AMBASSADOR RAISES HOLD ON DESIGNEES WITH FM

S E C R E T KUWAIT 004703 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, EB/ESC/TFS, TREASURY FOR KRISTEN HECHT, NSC FOR HINNEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2016 TAGS: ECON PGOV PTER PREL KU SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES HOLD ON DESIGNEES WITH FM REF: KUWAIT 4664 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S/NF) In a 12/24 meeting with Kuwaiti FM Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Ambassador requested again that the GOK instruct Qatar to lift the UN hold on the U.N. designation of three Kuwaitis for involvement in terrorism: Hamad Al-Ali, Jaber Al-Jalamah, and Mubarak Al-Bathali (reftel). Ambassador said that in the view of the U.S., these individuals are actively seeking to finance and otherwise support the killing of U.S. troops and allies, and bear the same degree of responsibility as those directly engaged in terror and other illegal activity. ¶2. (S/NF) The FM said Kuwaiti security agencies maintain that the evidence against these individuals does not support these claims, and that further information should be exchanged in security channels. Ambassador responded that Kuwaiti authorities are fully aware of the evidence, and the nature of the activities these individuals have engaged in, and that any policy of quietly "controlling" these individuals will only be successful to the extent a spotlight remains on their illicit activities. The Ambassador reiterated that the USG would continue to seek Kuwait's cooperation in this designation. LEBARON