WHO'S WHO OF WORLD LEADERS ARRIVES IN KUWAIT TO

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000101 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NSC FOR RAMCHAND, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KU SUCCESSION SUBJECT: WHO'S WHO OF WORLD LEADERS ARRIVES IN KUWAIT TO MOURN DEATH OF AMIR SHAYKH JABER AL-SABAH REF: A. KUWAIT 98 ¶B. KUWAIT 97 ¶C. KUWAIT 96 ¶1. A who's who of the Middle East and the world's most prominent leaders has been pouring into Kuwait since January 15 to mourn the death of Shaykh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (reftels),Amir of Kuwait since 1977, and to pay their respects to a "great leader and a great man" who led the country through some of its most tumultuous years. Continuous, live local media coverage reported that, in addition to those who attended the Amir's funeral on January 15 (ref A),other distinguished personages who led, or will lead, delegations to Kuwait to offer condolences to the Al-Sabah family were: -- Austrian Vice Chancellor Hubert Gorbach on behalf of the European Union; -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia; -- British Crown Prince Charles and Defense Secretary John Reid; -- French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie; -- Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah; -- Lebanese President Emile Lahoud; -- Libyan Special Forces Head Al-Sadi bin Muammar Qadhafi; -- Mauritanian President Ali bin Mohammed Fal; -- Moroccan Prince Rasheed bin Al-Hassan II; -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz; -- Qatari Amir Shaykh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani; -- Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud; -- Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad; -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Sathirathai Surakiat; and -- Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Other high-level delegations, including the Japanese Foreign Minister, are expected to arrive Monday and Tuesday. ¶2. Local media carried the Ambassador's statement of condolence, which lauded the late Amir's accomplishments and expressed "heartfelt sorrow" for his death. The Ambassador celebrated the Amir as "a great leader during critical historical moments, well respected among his peers and by his people for his dedication to a life in service of the advancement of Kuwait." He also praised the Amir for his "significant role in creating a history of strong and steadfast relations between the United States and Kuwait." The Amir "will be long remembered and the close ties between out two countries will be a lasting legacy of his dedication to the service of his country," he concluded. ********************************************* 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