Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KUWAIT4585
2006-12-06 14:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
UN COUNTERTERRORISM ASSESSMENT TEAM MEETS WITH G-8
how-toVZCZCXRO7988 PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR DE RUEHKU #4585/01 3401455 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 061455Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7801 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0221 RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 0162 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 0585 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1334 RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0254 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0265 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1036 RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0312 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0383 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 3096
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004585
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT, IO/UN, TREASURY FOR PATRICK
HEFFERNAN, RACHEL LOEFFLER AND KRISTEN HECHT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER KTFN EFIN KU IZ
SUBJECT: UN COUNTERTERRORISM ASSESSMENT TEAM MEETS WITH G-8
AMBASSADORS
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 02 KUWAIT 004585
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT, IO/UN, TREASURY FOR PATRICK
HEFFERNAN, RACHEL LOEFFLER AND KRISTEN HECHT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER KTFN EFIN KU IZ
SUBJECT: UN COUNTERTERRORISM ASSESSMENT TEAM MEETS WITH G-8
AMBASSADORS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (U) On December 4, a visiting United Nations
Counterterrorism Executive Directorate delegation met with
Ambassadors from the G-8 nations and from Spain, Switzerland
and Australia to discuss Kuwait's implementation of UNSCR
1373, the level of the terrorism threat in Kuwait and the
counterterrorism capabilities and needs of the Government of
Kuwait(GOK).
Threat Level
--------------
2. (C/NF) There was agreement among the participants that the
threat level in Kuwait was lower than a number of other
countries in the region, but still significant as evidenced
by the confrontation between the police and the Peninsula
Lions in January 2005 and the convictions in May 2005 of
members of the "Jihadis in Iraq" group, who were convicted of
recruitment of young Kuwaitis to commit acts of terror
against Coalition forces in Iraq. (Note: U.S. and Russian
Ambassadors, and UK Emboff made detailed presentations; the
rest of the diplomatic corps were along for the ride.)
Compliance
--------------
3. (C/NF) The consensus of the participants was that while
Kuwait had taken a number of measures required by UNSCR 1373,
it was still deficient in that it had not enacted the
International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing
of Terrorism, created an Egmont Group compliant Financial
Intelligence Unit, or criminalized acts that facilitate
terrorism such as membership in a terrorist organization,
conspiracy and financing of terrorism. The UN delegation did
note with approval that Kuwait's draft Anti-Terror Financing
Law covered "99% of the required actions" under UNSCR 1373,
but also noted that the real test will be implementation.
Capabilities
--------------
4. (U) UN delegation head Sergey Karev concurred with the
diplomatic representatives that while much of the legal
framework for an effective counterterror system was in place,
the GOK fell short in three important areas; implementation
on the working level, recognition of and willingness to take
action regarding areas where Kuwait was not compliant with
UNSCR 1373, and government-wide acceptance of the existence
of a substantial terrorist threat in Kuwait. Karev described
elements in the GOK as being in a "state of denial" about the
threat and about the areas where they were noncompliant. The
UN and the G-8 3 Ambassadors agreed that the primary
obstacle to effective implementation was a widespread
inability of GOK ministries and agencies to cooperate on
information sharing.
5. (U) Two areas of specific concern were also noted. The
Italian, Japanese and UN delegation raised concern about the
security of ports of entry. All three reported instances of
fake passports being succesfully used to enter Kuwait at the
airport. The Spanish Ambassador reported that recently a
number of Spanish nationals of Syrian descent had entered
Iraq via Kuwait and that most appeared headed to Basrah. He
had no further information about their activities.
6. (U) Mr. Karev noted that the CTED would deliver a report
of their visit with its assessment and recommendations to the
GOK and to the U.N. Security Council.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
KUWAIT 00004585 002 OF 002
LEBARON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS, S/CT, IO/UN, TREASURY FOR PATRICK
HEFFERNAN, RACHEL LOEFFLER AND KRISTEN HECHT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER KTFN EFIN KU IZ
SUBJECT: UN COUNTERTERRORISM ASSESSMENT TEAM MEETS WITH G-8
AMBASSADORS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (U) On December 4, a visiting United Nations
Counterterrorism Executive Directorate delegation met with
Ambassadors from the G-8 nations and from Spain, Switzerland
and Australia to discuss Kuwait's implementation of UNSCR
1373, the level of the terrorism threat in Kuwait and the
counterterrorism capabilities and needs of the Government of
Kuwait(GOK).
Threat Level
--------------
2. (C/NF) There was agreement among the participants that the
threat level in Kuwait was lower than a number of other
countries in the region, but still significant as evidenced
by the confrontation between the police and the Peninsula
Lions in January 2005 and the convictions in May 2005 of
members of the "Jihadis in Iraq" group, who were convicted of
recruitment of young Kuwaitis to commit acts of terror
against Coalition forces in Iraq. (Note: U.S. and Russian
Ambassadors, and UK Emboff made detailed presentations; the
rest of the diplomatic corps were along for the ride.)
Compliance
--------------
3. (C/NF) The consensus of the participants was that while
Kuwait had taken a number of measures required by UNSCR 1373,
it was still deficient in that it had not enacted the
International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing
of Terrorism, created an Egmont Group compliant Financial
Intelligence Unit, or criminalized acts that facilitate
terrorism such as membership in a terrorist organization,
conspiracy and financing of terrorism. The UN delegation did
note with approval that Kuwait's draft Anti-Terror Financing
Law covered "99% of the required actions" under UNSCR 1373,
but also noted that the real test will be implementation.
Capabilities
--------------
4. (U) UN delegation head Sergey Karev concurred with the
diplomatic representatives that while much of the legal
framework for an effective counterterror system was in place,
the GOK fell short in three important areas; implementation
on the working level, recognition of and willingness to take
action regarding areas where Kuwait was not compliant with
UNSCR 1373, and government-wide acceptance of the existence
of a substantial terrorist threat in Kuwait. Karev described
elements in the GOK as being in a "state of denial" about the
threat and about the areas where they were noncompliant. The
UN and the G-8 3 Ambassadors agreed that the primary
obstacle to effective implementation was a widespread
inability of GOK ministries and agencies to cooperate on
information sharing.
5. (U) Two areas of specific concern were also noted. The
Italian, Japanese and UN delegation raised concern about the
security of ports of entry. All three reported instances of
fake passports being succesfully used to enter Kuwait at the
airport. The Spanish Ambassador reported that recently a
number of Spanish nationals of Syrian descent had entered
Iraq via Kuwait and that most appeared headed to Basrah. He
had no further information about their activities.
6. (U) Mr. Karev noted that the CTED would deliver a report
of their visit with its assessment and recommendations to the
GOK and to the U.N. Security Council.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
KUWAIT 00004585 002 OF 002
LEBARON