UNCLAS KUWAIT 001347

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CVIS OTRA ASEC KU COUNTRY CLEARANCE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR USCIS NATURALIZATION
TEAM TO KUWAIT (SEPTEMBER 6-13, 2007)

REF: ROME 1878 (NOTAL)


1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes and grants country clearance for
Lori Pietropaoli, Deputy District Director, DHS USCIS Rome
Italy; Emigidio Martinez, Adjudication Officer DHS USCIS,
Frankfurt,Germany; and Darryl Perez, Rome Immigration
Specialist, to travel to post on/about SEPTEMBER 6-13,

2007.


2. This clearance is not/not valid for entry into Iraq; you
must apply for Iraq clearance through Embassy Baghdad.


3. Visit Officer: In case of emergency in Kuwait, you can
contact:

Name, Consular Section
Office- (965) 259-1505
Cell- (965)786-1723
Fax- (965) 259-1438
Unclass e-mail: dowerswr@state.gov

SIPDIS


4. Lodging: Not requested. The daily per diem rate for
Kuwait is USD 291.00 for lodging, plus a meal and
incidental expense (M&IE) allowance of USD 105.00 for a
total of USD 396.00.


5. Holy Month of Ramadan: Your visit takes place during
the Holy Month of Ramadan, which will be observed from
approximately September 12/13 to October 12/13, 2007. It
is against the law in Kuwait for anyone to eat, drink or
smoke in public, including inside vehicles, between the
hours of sunrise and sunset. Business slows down for this
month and government offices, as well as many private
businesses, work shorter hours. Muslims will work a full
day without even a sip of water. This results in people
becoming tired, tense, and easily irritated during the
normal workday, especially during the later weeks of
Ramadan. One must be extra alert when driving,
particularly during the late afternoon, when many will be
rushing home to break the fast.


6. Following is post's standard guidance for visitors to
Kuwait:

a. Entry Requirements: Kuwait now issues single-entry
visas to American citizens on arrival, upon presentation of
a valid passport. There is a processing fee of three (3)
Kuwaiti Dinar (KD 3.000, or approximately USD 11.00) for
each visa issued. The fee may be paid either in KD or USD.
Post strongly advises travelers to carry some documentation
concerning the purpose of their visit. Passengers arriving
on U.S. military flights should anticipate extra delays

because immigration services are not available on the
military side of the airfield and passports have to be
carried to a different location at the airport for
processing. Please allow four hours for passport
processing when arriving by milair. Airport visas are
valid for 90 days after arrival; anyone staying beyond this
period must obtain an extension, which should be requested
2 weeks prior to visa expiration. Anyone departing Kuwait
who has overstayed the visa will be charged a fine of KD
10.000 (US 36.00) per day at the airport. All travelers
planning to visit Iraq should make sure that they obtain
the required exit/entry stamps for each transit through
Kuwait, and be aware that they will need to obtain a new
Kuwaiti visa upon return, even after a daytrip to Baghdad.
Failure to do so can result in heavy fines. If possible,
travelers should try to obtain a multiple-entry visa before
arriving in Kuwait.

b. Visitors are reminded that the importation of
alcohol, pork products, personal firearms, and any
suggestive/pornographic materials (videotapes, magazines or
books) is strictly prohibited by Kuwaiti law. Visitors are
strictly enjoined from bringing in any such items, even in
checked luggage or carry-on baggage, as the consequences
can be severe. Kuwait is still clearing mines and
munitions. Visitors must remain on major paved roads when
traveling in Kuwait. Travel north of Jahra toward the
Iraqi-Kuwaiti border is not authorized without approval
from the embassy and an appropriate escort.

c. Embassy Kuwait's normal workweek is Sunday through
Thursday, and office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The time difference with the East Coast of the United
States is EDT plus seven hours. The embassy switchboard
number is (965) 259-1001, and the IVG number is 4950000.
The after-hours number, that rings at Marine Guard Post
One, is (965) 538-2098. The mission duty officer can be
reached through the embassy switchboard, Post One or by

cell phone at (965) 967-7265. The embassy pouch address is
6200 Kuwait Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6200.

d. Threat Assessment: Kuwait is a high-threat post and
the military threatcon is currently Charlie. We have
increased security precautions at official U.S.
installations in Kuwait and recommend that all Americans in
Kuwait remain alert to their surroundings and review their
personal security practices.

e. Health Advisory for Kuwait: April through October is
the hot season in Kuwait. Temperatures reach 120-140
degrees F in summer. Caution should be taken to prevent
dehydration and heat exhaustion by 1) drinking plenty of
fluids and 2) staying indoors, especially during peak
temperature hours of noon to 4:00 PM. Low humidity coupled
with high temperatures creates excessive moisture loss from
evaporation. It is necessary to drink 2-4 quarts of water
daily to prevent dehydration.

f. Money: Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels,
restaurants and other establishments throughout Kuwait and
ATM machines are also readily available. For travelers on
official orders, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait can provide
accommodation services (cashing a personal check drawn on a
U.S. bank into local currency) up to a maximum of USD
300.00 per day from noon to 2:00 p.m., Saturday through
Wednesday. At the current rate of exchange, one Kuwaiti
Dinar (KD) is equivalent to approximately USD 3.60.

g. CAA Access: Visitors who need unescorted access into
secure areas of the mission must slug cables to the
attention of the RSO, and include the level of their
clearance. The cable should include the visitor's Social
Security number, and the name of the agency granting the
clearance. Cables should include the ASEC tag to ensure
distribution to the RSO office and the Marine Security
guard at Post One.

h. Computer and Electronics Usage: Sensitive military
information has been discovered recently on business center
computers at local hotels in Kuwait City. All U.S.
government personnel and contractors must remember that it
is their responsibility to observe good computer and
information security practices. Information processed on
computers in hotel business centers, through email
correspondence or document creation, is highly exploitable.
Public computers located in hotel business centers,
internet cafes, airport lounges, etc. should never be used
to process, store or disseminate sensitive information.
Compromise of sensitive government or military information
can result in serious damage to national security.
Compromises of sensitive personal data can result in
significant personal and financial hardship. Random checks
are conducted by Embassy personnel on public PC's.
Breaches on COMPUSEC will result in the violator receiving
security infractions and/or security violations.
Interagency security standards prohibit the introduction or
use of non-USG owned computer hardware and software at all
USG diplomatic facilities. Cell phones, palm pilots, radios
and other convenience electronics are prohibited in all
secure areas of the mission.

i. Photography: Tourist photography is encouraged in
Kuwait. However, it is strictly forbidden to photograph
public buildings, economic infrastructure (e.g., oil
facilities), or military and other security-related
facilities and personnel. Confiscation of film and camera
and even arrest may result from doing so. A good rule of
thumb: If there is any doubt as to whether a photograph
should be taken, don't take it.

j. Action Request: Each visitor, regardless of length
of stay, must bring or forward fiscal data to pay for
direct costs of the visit. Each agency, organization or
visiting delegation will be charged for the actual costs
attributed to their visit. Direct charge costs include,
but are not limited to: American and LES staff overtime
(e.g., expeditor, accommodation exchange, representational
event support), field travel, lodging and meals and
incidental expenses (M&IE) by embassy employees, vehicle
rentals, long-distance telephone calls, equipment rentals,
office supplies and all other costs that are directly
attributable to the visit. If fiscal data on a traveler's
authorization is to be used for this purpose, this
information must be spelled out in the travel orders and
sufficient funding provided to meet these expenses. In
addition, for TDYers over thirty (30) days, there will be a
charge for ICASS support services. If your sponsoring
agency is not signed up for ICASS services at post, please

be prepared to sign an ICASS Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) for ICASS support services upon arrival. The agency
should provide post with written communication, generated
by the traveler's headquarters, that confirms the agency
will pay ICASS charges for the TDYer, provide the agency
ICASS billing code for the TDY support to be provided, and
authorize the traveler to sign the ICASS invoice generated
by the TDY module. When travel is urgent, TDYers should
bring this document with them to ensure there are no
interruptions in the provision of services. Post will not
provide any services to a TDYer staying in excess of 30
days without having received this documentation prior to
day 31 of the TDY.


7. This is revision one to the EmbassyQs standard country
clearance cable.

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Visit Kuwait's Classified and Unclassified Websites at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ and
http://kuwait.state.gov/
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Misenheimer