NEXT STEPS AFTER CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000431 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, DS/ATA, S/CT, EB/ESC/IEC; DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR KOLEVAR; NSC FOR JESSEE E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2017 TAGS: EPET KCIP ASEC ENRG PTER KU SUBJECT: NEXT STEPS AFTER CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY ASSESSMENT REF: A. KUWAIT 419 ¶B. 05 KUWAIT 4510 ¶C. KUWAIT 430 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C/NF) Following the March 13-22 Critical Energy Infrastructure Protection (CEIP) assessment jointly conducted by the Department, DOE, and DHS (Ref A),Post is actively encouraging Kuwaiti officials at both senior and working levels to implement the team's recommendations, including near-term actions, such as installing new vehicle barriers and reconfiguring maritime patrol areas, as well as long-term improvements such as formally integrating the relevant agencies and building an effective joint command and control structure. Kuwaiti agencies have requested that the Embassy provide copies of deliverables from the team's assessment as soon as possible. ¶2. (C/NF) The Ambassador called Sami Al-Reshaid, the Chairman of Kuwait National Petroleum Company, on March 26 to thank him for KNPC's extensive support for the CEIP delegation and to urge him to focus on the team's recommendations. Al-Reshaid had been briefed on the visit and was eager for the Ambassador's impressions. The Ambassador noted that there were a number of physical fixes that could be done quickly, and offered to send Embassy personnel to brief him. Al-Reshaid agreed; the DCM will meet with Al-Reshaid this week to brief him on the team's findings in greater detail and make suggestions for immediate action. ¶3. (C/NF) On March 28, the Ambassador will meet with General Mohammad Al-Badr, Chairman of the Council of Ministers Security Decision Follow-up Committee (SDFC) to review the team's findings and discuss steps towards implementation of its recommendations. The Ambassador will also speak with Khalid Al-Fulaij, advisor to the Amir on petroleum matters, to discuss coordination issues and short-term and long-term actions to be taken. The DCM will meet with Interior Ministry Under Secretary Nasser Al-Othman to cover the same points. ¶4. (C/NF) The visit of Deputy Secretary of Energy Clay Sell in mid-April will provide an additional opportunity to discuss bilateral CEIP cooperation with Oil Minister Shaykh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah. The announcement of Shaykh Ali's reappointment as Oil Minister, now separated from the role of Minister of Electricity and Water, part of his previous portfolio as Energy Minister, was announced on March 25 (Ref C). The Ambassador will also take up the matter with the Interior Minister. ¶5. (C/NF) Fawaz Al-Othman of the National Security Bureau (NSB),who served as the NSB delegate to the CEIP visit, called Econcouns March 25 to request copies of the CEIP team's presentations and findings for inclusion in a report he is preparing for NSB President Shaykh Ahmed Al-Fahd, who was the principal interlocutor on CEIP issues for APHSCT Frances Fragos Townsend during her visit to Kuwait in November 2006 (Ref B). ¶6. (C/NF) We will report the results of the Ambassador and DCM's meetings septel, in addition to other actions we are taking to ensure that the team's findings are broadly disseminated and actively addressed. ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * LeBaron