GOK LOOKING FORWARD TO POTUS VISIT; AMIR TO RAISE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000012 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV KDRG KU SUBJECT: GOK LOOKING FORWARD TO POTUS VISIT; AMIR TO RAISE GTMO ISSUE REF: KUWAIT 1651 Classified By: CDA Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 b and d Looking forward to POTUS visit -------------- ¶1. (C) In a December 31 meeting with CDA to discuss Iraqi border and other issues (reported septel),MFA U/S Khaled Suliman Al-Jarallah said that the GOK is looking forward to the January 11-12 POTUS visit. He added that there are many issues for both sides to discuss. He recalled the Amir's September 2006 meeting with the President at the White House, and said that such visits help maintain the very healthy USG-Kuwait relationship. He also added that the upcoming visit is useful for Kuwait and other GCC countries as it provides the region with a chance to express true, positive feelings for the President, as well as raise issues of concern. He stated that the Amir is likely to discuss the following topics in his meeting with POTUS: --Success of the surge in Iraq and how the security situation is clearly improving. --Continued concerns regarding the Iranian nuclear program. --Advancing the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians. --Lebanon, and the GOK's concern that there is still no solution to the political crisis. --Bilateral issues, notably Kuwaiti GITMO detainees. Lax Monitoring of GTMO Detainees--"You have a right to be worried." -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Recalling previous discussions with CDA of lax Kuwaiti monitoring of former GTMO detainees, Jarallah acknowledged that the USG has justified concerns, stating "You have a right to be worried." He then confirmed that former detainee Sa'd Al-Azmi, who traveled to Yemen and returned to Kuwait while supposedly under the watch of Kuwait Security Services (KSS)(ref A),was not properly monitored. He promised that the Embassy would soon receive a copy of a "clarification" from the Ministry of Interior on its handling of former detainees. Ambassador-designate to Iraq? -------------- ¶3. (C) As also noted in septel on Iraq-related aspects of the discussion, Jarallah said that if the President raises with the Amir the subject of sending a Kuwaiti Ambassador to Baghdad, he would likely receive "a positive answer." (Note: Major General (retired) Ali Al-Mo'min, of the MFA's Humanitarian Operations Center is the Kuwaiti Ambassador-designate to Baghdad). ********************************************* * 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/ ********************************************* * MISENHEIMER