Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUWAIT1009
2007-06-27 14:23:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES IRAN-US TALKS; ATTACK
how-toVZCZCXRO7358 RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK DE RUEHKU #1009 1781423 ZNY SSSSS ZZH R 271423Z JUN 07 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9474 INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
S E C R E T KUWAIT 001009
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017
TAGS: PREL PINR IR IZ KU
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES IRAN-US TALKS; ATTACK
ON DIPLOMAT IN TEHRAN
REF: KUWAIT 964
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
S E C R E T KUWAIT 001009
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017
TAGS: PREL PINR IR IZ KU
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES IRAN-US TALKS; ATTACK
ON DIPLOMAT IN TEHRAN
REF: KUWAIT 964
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (S/NF) Summary: During a June 26 meeting with Ambassador,
Foreign Minister (FM) Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah said Iranian officials had provided their views on
the recent meeting in Baghdad between the U.S. and Iranian
Ambassadors to Iraq and he had received a letter from Iranian
FM Mottaki about the meeting. Ambassador said that the U.S.
response to Iranian interest in future meetings would depend
on Iran's actions in Iraq. Regarding the recent attack on a
Kuwaiti diplomat in Iran, FM Al-Sabah said Kuwait had
recalled its diplomatic staff from Tehran except for the
Ambassador and Defense Attache, and had requested a written
apology from Iran. He said that men who attacked the Kuwaiti
diplomat referred to a previous incident involving an Iranian
diplomat in Kuwait. In a separate meeting with PolOff, a
Kuwait MFA official recounted the same Iranian accusation.
End summary.
2. (S/NF) At a June 26 meeting with Ambassador, Foreign
Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah inquired
about the May 28 meeting between the U.S. and Iranian
ambassadors to Iraq. He said that the Iranians had provided
to the Government of Kuwait their views on the meeting and
that he had received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister
Manuchehr Mottaki on the subject. In response to the
Minister's query about future meetings between Iran and the
U.S., Ambassador noted that there had been no U.S. response
and that the decision on future meetings would be informed by
Iran's actions in Iraq.
3. (S/NF) Regarding the recent beating of a Kuwaiti diplomat
in Tehran, the Minister said that, following the attack,
their Embassy in Tehran had received a threat from the
organization Ansar Al-Allah which accused the diplomats of
spying for the United States on an Iranian nuclear project
and pledged to drive them out of Iran. He added that the
Iranian response to their request for increased security had
been unsatisfactory and that the GOK had withdrawn all of its
diplomats from Iran except for the Ambassador and the Defense
Attache. (Four diplomats were withdrawn.) The Minister said
that the GOK had asked for a written apology and assurances
that no further attacks would occur.
4. (S/NF) The Minister said the men who attacked the Kuwaiti
diplomat had referred to an incident involving an Iranian
diplomat in Kuwait (reftel). The Minister said this same
accusation had been made to Kuwait MFA U/S Khaled Al-Jarallah
by Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Ali Al-Jannati. The Kuwaitis
told the Iranians that they would launch an investigation of
the incident once the Iranians supplied complete details
about it. Such data has not been supplied.
5. (S/NF) In a separate meeting June 27, MFA Iran Desk
Officer Mansour Al-Oulaimi (strictly protect) told PolOff
that the attackers had filmed the beating in Tehran, and
shown some sort of identification to diplomatic police and
ambulance personnel that dissuaded them from intervening.
Shortly after the incident, a crowd of angry Iranians
surrounded the house of another Kuwaiti diplomat, prompting a
GOK decision to withdraw its entire diplomatic mission from
Iran, including the Ambassador. However, after diplomats
from several GCC countries intervened and urged Kuwait not to
escalate the situation, the GOK decided to send most of its
mission staff to Kuwait but to have the Ambassador and
Defense Attache remain, Oulaimi reported. He confirmed that
Kuwait had received several threatening letters since,
including one from "Iranian Hizballah."
********************************************* *
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
SIPDIS
NOFORN
SIPDIS
NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017
TAGS: PREL PINR IR IZ KU
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER DISCUSSES IRAN-US TALKS; ATTACK
ON DIPLOMAT IN TEHRAN
REF: KUWAIT 964
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).
1. (S/NF) Summary: During a June 26 meeting with Ambassador,
Foreign Minister (FM) Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem
Al-Sabah said Iranian officials had provided their views on
the recent meeting in Baghdad between the U.S. and Iranian
Ambassadors to Iraq and he had received a letter from Iranian
FM Mottaki about the meeting. Ambassador said that the U.S.
response to Iranian interest in future meetings would depend
on Iran's actions in Iraq. Regarding the recent attack on a
Kuwaiti diplomat in Iran, FM Al-Sabah said Kuwait had
recalled its diplomatic staff from Tehran except for the
Ambassador and Defense Attache, and had requested a written
apology from Iran. He said that men who attacked the Kuwaiti
diplomat referred to a previous incident involving an Iranian
diplomat in Kuwait. In a separate meeting with PolOff, a
Kuwait MFA official recounted the same Iranian accusation.
End summary.
2. (S/NF) At a June 26 meeting with Ambassador, Foreign
Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah inquired
about the May 28 meeting between the U.S. and Iranian
ambassadors to Iraq. He said that the Iranians had provided
to the Government of Kuwait their views on the meeting and
that he had received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister
Manuchehr Mottaki on the subject. In response to the
Minister's query about future meetings between Iran and the
U.S., Ambassador noted that there had been no U.S. response
and that the decision on future meetings would be informed by
Iran's actions in Iraq.
3. (S/NF) Regarding the recent beating of a Kuwaiti diplomat
in Tehran, the Minister said that, following the attack,
their Embassy in Tehran had received a threat from the
organization Ansar Al-Allah which accused the diplomats of
spying for the United States on an Iranian nuclear project
and pledged to drive them out of Iran. He added that the
Iranian response to their request for increased security had
been unsatisfactory and that the GOK had withdrawn all of its
diplomats from Iran except for the Ambassador and the Defense
Attache. (Four diplomats were withdrawn.) The Minister said
that the GOK had asked for a written apology and assurances
that no further attacks would occur.
4. (S/NF) The Minister said the men who attacked the Kuwaiti
diplomat had referred to an incident involving an Iranian
diplomat in Kuwait (reftel). The Minister said this same
accusation had been made to Kuwait MFA U/S Khaled Al-Jarallah
by Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Ali Al-Jannati. The Kuwaitis
told the Iranians that they would launch an investigation of
the incident once the Iranians supplied complete details
about it. Such data has not been supplied.
5. (S/NF) In a separate meeting June 27, MFA Iran Desk
Officer Mansour Al-Oulaimi (strictly protect) told PolOff
that the attackers had filmed the beating in Tehran, and
shown some sort of identification to diplomatic police and
ambulance personnel that dissuaded them from intervening.
Shortly after the incident, a crowd of angry Iranians
surrounded the house of another Kuwaiti diplomat, prompting a
GOK decision to withdraw its entire diplomatic mission from
Iran, including the Ambassador. However, after diplomats
from several GCC countries intervened and urged Kuwait not to
escalate the situation, the GOK decided to send most of its
mission staff to Kuwait but to have the Ambassador and
Defense Attache remain, Oulaimi reported. He confirmed that
Kuwait had received several threatening letters since,
including one from "Iranian Hizballah."
********************************************* *
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