COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR AMBASSADOR CROCKER AND PARTY

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001391

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA ASEC KU IZ COUNTRY CLEARANCE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR AMBASSADOR CROCKER AND PARTY
(SEPTEMBER 13-22, 2007)

REF: A) BAGHDAD 3055 B) HILL-HIGI EMAIL OF 9/11/07


1. (SBU) Embassy Kuwait welcomes and grants country clearance for
Ambassador Crocker and party transit Kuwait per Ref. A September
13-22, 2007.


2. (SBU) Per Ref. B, Mr. Khedery will be picked up with CODEL
Boehner and transported to the Federal Deployment Center (FDC)
Crowne Plaza Room 201 where he can shower, change clothes, etc.
before being taken by KBR for his onward flight later that evening.


3. (SBU) Visit Officer: An Embassy visit officer and a
driver/expeditor will meet and assist you at the airbase/airport.

Embassy points of contact are:

For Khedery Transit :
Kevin Sou, ISU Liaison
Office-(965) 259-1527
Cell-(965)961-9920
Fax-(965) 259-1190
Unclass e-mail: SouKL@state.gov

SIPDIS

For Crocker Transit:
Jennifer George, ISU Liaison
Office: (965) 259-1202
Cell: (965) 788-0364
Fax: (965) 259-1190
Unclass e-mail: GeorgeJR@state.gov

SIPDIS

Zachary Shroyer, A/RSO
Office: (965) 259-1445
Cell: (965) 786-1721
Fax: (965) 259-1809
Unclass e-mail: ShroyerZL@state.gov

SIPDIS


4. (U) Lodging: Not applicable.


5. (U) 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. (U) Following is post's standard guidance for visitors to Kuwait.
Use a Federal Affiliate or Civilian CAC if you possess one,
otherwise:

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
USD 12.00) 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. (U) This is revision one to the Embassy's standard country
clearance cable.

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

********************************************* **********

Misenheimer