KUWAIT UNLIKELY SOURCE FOR APCS FOR UN/AU MISSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000853 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS FOR NEA/ARP AND IO/PSC E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2027 TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR SU SA KU SUBJECT: KUWAIT UNLIKELY SOURCE FOR APCS FOR UN/AU MISSION IN SUDAN REF: A. STATE 72868 ¶B. KUWAIT 821 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) PolOff passed reftel (ref A) request for APCs to Aisha Al-Dakheel of the MFA's International Organizations Department on May 30. Al-Dakheel did not seem to think it likely the GOK would approve such a request. She promised to pass on the request and provide a more detail answer as soon as possible. ¶2. (C/NF) As per ref B, the GOK has told Post that it does not export military materiel. The Kuwait National Guard possesses armored personel carriers, but sees them as essential to their operations in Kuwait. The Kuwait Ministry of Defense (KMOD)'s BMP and Desert Warrior Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicles (AIFVs) are significantly more complex to operate and maintain than APCs. Furthermore, the KMOD does not consider any of these vehicles to be surplus. Post would not expect GOK to release any of these vehicles. ********************************************* * 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