GOK DISAPPOINTED IN SYRIAN INTRANSIGENCE ON LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000204 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/ELA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2018 TAGS: PREL PTER KSUM IZ KU SUBJECT: GOK DISAPPOINTED IN SYRIAN INTRANSIGENCE ON LEBANON REF: A. KUWAIT 0166 ¶B. KUWAIT 0148 Classified By: CDA Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In separate meetings with Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and NEA/I DAS Butler, senior GOK leaders expressed their disappointment with Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad and the SARG. Kuwaiti PM Shaykh Nasser Al Sabah, just back from a trip to Damascus, lamented Syria's continued interference in Lebanese affairs and said that the SARG "must yield" on Lebanon. He revealed that he did not raise the foreign fighters issue with the Syrians. MFA U/S Al-Jarallah said the GOK was struck by the SARG's nervousness about lack of movement on the Syrian track of the peace process. End summary. ¶2. (C) On February 18, CDA, along with visiting former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with Kuwaiti PM SIPDIS Shakyh Nasser Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al Sabah. During the meeting, Shaykh Nasser expressed his disappointment in Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad for his country's continued interference in Lebanese affairs and dismissal of his Arab neighbors' advice. (Note: The PM had just returned from a two-day visit to Damascus.) He said the GOK will deliver a message to the SARG that it "must yield" on Lebanon during the upcoming Arab League summit in Damascus. He also commented that the Saudis will not be attending the summit at all. ¶3. (C) In an aside, CDA reminded the PM that General Petraeus spoke at length with the Amir, during their February 4 meeting, about the issue of foreign fighters transiting Syria to reach Iraq (ref B). CDA asked the PM whether he raised the issue of foreign fighters during his visit to Damascus (ref A). The Minister responded with defensive body language but few words: "Not really." ¶4. (C) On the same day, NEA/I DAS Butler met with MFA U/S Khaled Al-Jarallah and queried him as well on the PM's visit to Damascus. Al-Jarallah lamented that there was nothing new in Syria's position vis-a-vis Lebanon or Iraq, and said that the Saudis were pressing the SARG hard to play a positive role in Lebanon. On the issue of foreign fighters, the U/S said dismissively that the SARG assured Shakyh Nasser that Syria was working to stem the flow of jihadists and that it is keen to see stability in Iraq. Al-Jarallah commented that Syria's policy of facilitating the transit of jihadists is dangerous and said that itself Syria could easily become the target of Al-Qaeda or Hezbollah should these groups decide to expand their reach. ¶5. (C) The U/S said he was struck by Syrian nervousness about lack of movement on the Syrian track, while there was some progress on other regional issues. Al-Jarallah thought that Syria might be open to negotiations with Israel provided there was movement on the Syrian track. ********************************************* * 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