brief formal opening session. The main purpose of his visit would be to be available for informal consultations with the parties with a view to helping them make progress. ¶3. (C) We will make sure Dr. Mohammed has reftel points containing U.S. views on the conference before he travels to Cairo. ********************************************* 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