COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR CODEL MITCHELL

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000007

SIPDIS

CODEL
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN GM PK AF KU IZ
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR CODEL MITCHELL
(January 6-15, 2008)

REF: STATE 171264


1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes and grants country clearance for
CODEL Mitchell to travel to post 10-14, January, 2008.


2. This clearance is not/not valid for entry into Iraq; you
must apply for Iraq clearance through Embassy Baghdad.


3. Visit Officer: An Embassy visit officer and a
driver/expeditor will meet and assist you at the airport.

Embassy points of contact are:

Jennifer George, ISU Liason
Office - (965) 259-1203
Cell - (965)788-0364
Fax- (965) 259-1190
Unclass e-mail: GeorgeJR@state.gov

SIPDIS

And

Agnel Berry, ISU Coordinator
Office- (965) 259-1416
Cell- (965)973-9854
Fax- (965) 259-1190
Unclass e-mail: BerryAH2@state.gov

SIPDIS


4. Lodging: Rooms have been reserved at the Movenpick Hotel
for 4 January, 2008. The hotel telephone number is (965)
225-3100 and the fax number is (965)225-3101. The single
room rate at the hotel is approximately USD 271.00 per night,
which includes breakfast. The hotel accepts major credit
cards and is within the per diem rate. The daily per diem
rate for Kuwait is USD 306.00 for lodging, plus a meal and
incidental expense (M&IE) allowance of USD 114.00 for a
total of USD 420.00.


5. Following is post's standard guidance for visitors to
Kuwait:

a. Entry Requirements: Kuwait now issues single-entry visas
to American citizens on arrival, upon presentation of a valid
passport. There is a processing fee of three (3) Kuwaiti
Dinar (KD 3.000, or USD 12.00) for each visa issued. The fee
may be paid either in KD or USD. Post strongly advises travelers
to carry some documentation on the purpose of their visit.
Passengers arriving on other than commercial flights should
anticipate extra delays, because immigration services are not
available on the military side of the airfield and passports
have to be carried to a different location at the airport for
processing. Airport visas are valid for 90 days after arrival;
anyone staying beyond this period must obtain an extension, which
should be requested 2 weeks prior to visa expiration. Anyone
departing Kuwait who has overstayed the visa will be charged a
fine of KD 10.000 (US 35.00) per day at the airport. All
travelers planning to visit Iraq should make sure that they obtain
the required exit/entry stamps for each transit through Kuwait,
and be aware that they will need to obtain a new Kuwaiti visa upon
return, even after a daytrip to Baghdad. Failure to do so
can result in heavy fines. If possible, travelers should try to
obtain a multiple-entry visa before arriving in Kuwait.

b. Visitors are reminded that the importation of alcohol, pork
products, personal firearms, and any suggestive/pornographic
materials (videotapes, magazines or books) is strictly
prohibited by Kuwaiti law. Kuwait is still clearing mines and
munitions. Visitors must remain on major paved roads when traveling
in Kuwait. Travel north of Jahra toward the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border is
not authorized without approval from the embassy and an appropriate
escort.

c. Embassy Kuwait's normal workweek is Sunday through Thursday, and
office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The time difference
with the East Coast of the United States is EST plus eight hours.
The embassy switchboard number is (965) 259-1001, and the IVG
number is 4950000. The after-hours number which rings at Marine
Guard Post One is (965) 538-2098. The mission duty officer can be
reached through the embassy switchboard, Post One or by cell phone
at (965) 967-7265. The embassy pouch address is 6200 Kuwait Place,
Dulles, VA 20189-6200.

d. Threat Assessment: Kuwait is a high-threat post and the military
threatcon is currently Charlie. We have increased security
precautions at official U.S. installations in Kuwait and recommend
that all Americans in Kuwait remain alert to their surroundings and

review their personal security practices.

e. Health Advisory for Kuwait: April through October is the hot
season in Kuwait. Temperatures reach 120-140 degrees F in summer.
Caution should be taken to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion
by 1) drinking plenty of fluids and
2) staying indoors, especially during peak temperature hours of
noon to 3:00 p.m. (1200-1500). Low humidity coupled with high
temperatures creates excessive moisture loss from evaporation. It
is necessary to drink 2-4 quarts of water daily to prevent
dehydration.

f. Money: Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, restaurants
and other establishments throughout Kuwait and ATM machines are
also readily available. For travelers on official orders, the
Commercial Bank of Kuwait can provide accommodation services
(cashing a personal check drawn on a U.S. bank into local
currency) up to a maximum of USD 300.00 per day from 11:00 am
to 1:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. At the current rate of
exchange, one Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) is equivalent to approximately
USD 3.650.

g. CAA Access: Visitors who need unescorted access into secure
areas of the mission must slug cables to the attention of the RSO,
and include the level of their clearance. The cable should
include the visitor's Social Security Number, and the name of the
agency granting the clearance. Cables should include the ASEC tag
to ensure distribution to the RSO office and the Marine Security
guard at Post One.

h. Computer and Electronics Usage: Sensitive military information
has been discovered recently on business center computers at local
hotels in Kuwait City. All U.S. Government personnel and
contractors must remember that it is their responsibility to
observe good computer and information security practices.
Information processed on computers in hotel business centers,
through email correspondence or document creation, is highly
exploitable. Public computers located in hotel business centers,
internet cafes, airport lounges, etc. should never be used to
process, store or disseminate sensitive information. Compromise
of sensitive government or military information can result in
serious damage to national security. Compromises of sensitive
personal data can result in significant personal and financial
hardship. Random checks are conducted by Embassy personnel on
public PC's. Breaches on COMPUSEC will result in the violator
receiving security infractions and/or security violations.
Interagency security standards prohibit the introduction or use
of non-USG owned computer hardware and software at all USG
diplomatic facilities. Cell phones, palm pilots, radios and
other convenience electronics are prohibited in all secure areas
of the mission.

i. Photography: Tourist photography is encouraged in Kuwait.
However, it is strictly forbidden to photograph public
buildings, economic infrastructure, or military and other
security-related facilities and personnel. Confiscation of film
and camera and even arrest may result from doing so. A good rule
of thumb: If there is any doubt as to whether a photograph should
be taken, don't take it.

j. Action Request: Each visitor, regardless of length of stay,
must bring or forward fiscal data to pay for direct costs of the
visit. Each agency, organization or visiting delegation will be
charged for the actual costs attributed to their visit. Direct
charge costs include, but are not limited to: American and LES
staff overtime (e.g., expeditor, accommodation exchange,
representational event support),field travel, lodging and meals
and incidental expenses (M&IE) by embassy employees, vehicle
rentals, long-distance telephone calls, equipment rentals, office
supplies and all other costs that are directly attributable to
the visit. If fiscal data on a traveler's authorization is to
be used for this purpose, this information must be spelled out in
the travel orders and sufficient funding provided to meet these
expenses. In addition, for TDYers over thirty (30) days, there
will be a charge for ICASS support services. If your sponsoring
agency is not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be
prepared to sign an ICASS Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for
ICASS support services upon arrival. The agency should provide
post with written communication, generated by the traveler's
headquarters, that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges
for the TDYer, provide the agency ICASS billing code for the
TDY support to be provided, and authorize the traveler to sign
the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY module. When travel is
urgent, TDYers should bring this document with them to ensure
there are no interruptions in the provision of services. Post

will not provide any services to a TDYer staying in excess of 30
days without having received this documentation prior to day 31
of the TDY.

k. Visit Kuwait's Classified Website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/

Misenheimer