Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUWAIT1055
2006-03-27 06:27:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

CODEL MCCAIN THANKS GOK FOR IRAQ SUPPORT; PM TELLS

Tags:  PGOV PREL IZ IR KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS 
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VZCZCXRO2176
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #1055/01 0860627
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 270627Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3692
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001055 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP - BERNS, H, AND NEA/IR, LONDON FOR TSOU,
PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ IR KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS
KUWAIT-IRAN RELATIONS
SUBJECT: CODEL MCCAIN THANKS GOK FOR IRAQ SUPPORT; PM TELLS
DELEGATION IRAQ A U.S. "BURDEN"

REF: A. KUWAIT 807

B. KUWAIT 677

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001055

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP - BERNS, H, AND NEA/IR, LONDON FOR TSOU,
PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ IR KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS
KUWAIT-IRAN RELATIONS
SUBJECT: CODEL MCCAIN THANKS GOK FOR IRAQ SUPPORT; PM TELLS
DELEGATION IRAQ A U.S. "BURDEN"

REF: A. KUWAIT 807

B. KUWAIT 677

Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Senator McCain and a delegation of Senators,
Congressmen, and Governors met March 24 with Prime Minister
Shaykh Nasser Mohammed, Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed,
and other senior Kuwaiti officials to express U.S. gratitude
for Kuwait's generous assistance to Operation Iraqi Freedom
and "phenomenal" hospitality to U.S. forces stationed in
Kuwait. On regional security issues, specifically Iraq and
Iran, the Prime Minister told the delegation the "burden" of
building a coalition government in Iraq lay on the U.S., and
reported he had similarly emphasized the need for a coalition
government to separate Iraqi Shi'a and Sunni delegations who
recently visited Kuwait. While hoping for the best, the PM
said Kuwait was preparing for a possible civil war in Iraq
and reported that the Kuwait Red Crescent Society had already
purchased 100,000 tents and other supplies to shelter
potential Iraqi refugees. PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said the
Amir had been "very frank" with Iranian President Ahmadinejad
during the latter's recent visit (refs A and B),particularly
regarding Kuwaiti concerns about a Three-Mile Island or
Chernobyl-style accident at one of Iran's nuclear facilities.
According to the PM, Ahmadinejad assured the Amir that
Iran's nuclear program was for peaceful purposes only. The
delegation also visited the National Committee for Missing
and POW Affairs, an event that received considerable local
media coverage. In comments to the press, Senator McCain
praised the committee's efforts to locate missing Kuwaiti
POWs. He also argued that the Lebanese people "deserve to
live independent from Syrian occupation." End summary.

Composition of Codel McCain
--------------


2. (U) Accompanying Senator John McCain (R-AZ) were Senator
Russell Feingold (D-WI),Senator John Thune (R-SD),Governor
Tim Pawlenty (MN),Governor Bob Riley (AL),Governor Jon

Huntsman (UT),Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL),
Representative Joe Schwarz (R-MI),and Representative Tom
Udall (D-NM).

Clear Message of U.S. Gratitude
--------------


3. (C) In a March 24 meeting with Prime Minister Shaykh
Nasser Mohammed Al-Sabah, Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr.
Mohammed Al-Salem Al-Sabah, and other senior GOK officials,
Senator McCain strongly expressed U.S. gratitude for Kuwait's
support for coalition efforts in Iraq. "We could not be
doing what we do without you," he said. Characterizing
Kuwaiti hospitality to U.S. troops as "phenomenal," McCain
said, "We will always be very, very grateful." Senator
Feingold also thanked the Kuwaitis for their "tremendous"
counter-terrorism cooperation, assistance to victims of
hurricane Katrina, and "enormous help" in Operation Iraqi
Freedom (OIF). Governor Pawlenty agreed, saying, "You have
demonstrated your friendship with words and deeds." Their
thanks were echoed by the other members of the delegation.
The PM expressed appreciation for the delegation's gratitude,
but said Kuwaiti support for its "ally" was a "duty." He
also highlighted the "excellent historical relations between
the U.S. and Kuwait" and concluded, "A friend in need is a
friend indeed, and the U.S. is a friend indeed."

Iraq a U.S. "Burden"
--------------


4. (C) The PM stressed the need to build a coalition
government in Iraq, which he said was a U.S. responsibility
and "burden." PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said he had
similarly emphasized the need to form a broad, representative
government in meetings with separate Shi'a and Sunni
delegations that recently visited Kuwait (ref A). He claimed
the Sunnis acknowledged their "mistake" in boycotting the
January 2005 elections, but were worried that the new Iraqi
Constitution codified their exclusion from power. He lauded
Iraq's 1924 Constitution as "the best in Iraq's history" and
said provisions giving proportional representation to Iraq's
various ethnic and religious groups worked as "a tent over
all factions."


5. (C) Another problem complicating Iraqi government
formation was that Iraqi Sunnis "cannot accept (Ibrahim)
Jaafari as Prime Minister," PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said,
adding that the "burden" was on the U.S. to convince Shi'a

KUWAIT 00001055 002 OF 003


groups to replace him. At one point, he even suggested
gathering Iraq's political groups in one room, locking the
door, and forcing them to reach an agreement. "Once a
stable, strong Iraqi government is established, terrorism
will diminish," the PM argued. Governor Riley queried the
GOK leaders about what to do should current efforts to form a
government in Iraq fail. The Kuwaiti PM returned to his
response that securing a workable government in Iraq is a
burden that only the U.S. can bear.

Hoping for the Best, But Preparing for the Worst
-------------- ---


6. (C) Although hoping for the best, the PM said Kuwait had
contingency plans in the event of a civil war in Iraq.
Specifically, he said the GOK was prepared to shelter
refugees crossing Kuwait's border with Iraq and reported that
the Kuwait Red Crescent Society had already bought
approximately 100,000 tents and other supplies. He
emphasized, however, that the Kuwait-Iraq border was "very
secure." "We hope nothing will happen, but we are prepared
if it does," he concluded.

120 KM from Potential Three-Mile Island
--------------


7. (C) Reporting on the recent visit of Iranian President
Ahmadinejad to Kuwait (refs A and B),PM Shaykh Nasser
Mohammed said the Amir was "very frank" with Ahmadinejad,
particularly regarding Kuwait's concerns about the potential
for a Three-Mile Island or Chernobyl-style accident at one of
Iran's nuclear facilities; the closest, Bushehr, was only 120
kilometers from Kuwait, he noted. The Amir also advised
Ahmadinejad to "cooperate in Vienna." According to the PM,
Ahmadinejad assured the Amir that Iran's nuclear program was
solely for peaceful purposes, but did not respond to his
suggestion that Iran cooperate in Vienna to address
international concerns. FM Shaykh Dr. Mohammed said
Ahmadinejad's rhetoric on Israel, UAE islands claimed by Iran
(which he said were "non-negotiable"),and the nuclear issue
was "equally alarming to us." He emphasized that Iran "does
not represent a model for the GCC or the Arab world" and
agreed that the Amir was "very frank" in his "direct
discussion" with Ahmadinejad.


8. (C) Minister for Amiri Diwan Affairs Shaykh Nasser Sabah
Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah said Ahmadinejad suggested Gulf countries
"invest" in Iran's nuclear program, a proposition the
Minister noted would only be possible if Iran fully complied
with the IAEA. (Note: In a March 8 meeting with Ambassador,
FM Shaykh Dr. Mohammed said the GOK did not respond to this
"preposterous" proposition (ref B). End note.) Shaykh
Nasser Sabah believed Ahmadinejad's visit to Kuwait was an
attempt to "cross the siege," apparently a reference to
Iran's desire to allay Gulf countries' opposition to and fear
of Iran's nuclear program and reduce Iraq's isolation from
its Gulf neighbors.

People-to-People Exchanges Key to Long-Term Alliance
-------------- --------------


9. (C) Governor Huntsman asked what the U.S. could do to
deepen ties with Kuwait. PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said
that, in addition to political and military cooperation, the
U.S. and Kuwait should cooperate in other fields,
particularly trade and technology. "We need assistance in
all fields," he emphasized. McCain noted the declining
number of Kuwaiti students studying in the U.S. and asked how
this issue could be addressed. The FM said the visa issue
was still the "number one" cause for the decline, but praised
the Ambassador's effort to resolve the problem. "Political
alliances are important, but people-to-people alliances are
even more significant" in strengthening long-term relations,
he concluded.

GOK Addressing Gulf Pollution
--------------


10. (C) Responding to Representative Udall's question about
the odor the Congressman noted along the coast near his
hotel, President of the Government Assessment Agency Shaykh
Mohammed Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah explained that "contractual
differences" had prevented new Kuwaiti water treatment plants
from coming on-line after several older plants were shut
down. The new plants would be on-line in June and September
2006, he promised. Shaykh Nasser Sabah emphasized that a
solution to the "huge problem" of pollution in the Gulf would
require joint action by all Gulf countries, including Iran

KUWAIT 00001055 003 OF 003


and Iraq. He specifically blamed large oil tankers for the
problem and argued that Gulf countries needed a "collective
pipeline," but noted that Saudi Arabia opposed this proposal.


High Profile Visit to POW Center
--------------


11. (U) The delegation also visited the National Committee
for Missing and POW Affairs, an event that received
considerable media coverage in both Arabic and English
dailies on March 25 and about two minutes of air time on the
independent Kuwait satellite television network Al-Rai TV's
evening newscast. In comments to the press, McCain praised
the committee's continuing efforts to locate Kuwaitis taken
prisoner during the first Gulf War. He also argued that "the
people of Lebanon deserve to live independent from Syrian
occupation" and "have the right to elect their government
without any outside interference."


12. (U) Codel McCain departed post before this message was
prepared.

********************************************* *
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s

Visit Kuwait's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/
********************************************* *
LEBARON