COUNTRY CLEARANCE REQUEST FOR INTERAGENCY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 000412

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OTRA AMGT AFIN ABUD ASEC KAWC KU
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE REQUEST FOR INTERAGENCY
DELEGATION ON DETAINEE ISSUES

REF: SECSTATE 36382


1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes and hereby grants country
clearance for Chris Camponovo (NSC),Alan Liotta (DoD),
Marisa Porges (DoD),and Andrew Morrison, (DoS) to travel
to post o/a March 23-25, 2007. The purpose of the
interagency delegation's visit is to consult with Kuwait
government officials on detainee policy and related issues.


2. This clearance is not/not valid for entry into Iraq; you
must apply for Iraq clearance through Embassy Baghdad.


3. Visit Officer:

Mr. DeWitt Conklin, Political Officer
Office (965) 259-1533
Cell (965) 936-4497
Fax (965) 259-1051
Unclass E-Mail: conklindc@state.gov

SIPDIS
EMBASSY EXPEDITOR WILL MEET AND ASSIST UPON ARRIVAL.


4. Lodging: Four single rooms have been reserved at the
Radisson SAS Hotel for two nights, March 23-24, 2007;
confirmation numbers are 364278/364279/364280/364281. The
hotel phone number is (965) 575-6000 and the fax number is
(965) 575-0155. The single room rate at the hotel is
approximately USD 231 plus 15% service charge per night,
which includes breakfast. The hotel accepts major credit
cards and is within the per diem rate. The daily per diem
rate for Kuwait is USD 260.00 for lodging, plus a meal and
incidental expense (M&IE) allowance of USD 96.00 for a total
of USD 356.00.


5. Following is posts standard guidance for visitors to
Kuwait:

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, approximately USD 10.50) for each
visa issued. The fee may be paid either in KD or USD. Post
strongly advises travelers to carry some documentation on the
purpose of their visit. Passengers arriving on other than
commercial 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. 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 (USD 33.50) 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 day trip 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. Kuwait is
still clearing mines and munitions. Visitors must remain on
major paved roads when traveling in Kuwait. Travel north of
Jahra toward the Iraq-Kuwait border is not authorized without
approval from the embassy and an appropriate escort.

c. Embassy Kuwaits normal workweek is Saturday through
Wednesday, 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 EST plus eight hours. The embassy switchboard number is
(965) 259-1001, and the IVG number is 4950000. The after-
hours number which 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

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the hot season in Kuwait. Temperatures reach 120-140F 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 3:00 p.m. (1200-1500). 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. Visitors from November to March
can expect cold winds and, at times, heavy rains. Light
winter clothing is suitable for Kuwait during these months.
At this time, allergies and colds are more common, and
visitors to the area are advised to bring over-the-counter
medications, such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen and cough medicine,
with them for self-treatment.

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 3.50.

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 visitors 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 PCs. 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, 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, dont 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 travelers 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 travelers 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

KUWAIT 00000412 003 OF 003


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.
k. Visit Kuwait's unclassified intranet website at
http://kuwait.state.gov.


6. This cable was last updated on October 30, 2006.

LeBaron