LEBANON: KUWAIT DONATES USD 5 MILLION TO SPECIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000203 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/ARP, NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: DECL: 2018 TAGS: PGOV UN PREL PHUM KDEM KU SUBJECT: LEBANON: KUWAIT DONATES USD 5 MILLION TO SPECIAL TRIBUNAL/SINIORA VISIT Classified By: CDA Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 b and d Kuwait Allocates USD 5 million for Special Tribunal -------------- -------------- ¶1. (C) During a February 18 MEETING with visiting former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Kuwait Prime Minister SIPDIS Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al Sabah told CDA that Kuwait finalized the allocation of USD 5 million for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He said that Kuwait set aside this amount in coordination with SAUDI Arabia and the UAE, each of which, according to the PM, also pledged USD 5 million. (Note: In a separate conversation with poloff, royal family member and key government lobbyist Shaykh Mohammed A. M. Al Sabah marked the SAUDI pledge at USD 10 million, and suggested that the PM may have confused the numbers. Shaykh Mohammed confirmed that the Kuwaiti funds for the tribunal were transferred on February 20). PM Siniora on State of Affairs in Lebanon -------------- ¶2. (C) Mohammed told poloff that he sat in on a closed-door meeting between the Kuwaiti PM and visiting Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora on February 20. According to Sh. Mohammed, Siniora, who is considered "an old friend" of Kuwait, complained to the GOK of the current state of political gridlock in Lebanon and of Hezbollah "throwing a wrench" into the Lebanese efforts to reshape parliament. He also reportedly expressed frustration over Iran pumping large sums of money into southern Lebanon and called for Kuwaiti assistance in impeding the movement of these funds. He asked for and received Kuwaiti pledges for USD 50 million in fuel. He also requested additional deposits of funds in the Lebanon Central Bank to prop up the Lebanese currency. (Note: Sh. Mohammed noted that Kuwait deposited USD 500 million in the bank in the past, but has no plans to increase the amount.) Local Press Interview with Lebanese MP Ammar Houri -------------- -------------- ¶3. (U) Also visiting Kuwait was Lebanese MP Ammar Houri, who addressed an assembly of Lebanese expatriates in Kuwait and spoke to the local Al-Rai Al-Aam newspaper on February 16, giving his interpretation of the current state of affairs in Lebanon. In his interview, he called for an independent Lebanon, free from the influence of Syria and Iran. He said that despite obstruction and resistance from various parties, the Special Tribunal will be successful in investigating the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri. He criticized Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah for provoking Israel and called for national unity to restore peace. He laid the blame for the political crises in Lebanon solely on Damascus. He warned that if there is no president in Lebanon by the time of the Damascus Arab summit, Arab states will clearly see the obstructionist policy of the Syrian state and will further isolate the Syrian regime. ********************************************* * 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