Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUWAIT241
2007-02-19 13:51:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ARABSAT AND NILESAT BROADCAST
how-toVZCZCXRO1325 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV DE RUEHKU #0241 0501351 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 191351Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8325 INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000241
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2017
TAGS: PREL ASEC ETTC KPAL KPAO PTER KU DEMARCHE
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ARABSAT AND NILESAT BROADCAST
OF AL MANAR AND POTENTIAL BROADCAST OF AL AKSA
REF: A. KUWAIT 47
B. STATE 202506
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000241
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2017
TAGS: PREL ASEC ETTC KPAL KPAO PTER KU DEMARCHE
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ARABSAT AND NILESAT BROADCAST
OF AL MANAR AND POTENTIAL BROADCAST OF AL AKSA
REF: A. KUWAIT 47
B. STATE 202506
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
1. (C) During a February 11 meeting with Shaykh Ali Abdullah,
the Acting Director of the Americas Department at the MFA,
the Charge d'Affaires and visiting NEA/ARP Office Director
Alan Misenheimer reiterated U.S. concerns about the continued
broadcast of Al Manar Television and the potential broadcast
of Al Aksa Television on Arabsat and Nilesat (ref B). The
Government of Kuwait (GOK) is one of seven Arab countries who
have significant shareholdings in Arabsat. Shaykh Ali said
he was personally aware of the broadcasts and agreed that
they were intolerable. He promised to raise the issue with
the Foreign Minister. Ref B demarche was first delivered by
PolOff on January 8 to Hamad Al-Mashan in the MFA's America's
Department (ref A).
2. (C) The demarche was also delivered February 14 by PDOff
via telephone to Tariq Al-Ajmi, the Director of Television
Affairs at the Ministry of Information. Al-Ajmi said he knew
of the broadcasts, but noted that it was difficult to control
satellite transmissions outside Kuwait.
3. (C) The Charge also raised U.S. concerns about Arabsat and
Nilesat programming in a February 19 meeting with MFA
Undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah. Al-Jarallah was
unfamiliar with the GOK ownership interest in Arabsat. In
response to Charge's statement that Kuwait was a minority
shareholder, Al-Jarallah noted that it would be easier to
take action if Kuwait was the majority owner.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
TUELLER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR NEA/ARP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2017
TAGS: PREL ASEC ETTC KPAL KPAO PTER KU DEMARCHE
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: ARABSAT AND NILESAT BROADCAST
OF AL MANAR AND POTENTIAL BROADCAST OF AL AKSA
REF: A. KUWAIT 47
B. STATE 202506
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (
d)
1. (C) During a February 11 meeting with Shaykh Ali Abdullah,
the Acting Director of the Americas Department at the MFA,
the Charge d'Affaires and visiting NEA/ARP Office Director
Alan Misenheimer reiterated U.S. concerns about the continued
broadcast of Al Manar Television and the potential broadcast
of Al Aksa Television on Arabsat and Nilesat (ref B). The
Government of Kuwait (GOK) is one of seven Arab countries who
have significant shareholdings in Arabsat. Shaykh Ali said
he was personally aware of the broadcasts and agreed that
they were intolerable. He promised to raise the issue with
the Foreign Minister. Ref B demarche was first delivered by
PolOff on January 8 to Hamad Al-Mashan in the MFA's America's
Department (ref A).
2. (C) The demarche was also delivered February 14 by PDOff
via telephone to Tariq Al-Ajmi, the Director of Television
Affairs at the Ministry of Information. Al-Ajmi said he knew
of the broadcasts, but noted that it was difficult to control
satellite transmissions outside Kuwait.
3. (C) The Charge also raised U.S. concerns about Arabsat and
Nilesat programming in a February 19 meeting with MFA
Undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah. Al-Jarallah was
unfamiliar with the GOK ownership interest in Arabsat. In
response to Charge's statement that Kuwait was a minority
shareholder, Al-Jarallah noted that it would be easier to
take action if Kuwait was the majority owner.
********************************************* *
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/
********************************************* *
TUELLER