Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05KUWAIT5299
2005-12-31 10:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
HOC CHIEF / UNOFFICIAL KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ
how-toVZCZCXRO0439 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHKU #5299/01 3651012 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 311012Z DEC 05 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0513 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2361 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKU/OMC-K KUWAIT KU PRIORITY RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 005299
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA,
BAGHDAD FOR PILZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL OFDP PINR MOPS PHUM IZ KU
SUBJECT: HOC CHIEF / UNOFFICIAL KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ
ON RELATIONS WITH IRAQ AND HOC DEVELOPMENTS
REF: A. 05 KUWAIT 5130
B. 05 KUWAIT 4905
Classified By: DCM Matthew Tueller for reason 1.4 (b)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 005299
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA,
BAGHDAD FOR PILZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL OFDP PINR MOPS PHUM IZ KU
SUBJECT: HOC CHIEF / UNOFFICIAL KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ
ON RELATIONS WITH IRAQ AND HOC DEVELOPMENTS
REF: A. 05 KUWAIT 5130
B. 05 KUWAIT 4905
Classified By: DCM Matthew Tueller for reason 1.4 (b)
1. (C) Summary: Lt General Ali Hassan Al-Mu'min, former
Kuwaiti military Chief of Staff, current head of the
Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) and the GOK's
unannounced choice for Ambassador to Iraq (reftel),told the
DCM during a December 28 meeting that Kuwait will not "make
the first move" in announcing an Ambassador to Iraq, opting
to wait until the GOI announces its representative in Kuwait.
He said that Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah
had offered him the idea of being named as the non-resident
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq and staying in Kuwait but that he
declined, telling the FM that he would prefer to do the job
from Baghdad. General Ali said that the ideal situation would
be for the Kuwaiti mission to Iraq to be set up in the Green
Zone, under protection of U.S. security forces, or with an
"American security environment." General Ali said that he
would also continue with his work for the HOC, praised the
American military staff assigned to the HOC, and asked that
they remain with him for the time being. He offered his
general views on Iraq, a brief history of the HOC's
operations, and a summary of his recent work in identifying
Kuwaiti POW remains in Iraq. End Summary.
General Ali Confirms His Unofficial Job
--------------
2. (C) In a December 28 meeting with the DCM, Lt General Ali
Hassan Al-Mu'min, former Kuwaiti military Chief of Staff and
current head of the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC),
confirmed his standing as the number one choice to be named
Kuwaiti ambassador to Iraq (reftel). He said that the GOK
"wants representation in Iraq," and "wants Iraq to be free
and prosperous." He said that Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr.
Mohammed Al-Sabah offered him the idea of staying in Kuwait
but being named as the non-resident Kuwaiti ambassador to
Iraq, but that he turned this offer down, saying that he
would rather do the job from Baghdad.
"We Have Many Friends, But We Also Have Many Enemies"
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Explaining the delay in establishing a diplomatic
presence in Baghdad he quoted Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr.
Mohammed Al-Sabah, saying that the Minister told him, "I
can't send the sons of Kuwait to be killed in Iraq." General
Ali said that he thinks that "the GOK will wait to make the
first move" and not name a diplomat to Baghad until the GOI
names its representative to Kuwait. "Any Kuwaiti diplomat
would be the prime target (of the insurgents)" General Ali
said. "We Kuwaitis have a lot of friends (in Iraq)," he
added, "but we also have many enemies."
4. (C) General Ali said that any Kuwaiti embassy or mission
opened in Baghdad would need to have an "American security
environment" or something similar. He said that it would
ideally be located "in or near the American compound" and
have the same security protection. For his current trips in
and out of Baghdad, he explained, he travels with the
American military staff. "With regular transport and
security", he said, "we could open an Embassy." The DCM
emphasized that, with the recent elections putting in place a
permanent Iraqi government, now is the time to establish full
diplomatic representation.
Kuwait Is "Stuck With The HOC" For Now
--------------
5. (SBU) General Ali explained that when the HOC first was
established, the GOK thought it would operate for "three to
six months." Three years later, he said, the HOC is still in
operation and still is needed, and he has a feeling, he said,
that Kuwait "is stuck with the HOC" for some time. "We
cannot disband the HOC," he explained, "until all the NGOs
can operate within Iraq." He admitted that "Kuwait is a hard
place to do business for an NGO, they need our help."
General Ali said that he sees himself as a "gap-filler,"
helping out when needed. He said that he receives his
authority for HOC operations from the Council of Ministers
but he falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an
arrangement he described as "confusing at times."
6. (SBU) General Ali said that his recent efforts with the
KUWAIT 00005299 002 OF 002
HOC were focused on making sure that aid donations are evenly
distributed throughout Iraq and not just in the south. He
said that he has authorized HOC funds to be provided to the
Kuwait Red Crescent Society to purchase humanitarian supplies
and move them to Iraq, and that he has worked with other
Kuwaiti charities to create "action groups" to carry our aid
activities in Iraq.
7. (SBU) General Ali praised the American military staff
that work with him, saying that they have also helped to
secure donations of surplus relief supplies from the U.S.
military. He said that the American military staff were also
very helpful in the medical treatment cases, where the HOC
matches up Iraqi children needing extensive medical
procedures with American and European medical institutes
willing to provide the services for free. Finally, he said,
the HOC has helped to repatriate many Iraqis that were living
overseas and wished to return to Iraq.
Aid For Iraq: "Don't Let This Money Rot in Kuwait's Banks"
-------------- --------------
8. (C) According to General Ali, the Iraqis have been "too
busy with security, elections and other interior issues" to
make decisions about aid, specifically the $60 million held
by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and
committed to health and education projects. He said that
Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari "had made a move"
towards getting the aid money disbursed, and that there have
been "other recent discussions." He said that the Iraqi idea
for the healthcare portion of the aid ($30 million) was
originally to build storage facilities, but now the money
would be used for a combination of clinics, healthcare
services, and storage facilities. General Ali said that
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah told
him to tell previous Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi: "Don't
let this money rot in Kuwait's banks, come get this aid."
Other Thoughts On Iraq
--------------
9. (SBU) General Ali said that Saddam Hussein "did the Iraqi
people a favor by being such a tyrant." It forced many of
the Iraqi people to go overseas where they were educated, and
now these educated Iraqis were coming back to help in the
reconstruction of their country, he explained. He lamented
the current state of Iraq: "So much wealth, but it's always
wasted." "So much military might, but it's also wasted
because of a lack of trust," he added. "I was the first
enemy of Iraq," he said, "but now I feel sorry for them." He
said that, in the end, he was optimistic about Iraq. "We've
put our eggs in the American basket," he admitted, "you'd
better succeed."
Still Working On POW Issues
--------------
10. (C) The search for the remains of Kuwaiti POWs taken in
the first Gulf War is still preoccupying the General's time,
he explained, with a number of recent trips to Baghdad, and
more planned for the next few months. He said that he was
"not really happy to be working on this," but that "the
families of the POWs" want him involved. He did not seem
very hopeful for finding anything, noting that "if you have
too many captains you sink the ship, and the POW ship has
already sunk." He said, though, that "as a Kuwaiti national,
when asked, you must get involved." He said that he has been
very suspicious about Iraqis providing information on POW
remains in the past, but that recent information has come to
light which he considers reliable. He said that Iraqi PM
Jaafari "had high hopes" that some POW remains could be
returned, because he "wanted to show Kuwait a good face." He
said that on his next trip to Baghdad, planned for
mid-January, he should be able to take back some bone samples
for DNA testing. He said that his focus was on POW remains
and that he and others involved in the search "don't believe
there is a live Kuwaiti POW in Iraq."
********************************************
Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
********************************************
LeBaron
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA,
BAGHDAD FOR PILZ
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL OFDP PINR MOPS PHUM IZ KU
SUBJECT: HOC CHIEF / UNOFFICIAL KUWAITI AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ
ON RELATIONS WITH IRAQ AND HOC DEVELOPMENTS
REF: A. 05 KUWAIT 5130
B. 05 KUWAIT 4905
Classified By: DCM Matthew Tueller for reason 1.4 (b)
1. (C) Summary: Lt General Ali Hassan Al-Mu'min, former
Kuwaiti military Chief of Staff, current head of the
Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) and the GOK's
unannounced choice for Ambassador to Iraq (reftel),told the
DCM during a December 28 meeting that Kuwait will not "make
the first move" in announcing an Ambassador to Iraq, opting
to wait until the GOI announces its representative in Kuwait.
He said that Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah
had offered him the idea of being named as the non-resident
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq and staying in Kuwait but that he
declined, telling the FM that he would prefer to do the job
from Baghdad. General Ali said that the ideal situation would
be for the Kuwaiti mission to Iraq to be set up in the Green
Zone, under protection of U.S. security forces, or with an
"American security environment." General Ali said that he
would also continue with his work for the HOC, praised the
American military staff assigned to the HOC, and asked that
they remain with him for the time being. He offered his
general views on Iraq, a brief history of the HOC's
operations, and a summary of his recent work in identifying
Kuwaiti POW remains in Iraq. End Summary.
General Ali Confirms His Unofficial Job
--------------
2. (C) In a December 28 meeting with the DCM, Lt General Ali
Hassan Al-Mu'min, former Kuwaiti military Chief of Staff and
current head of the Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC),
confirmed his standing as the number one choice to be named
Kuwaiti ambassador to Iraq (reftel). He said that the GOK
"wants representation in Iraq," and "wants Iraq to be free
and prosperous." He said that Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr.
Mohammed Al-Sabah offered him the idea of staying in Kuwait
but being named as the non-resident Kuwaiti ambassador to
Iraq, but that he turned this offer down, saying that he
would rather do the job from Baghdad.
"We Have Many Friends, But We Also Have Many Enemies"
-------------- --------------
3. (C) Explaining the delay in establishing a diplomatic
presence in Baghdad he quoted Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr.
Mohammed Al-Sabah, saying that the Minister told him, "I
can't send the sons of Kuwait to be killed in Iraq." General
Ali said that he thinks that "the GOK will wait to make the
first move" and not name a diplomat to Baghad until the GOI
names its representative to Kuwait. "Any Kuwaiti diplomat
would be the prime target (of the insurgents)" General Ali
said. "We Kuwaitis have a lot of friends (in Iraq)," he
added, "but we also have many enemies."
4. (C) General Ali said that any Kuwaiti embassy or mission
opened in Baghdad would need to have an "American security
environment" or something similar. He said that it would
ideally be located "in or near the American compound" and
have the same security protection. For his current trips in
and out of Baghdad, he explained, he travels with the
American military staff. "With regular transport and
security", he said, "we could open an Embassy." The DCM
emphasized that, with the recent elections putting in place a
permanent Iraqi government, now is the time to establish full
diplomatic representation.
Kuwait Is "Stuck With The HOC" For Now
--------------
5. (SBU) General Ali explained that when the HOC first was
established, the GOK thought it would operate for "three to
six months." Three years later, he said, the HOC is still in
operation and still is needed, and he has a feeling, he said,
that Kuwait "is stuck with the HOC" for some time. "We
cannot disband the HOC," he explained, "until all the NGOs
can operate within Iraq." He admitted that "Kuwait is a hard
place to do business for an NGO, they need our help."
General Ali said that he sees himself as a "gap-filler,"
helping out when needed. He said that he receives his
authority for HOC operations from the Council of Ministers
but he falls under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an
arrangement he described as "confusing at times."
6. (SBU) General Ali said that his recent efforts with the
KUWAIT 00005299 002 OF 002
HOC were focused on making sure that aid donations are evenly
distributed throughout Iraq and not just in the south. He
said that he has authorized HOC funds to be provided to the
Kuwait Red Crescent Society to purchase humanitarian supplies
and move them to Iraq, and that he has worked with other
Kuwaiti charities to create "action groups" to carry our aid
activities in Iraq.
7. (SBU) General Ali praised the American military staff
that work with him, saying that they have also helped to
secure donations of surplus relief supplies from the U.S.
military. He said that the American military staff were also
very helpful in the medical treatment cases, where the HOC
matches up Iraqi children needing extensive medical
procedures with American and European medical institutes
willing to provide the services for free. Finally, he said,
the HOC has helped to repatriate many Iraqis that were living
overseas and wished to return to Iraq.
Aid For Iraq: "Don't Let This Money Rot in Kuwait's Banks"
-------------- --------------
8. (C) According to General Ali, the Iraqis have been "too
busy with security, elections and other interior issues" to
make decisions about aid, specifically the $60 million held
by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) and
committed to health and education projects. He said that
Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari "had made a move"
towards getting the aid money disbursed, and that there have
been "other recent discussions." He said that the Iraqi idea
for the healthcare portion of the aid ($30 million) was
originally to build storage facilities, but now the money
would be used for a combination of clinics, healthcare
services, and storage facilities. General Ali said that
Kuwaiti Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah told
him to tell previous Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi: "Don't
let this money rot in Kuwait's banks, come get this aid."
Other Thoughts On Iraq
--------------
9. (SBU) General Ali said that Saddam Hussein "did the Iraqi
people a favor by being such a tyrant." It forced many of
the Iraqi people to go overseas where they were educated, and
now these educated Iraqis were coming back to help in the
reconstruction of their country, he explained. He lamented
the current state of Iraq: "So much wealth, but it's always
wasted." "So much military might, but it's also wasted
because of a lack of trust," he added. "I was the first
enemy of Iraq," he said, "but now I feel sorry for them." He
said that, in the end, he was optimistic about Iraq. "We've
put our eggs in the American basket," he admitted, "you'd
better succeed."
Still Working On POW Issues
--------------
10. (C) The search for the remains of Kuwaiti POWs taken in
the first Gulf War is still preoccupying the General's time,
he explained, with a number of recent trips to Baghdad, and
more planned for the next few months. He said that he was
"not really happy to be working on this," but that "the
families of the POWs" want him involved. He did not seem
very hopeful for finding anything, noting that "if you have
too many captains you sink the ship, and the POW ship has
already sunk." He said, though, that "as a Kuwaiti national,
when asked, you must get involved." He said that he has been
very suspicious about Iraqis providing information on POW
remains in the past, but that recent information has come to
light which he considers reliable. He said that Iraqi PM
Jaafari "had high hopes" that some POW remains could be
returned, because he "wanted to show Kuwait a good face." He
said that on his next trip to Baghdad, planned for
mid-January, he should be able to take back some bone samples
for DNA testing. He said that his focus was on POW remains
and that he and others involved in the search "don't believe
there is a live Kuwaiti POW in Iraq."
********************************************
Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
********************************************
LeBaron