MFA GCC OFFICE DIRECTOR PREDICTS MORE ACTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000398

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR NEA/ARPI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL ZP
SUBJECT: MFA GCC OFFICE DIRECTOR PREDICTS MORE ACTIVE
REGIONAL ROLE FOR THE BODY, BUT NO STRONG SECURITY ROLE

REF: KUWAIT 397

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


1. (C) During a February 5 meeting, the Ambassador and
Abdullah Al-Ghanim, Director of the GCC Office at the
Ministry of Affairs, discussed GCC involvement with Iran,
counterterrorism, regional defense, and other issues
affecting the Gulf states. Al-Ghanim said that Saudi King
Abdullah has an "open mind" with regard to internal and
external affairs and he predicted that under the new King,
Saudi Arabia would become more active in GCC affairs. He was
also confident that Kuwait's new Amir, Shaykh Sabah Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, would help to energize the GCC.


2. (C) In response to the Ambassador's question about GCC
counterterrorism efforts, Al-Ghanim said that GCC Interior
Ministers had set up a counterterrorism "operations room"
during their last meeting. He explained that this is a
mechanism for regular contacts among GCC officials, and not a
physical place. He also noted that central bankers have met
on anti-money laundering issues. Al-Ghanim commented that
the GCC was not putting much effort into building its
regional defense capabilities, focusing instead on economic
issues, such as trade with China, India, Pakistan and the EU.


3. (C) Al-Ghanim further expressed his disapproval of
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. He said the Kuwaitis
were very worried about the Iranian reactor at Bushehr,
located only 120 kilometers away. Al-Ghanim mentioned that
Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammad Al-Sabah
Al-Salem Al-Sabah and the Omani Foreign Minister had met with
the Iranian President to try to dissuade him from his
confrontational course, but he provided no sense of a
coordinated GCC plan to deal with Iran's nuclear program.
Likewise, individual GCC countries carry out discussions with
Iraq, but the GCC does not have a unified strategy.


4. (C) COMMENT: Although a senior official at the MFA,
Al-Ghanim was not very informative on GCC political dynamics
or potential. (See reftel for a more interesting report of a
conversation with former GCC Director General Abdullah
Bishara.) We focused with Al-Ghanim on GCC potential to do
more politically to counter Iran. His lack of response was
not encouraging. We will try to explore further the potential
for GCC involvement in the counterterrorism field. Much of
the formal CT consultation takes place among Ministry of
Interior officials of the member states, while national
intelligence services operate in their own channels, and
don,t appear to cooperate in the GCC grouping.

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LeBaron