AL-ZAWRAA DEMARCHE RECEIVES MUTED KUWAIT RESPONSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000278 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2017 TAGS: PREL ASEC ETTC KPAL KPAO PTER KU DEMARCHE SUBJECT: AL-ZAWRAA DEMARCHE RECEIVES MUTED KUWAIT RESPONSE REF: A. KUWAIT 241 ¶B. STATE 14149 Classified By: Charge d,Affaires, a.i. Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In light of ongoing concern about Al-Zawraa broadcasting, post wishes to recap our discussions to date with the GOK on this issue. ¶2. (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 Misenheimer raised U.S. concerns about the broadcast of Al-Zawraa Television on Arabsat (ref A and B). Shaykh Ali said he was aware of the broadcasts and agreed that they were intolerable. He promised to raise the issue with the Foreign Minister. ¶3. (C) PDOff also delivered the demarche February 14 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. ¶4. (C) The Charge also raised the issue in a February 19 meeting with MFA Undersecretary Khaled Al-Jarallah. Al-Jarallah was familiar with the programming. In response to Charge's mention of the need to remove the programing from Arabsat, in which the Government of Kuwait owns a 14% interest, 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