GOK TO DOE A/S KOLEVAR: PROGRESS ON CEIP; WANT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001371 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN ENERGY FOR KOLEVAR STATE FOR S/CT, NEA/ARP, PM E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2022 TAGS: ASEC EPET PTER KCIP KU SUBJECT: GOK TO DOE A/S KOLEVAR: PROGRESS ON CEIP; WANT MORE COOPERATION; DECISION ON JWG MOU WITH PM REF: KUWAIT 921 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: CDA Alan Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) Summary: On 9 September, Assistant Secretary of Energy for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin Kolevar participated in a series of site visits, briefings, and meetings with GOK and oil sector officials to promote further USG-GOK cooperation on Critical Energy Infrastructure Protection (CEIP). In a meeting with National Security Bureau (NSB) Deputy Director Shaykh Thamer Al-Ali Al Sabah, Kolevar strongly encouraged the GOK to designate a lead agency for CEIP and sign an MOU to establish a GOK-USG Joint Working Group (JWG). Shaykh Thamer said the reluctance of any GOK agency to step up to the plate to sign the draft CEIP MOU presented by Ambassador LeBaron in June had served as a "wake-up call" for the GOK by drawing attention to the fragmented, diffuse, and uncoordinated nature of CEIP responsibilities under the current framework. Shaykh Thamer said most of the other agencies now recommend that the NSB take the lead, but ultimately this will be a decision for the Prime Minister as will the decision on whether to sign an MOU. ¶2. (S/NF) Saad Al-Shuwaib, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC),told Kolevar in a separate meeting that he hoped to see the establishment of an oil sector security force, independent of the Ministry of Interior (MOI). Shaykh Thamer agreed and said the Government would draft new legislation allowing such a force to be armed. Under current law, only MOI personnel can carry lethal weapons. During the site visits and briefings, the Kuwaitis demonstrated progress on implementing some of the USG CEIP recommendations including the construction of landside and seaside perimeter fencing, observation towers, and a dedicated fiber-optic communications network. They also laid out plans to create a more robust C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) system and access control system, for which they intend to offer contracts to a short list of major international technology companies before the end of 2007. Finally, they revealed plans to establish a Coastal Protection Force, which would use small arms and small boats to patrol and protect the seaward approaches to the refineries and onshore export terminals. Officials from the oil sector envision CEIP coordination at three levels: a USG-GOK JWG, a high-level GOK Steering Committee to provide direction and authority, and a working-level Joint Coordination Committee to carry out implementation. End Summary. -------------- -- Several Projects Underway to Fill Security Gaps -------------- -- ¶3. (S/NF) On 9 September A/S Kolevar participated in a series of site visits, briefings, and meetings to promote further USG-GOK cooperation on Critical Energy Infrastructure Protection (CEIP). The site visits and presentations were led by the heads or deputies of Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC),the Oil Sector Services Company (OSSCo),and the Security Decision Follow-up Committee (SDFC). In tours of upgrades at the refineries and a major fuel depot, the Kuwaitis highlighted the ongoing construction of new observation towers and seaside perimeter fencing, the reinforcement of weakly protected emergency access gates, and the installation of more fixed and adjustable cameras integrated with motion detectors and electrified fencing. They presented plans for the creation of a Coastal Protection Force, which would use small arms and small boats to patrol and protect the seaward approaches to the refineries and onshore export terminals. SDFC has hired the British firm Lynceus to establish and train the CPF. SDFC and OSSCo are working with Kroll, a U.S.-based security consulting firm, to plan a robust C4I system to integrate and manage the flow of information from a full spectrum of sensors and communications networks into a single joint control center. Kroll is also advising the Kuwaitis on a number of other planned projects including a modern access control system, underwater surveillance and detection, the construction of North and South breakwaters with installed surveillance equipment, and a mobile communications network. -------------- Seeking Better Control and Coordination -------------- KUWAIT 00001371 002 OF 003 ¶4. (S/NF) In order to create a more seamless and more empowered organizational structure for managing CEIP, OSSCo and SDFC propose creating joint committees at three different levels. For USG-GOK coordination they support the concept of a JWG to meet at intervals not to exceed six months. For overall direction and decision-making authority within the GOK, they recommend the establishment of a ministerial or sub-ministerial-level steering committee, which they refer to as the Higher Security Committee. At the working level, they said they have already created a Joint Coordination Committee to carry out implementation, but it was unclear whether the MOI, which still holds major responsibility for CEIP, is taking an active role in the JCC. ¶5. (S/NF) In the area of training, SDFC and OSSCo have already recruited and indoctrinated a number of Kuwaitis to assume roles in technical maintenance and crisis management. According to SDFC, 50 personnel have already returned from training courses in English, computer science, and crisis management in Australia and the UK and another 25 are currently in the training pipeline. -------------- -- Ditch MOI; Create Oil Facilities Security Force -------------- -- ¶6. (S/NF) In a separate meeting with Kolevar, KPC CEO Saad Al-Shuwaib said he fully supports CEIP objectives and now receives regular progress reports from his staff. Al-Shuwaib said he was most concerned about the capabilities of MOI personnel, who are still responsible for gate security and incident response at major oil installations. He said MOI personnel need to be replaced by a better qualified private security force dedicated to the oil sector. Al-Shuwaib said he had raised this proposal with the NSB's Shaykh Thamer, who was supportive. Al-Shuwaib said he would encourage the Acting Oil Minister to champion this proposal within the Government. -------------- -------------- MOU-JWG Decision with PM - Don't Hold Your Breath -------------- -------------- ¶7. (S/NF) For his final meeting, Kolevar met with NSB Deputy Director Shaykh Thamer Al-Ali Al Sabah. Kolevar stressed that the GOK should assign a lead agency for CEIP and sign an MOU to establish a GOK-USG Joint Working Group. Shaykh Thamer said the reluctance of any GOK agency to step up to the plate to sign the draft CEIP MOU presented by Ambassador LeBaron in June had served as a "wake-up call" for the GOK by drawing attention to the fragmented, diffuse, and uncoordinated nature of CEIP responsibilities under the current framework. Shaykh Thamer said most of the other agencies now recommend that the NSB take the lead, but ultimately this will be a decision for the Prime Minister as will the decision on whether to sign an MOU. Cautioning that this decision might not come in the next 1-2 months, he insisted that USG-GOK CEIP cooperation should continue even in the absence of an MOU. Thamer said that the GOK was implementing many of the simpler CEIP fixes now, but organizational changes will take more time. Kolevar told Thamer that Energy Secretary Bodman would be attending a luncheon with the Kuwaiti Ambassador in the coming week and would strongly encourage the GOK to sign the CEIP MOU. ¶8. (S/NF) Shaykh Thamer stressed that the GOK had to focus more attention on CEIP saying, "We've made progress but not enough," and "We need to adopt higher standards." He agreed that MOI was not up to the task, saying the GOK needed to approach oil infrastructure security with a "2008 perspective rather than a 1978 perspective." He supported the establishment of an oil facilities security force "along the lines of what the Saudis are doing." He said the Government would draft new legislation allowing such a force to be armed. Under current law, only MOI personnel can carry lethal weapons. (Comment: In an indication that the KSA and GOK may not be sharing much information on CEIP, Shaykh Thamer seemed to believe, as had been erroneously reported in recent press, that the KSA had hired Lockheed Martin to train its Facilities Security Force.) -------------- Press Release on USG-GOK Cooperation -------------- ¶9. (U) Following Kolevar's departure, in a 10 September KUWAIT 00001371 003 OF 003 Kuwait News Agency press release picked up by Reuters, KPC CEO Saad Al-Shuwaib is quoted as saying, "The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and security apparatuses are seeking to tighten security at Kuwaiti oil installations." He adds, "the U.S. side is really working with several Kuwaiti agencies concerned over tightened security at Kuwaiti oil installations." (Comment: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a Kuwaiti official has publicly referred to U.S.-Kuwaiti cooperation on oil infrastructure protection. This press release closely follows the 26 August Financial Times article describing Saudi CEIP efforts). ¶10. (U) Assistant Secretary Kolevar did not clear this cable before departing Kuwait. ********************************************* * 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