DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MFA U/S SAYS GCC FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000291 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/RA CHUCK LAWSON LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL KPAL KWPG IS IZ LE SO SU IR EG, KU SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MFA U/S SAYS GCC FOREIGN MINISTERS WILL MEET BEFORE ARAB LEAGUE MEETING REF: STATE 24372 CLASSIFIED BY: CDA MATT TUELLER FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) ¶1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: ON FEBRUARY 28 CDA DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF THE MARCH 3 ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL TO MFA UNDERSECRETARY KHALED AL-JARALLAH. AL-JARALLAH EXPRESSED OPTIMISM THAT THE MECCA AGREEMENT AND RECENT EFFORTS BY THE QUARTET WERE REINVIGORATING THE PEACE PROCESS. THE CHARGE CAUTIONED THAT THE MECCA AGREEMENT DID NOT ADDRESS HAMAS REJECTIONISM AND THAT THE ARAB LEAGUE SHOULD THUS WITHHOLD ENDORSEMENT OF A NUG UNTIL ITS MAKEUP WAS CLARIFIED. AL-JARALLAH SAID THAT A GCC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING BEFORE THE MAIN ARAB LEAGUE MEETING ON MARCH 3 WOULD PRODUCE A COMMUNIQUE WITH INDIRECT LANGUAGE CALLING ON IRAN NOT TO MEDDLE IN IRAQ AND THE REGION. THE UNDERSECRETARY WAS RECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA OF INCLUDING LANGUAGE IN THE GCC COMMUNIQUE SUPPORTIVE OF SINIORA'S GOVERNMENT IN LEBANON. ON AFRICA, AL-JARALLAH SIGNALED HIS SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN UNION INTERVENTION TO STABILIZE DARFUR AND SOMALIA. FINALLY, AL-JARALLAH CONFIRMED KUWAIT'S PARTICIPATION IN THE IRAQ NEIGHBORS MEETING ON MARCH 10. HE SAID THERE WAS SPECULATION THAT U.S. ATTENDANCE AT A MEETING WHERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM SYRIA AND IRAN WERE PRESENT WAS A SIGN OF A NEW POLICY. THE CHARGE ASSURED HIM THERE HAD BEEN NO POLICY CHANGE. END SUMMARY. OPTIMISTIC ABOUT PEACE PROCESS -------------- ¶2. (C/NF) THE CHARGE DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE TO MFA UNDERSECRETARY KHALED AL-JARALLAH REGARDING THE MARCH 3 ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING IN CAIRO. AL-JARALLAH EXPRESSED OPTIMISM ABOUT THE PEACE PROCESS, NOTING THAT RECENT ACTIONS BY THE QUARTET HAVE GIVEN THE PALESTINIANS THE SENSE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS SERIOUS ABOUT MOVING THE PROCESS FORWARD. HE PRAISED THE MECCA AGREEMENT, NOTING IT WAS "WELCOMED BY ALL SIDES." THE CHARGE AGREED THAT THE MECCA AGREEMENT HAD POSITIVE ASPECTS BUT EMPHASIZED THAT IT HAD NOT ADDRESSED HAMAS' CONTINUED REJECTION OF THE QUARTET PRINCIPLES, AND THAT STATEMENTS ENDORSING A PALESTINIAN NUG PREMATURELY COULD JEOPARDIZE RESUMPTION OF DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, THE IMPORTANT NEAR-TERM GOAL. AL-JARALLAH EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT WOULD ENTER NEGOTIATIONS, ESPECIALLY IF THE USG CONTINUED TO APPLY PRESSURE. GCC WILL MEET SEPARATELY AND ADDRESS IRAN SUBTLY -------------- --- ¶3. (C/NF) AL-JARALLAH SAID THAT THE ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING WOULD TACKLE THE ISSUE OF IRAN'S GROWING REGIONAL ASPIRATIONS AND NUCLEAR AMBITIONS. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE GCC FOREIGN MINISTERS WOULD MEET IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING ON MARCH 3 ANDQ WOULD ISSUE A GCC COMMUNIQUE ADDRESSING IRAN INDIRECTLY. THE CHARGE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL ACTORS SPEAKING CLEARLY AND PUBLICLY OF CONCERNS OVER IRANIAN BEHAVIOR. AL-JARALLAH SAID THE GCC COMMUNIQUE WOULD SEND "HINTS" TO IRAN, WITH LANGUAGE CALLING ON "REGIONAL COUNTRIES NOT TO INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF IRAQ" AND "NOT TO MAKE IRAQ A LAND FOR FIGHTING BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL POWERS." HE PREDICTED THAT THE LANGUAGE EMANATING FROM THE ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT WOULD BE EVEN LESS DIRECT. RECEPTIVE TO PUBLICLY SUPPORTING LEBANON -------------- ¶4. (C/NF) THE CHARGE SAID THE ARAB LEAGUE SHOULD SUPPORT THE SINIORA GOVERNMENT IN LEBANON AS IT RESISTS ATTEMPTS BY OPPOSITION FACTIONS TO BULLY IT INTO MAKING CONCESSIONS ON THE HARIRI TRIBUNAL. THE ARAB LEAGUE MUST ALSO PRESS SYRIA AND IRAN TO COMPLY WITH UNSCR 1701 ON THE WEAPONS EMBARGO. AL-JARALLAH, REVIEWING THE LANGAUGE IN THE DRAFT GCC COMMUNIQUE, NOTED THAT THE CURRENT DRAFT DID NOT CONTAIN LANGUAGE ON SUPPORT FOR SINIORA'S GOVERNMENT BUT SAID THAT INCLUDING SUCH LANGUAGE WOULD BE USEFUL. KUWAIT SUPPORTIVE OF AU EFFORTS IN DARFUR AND SOMALIA -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C/NF) AL-JARALLAH ASSURED THE CHARGE THAT THE ARAB LEAGUE MEETING WOULD ADDRESS THE SITUATION IN DARFUR, WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER. SOME ARAB COUNTRIES HAD ALREADY COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING AN AFRICAN UNION PEACEKEEPING FORCE AND THAT FURTHER COMMITMENTS WOULD BE FORTHCOMING DURING THE CAIRO MEETING. AL-JARALLAH ALSO NOTED HIS CONCERN ABOUT SOMALIA AND STATED THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTERS WOULD ADDRESS THE TOPIC AT THE UPCOMING MEETING. HE FORESEES A ROLE FOR THE AFRICAN UNION THERE, AND FEARS THAT SOMALIA COULD BECOME A HAVEN FOR TERRORISTS IF IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NOT TAKEN TO STABILIZE THE COUNTRY. KUWAIT WILL ATTEND IRAQ NEIGHBORS MEETING -------------- ¶6. (C/NF) AL-JARALLAH SAID THAT AMBASSADOR MANSOUR AL-AWADHI, DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DEPARTMENT AT THE MFA, WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING ON MARCH 10 OF IRAQ'S NEIGHBORS. HE SAID THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE U.S. SITTING IN A MEETING WITH THE SYRIANS AND IRANIANS AND WONDERED IF THIS MIGHT SIGNAL A TURNING POINT. THE CHARGE RESPONDED THAT THE U.S. HAD PARTICIPATED IN SUCH MEETINGS PREVIOUSLY AND THAT THIS DID NOT SIGNAL A POLICY SHIFT OF ANY KIND. ********************************************* * 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