FOREIGN MINISTER INQUIRES ABOUT RETURN OF

S E C R E T KUWAIT 001001 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PHUM KU TERRORISM SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER INQUIRES ABOUT RETURN OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEES REF: KUWAIT 455 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) At a June 26 meeting with Ambassador, Kuwait Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah asked how the Government of Kuwait (GOK) could be part of the solution regarding the remaining four Kuwaitis detained at Guantanamo Naval Base. He expressed doubt about the strength of the evidence against the remaining four detainees and the need to continue detaining them. He said that the GOK had substantial security files against some of the Kuwaitis previously released from Guantanamo, who "had not been involved in any questionable activities" since returning to Kuwait, but posessed far less negative information against the Kuwaitis still confined at Guantanamo. ¶2. (S/NF) Ambassador said that the most effective step that the GOK could take at this stage would be to prepare and deliver a well conceived plan for what additional security measures it will take toward future detainees returned from Guantanamo as requested by a U.S. interagency team (ref A) that visited Kuwait in March 2007. He said the plan should focus on concrete actions that would mitigate the likelihood that the detainees would engage in terrorist activities in the future. Ambassador said that the GOK should receive a response to the Amir's recent letter on the subject from the President in the very near future. (Note: That response was received on June 27 and transmitted to the Amir. End note.) ********************************************* * 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