Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUWAIT1337
2007-09-04 10:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY ON BLOCKING ARABSAT
how-toVZCZCXRO7300 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV DE RUEHKU #1337 2471024 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 041024Z SEP 07 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9867 INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001337
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NEA/RA FOR MONOSSON, NEA/ARP FOR JACKSON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER KU SA IZ
SUBJECT: COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY ON BLOCKING ARABSAT
TRANSMISSIONS OF AL-ZAWRAA
REF: A. STATE 84112
B. KUWAIT 953
Classified By: CDA Alan Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
(C) In a 3 September meeting with CDA, Assistant Under
Secretary of Communications for the Information Systems
SIPDIS
Sector Ali Al-Zaben said that as the Kuwaiti representative
at the most recent Arabsat board meeting, he had raised the
issue of blocking the transmission of Al-Zawraa. Al-Zaben
said Arabsat President and CEO Khaled Balkheyour responded
that the USG should shut down Al-Zawraa since the U.S.
military "controls" Iraq. Under Secretary of Communications
Abdulaziz Al-Osaimi said the Arabsat board tries to stay out
of politics, preferring to leave decisions regarding
politically-sensitive content to the host nation of the
station in question. Al-Osaimi said Kuwait would be willing
to raise the issue again at the next Arabsat meeting in
October, but he stressed that it would be more effective for
the Government of Iraq to first raise the issue of blocking
Al-Zawraa and then allow other board members to support the
Iraqi proposal.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
MISENHEIMER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NEA/RA FOR MONOSSON, NEA/ARP FOR JACKSON
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/02/2017
TAGS: PREL PTER KU SA IZ
SUBJECT: COMMUNICATIONS MINISTRY ON BLOCKING ARABSAT
TRANSMISSIONS OF AL-ZAWRAA
REF: A. STATE 84112
B. KUWAIT 953
Classified By: CDA Alan Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
(C) In a 3 September meeting with CDA, Assistant Under
Secretary of Communications for the Information Systems
SIPDIS
Sector Ali Al-Zaben said that as the Kuwaiti representative
at the most recent Arabsat board meeting, he had raised the
issue of blocking the transmission of Al-Zawraa. Al-Zaben
said Arabsat President and CEO Khaled Balkheyour responded
that the USG should shut down Al-Zawraa since the U.S.
military "controls" Iraq. Under Secretary of Communications
Abdulaziz Al-Osaimi said the Arabsat board tries to stay out
of politics, preferring to leave decisions regarding
politically-sensitive content to the host nation of the
station in question. Al-Osaimi said Kuwait would be willing
to raise the issue again at the next Arabsat meeting in
October, but he stressed that it would be more effective for
the Government of Iraq to first raise the issue of blocking
Al-Zawraa and then allow other board members to support the
Iraqi proposal.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
MISENHEIMER