A BIG FOOTPRINT IN THE SAND: THE U.S. PRESENCE IN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 KUWAIT 001036 SIPDIS NEA/ARP, NEA/RA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2024 TAGS: PREL UNGA KU SUBJECT: A BIG FOOTPRINT IN THE SAND: THE U.S. PRESENCE IN KUWAIT Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (S) Summary and Comment: During the nearly two decades since U.S. and Coalition forces liberated Kuwait, a robust USG presence -- military and civilian -- has become virtually a fixture here. This posture has been encouraged by a welcoming host government that has seen its own long-term security linked to a significant USG presence, particularly on the military side. The generally hospitable official Kuwaiti environment, expressed in material terms by over USD 1.2 billion annually in such benefits as free access to bases, waived port and air support fees, customs waivers, subsidized fuel and other services, has rendered Kuwait an indispensable ally in the conduct of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Latterly, our presence in Kuwait has significantly facilitated USG operations in the AF/PAK theater. U.S. military operational flexibility here has largely been governed by the favorable terms of a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the GOK signed in 1991 and extended for ten years in 2001; at the conclusion of the extension, the DCA will continue in force indefinitely unless terminated by either side on one years' written notice. ¶2. (S) Summary and Comment (cont'd): But with 17 USG departments and agencies present, the GOK directly or indirectly supports more than just the U.S. military (which has ten support locations in Kuwait, including ARCENT forward headquarters and the largest USG military logistics facility in the world),and upwards of 15-20K military personnel on the ground at any one time. Civilian support includes funding positions for the Federal Highway Administration, a U.S. Customs team, a Coast Guard contingent of 117, and providing free land and a generous energy subsidy (at the same rate as that provided other USG agencies in Kuwait of .66 US cent/kw hour) for IBB operations that reach from Europe to Asia. The material support and general ease and flexibility of USG operations here -- from beaming radio and satellite programming well beyond the region, or being able to conduct realistic live-fire training at Kuwait's huge Udairi Range -- is irreplaceable, at least in the near term. With the U.S. transitioning combat forces out of Iraq and considering its future footprint in Kuwait, the GOK will need to be engaged on ongoing areas of support, and at what level. Post consequently provides the following overview of USG operations here to give policy-makers a better sense of what is at stake. End Summary and Comment. U.S. Military Presence -------------- ¶3. (C) The GOK presently provides the U.S. military with essentially open access to ten bases, including two air bases (Ali Al Salem Air Base and Al Mubarak Air Base at Kuwait City International Airport),five land bases (Camps Arifjan, Buehring, and Virginia, plus access to a Life Support Area facility located on Ali Al Salem Air Base -- which serves as the primary ARCENT hub for moving U.S. forces to CENTCOM forward-deployed bases -- and the joint U.S./Kuwait Khabari border crossing facility, which streamlies convoy operations into and out of Iraq),two port facilities (Kuwait Naval Base and Shuaybah Port),and a Defense Distribution Depot, a 100 acre warehouse complex which facilitates, on average, 1.4 million shipments per year of military equipment. Camp Buehring, notably, serves as a venue for U.S. Army/Marines "spin-up" training prior to deployment in Iraq (and, on occasion, Afghanistan) and serves, as well, as a location where joint exercise training is conducted involving U.S. and Kuwaiti forces. Kuwait also provides U.S. forces with access to its 2,250 sq/km Udairi Range facility, considered one of the world's best venues for land/air live-fire and combined arms combat training. Approximately 90,000 U.S. military personnel per year utilize this facility for live-fire training purposes. ¶4. (C) At present, over 20,000 U.S. military personnel (including some 5,000 contractors) are located at bases and facilities in Kuwait, with the bulk at Camp Arifjan. GOK support for the presence of these personnel, together with open access to this extraordinary range of facilties, has been essential to our ability to conduct OIF and has enhanced our ability to conduct operations in the Afghanistan/Pakistan theater. In CY 08 alone, some 1,750,000 U.S. forces transited through Kuwait, either en route to Iraq or other deployment locations or back to the U.S., utilizing Kuwaiti bases and benefitting from Kuwaiti provided fuel and services. (Note: From 2005 until the end of 2008, Kuwait KUWAIT 00001036 002 OF 004 provided the U.S. military with quantities of subsidized JA1 aviation fuel for OIF. Since the expiration of this agreeement, the U.S. has been paying "fair market price" for the JA1 fuel. Under the terms of the Defense Cooperation Agreement, Kuwait continues to provide 7,500 gallons per day of free JA1 aviation fuel to the U.S. military. End Note.) ¶5. (C) The Embassy-based Office Of Military Cooperation - Kuwait (OMC-K) facilitates training of Kuwaiti military counterparts and is also responsible for the conduct of an extensive Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The OMC-K training program includes two components: FMS training (valued at USD 13 million in FY 2009),under which 314 Kuwait military personnel attended military schools in the U.S. in FY 2009 and a training exercise program that has engaged all components and staff of the Kuwait Armed Forces. (Note: the 214 FY 2009 students are a small fraction of the several thousand who have attended U.S. military schools since the early 1990's. End Note.) In addition to training exercises that have included elements of Kuwait's land and air forces and its independent brigades, a particular focus has been on enabling the Kuwait Naval Force to participate as a contributing member of a coalition task force responsible for security in the central Arabian Gulf. At present, the U.S has over 125 active FMS cases with Kuwait amounting to over USD 8.1 billion in value, including, among the more significant items, the sale of 218 M1A2 Main Battle Tanks and associated equipment, 39 F/A-18 C/D Hornet aircraft, 16 AH-64 Apache helicopters, and 5 Patriot Air Defense Systems. Notably, the GOK is in final stages of agreement for a USD 1.1 billion purchase of six KC-130 tanker aircraft and associated support. Kuwait funds under the current FMS support case 42 U.S. military billets in OMC-K and 11 civilan billets, as well as associated housing and vehicle costs. As Kuwait is a "cash customer," the GOK's contribution to the U.S. economy through equipment purchases is significant. (Note: Per para 8, below, the USG presence also contributes a reciprocal boost to Kuwait's economy, with average annual expenditures of over USD 6 billion/yr on fuel, base support operations, and transportation. End Note.) ¶6. (C) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) presence in Kuwait, which pre-dates the Gulf War, was instrumental post-Liberation in helping Kuwait re-establish critical buildings and infrastructure; in recent years, it has assisted in the reconstruction of a number of GOK buildings while focusing its energies on construction projects in support of both the U.S. and Kuwait military at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, 25th Commando BDE, 94th Yarmouk BDE, Camp Arifjan, the Udairi Range Complex, and the Khabari Military Crossing. USACE is presently involved in projects to upgrade Kuwait ammunition supply points and upgrade maintenance facilities on the Kuwait Naval Base. While USACE does not receive direct funding for personnel from the GOK, personnel costs are built into FMS construction cases. USACE currently has approximately USD 10 million in FMS cases for several projects, including USD 3.6 million for construction of a training building and USD 1.3 million for synchrolift repairs at the Kuwait Navy Base. If approved by KMOD, USACE could be awarded USD 800 million in projects during the coming year, including work on the Kuwait Joint Command and Staff College, Kuwait's Air Force Headquarters, Al Mubarak Air Base, and brigade complex; an additional two projects worth over USD 500 million (work on the Falaika Navy Base and construction of a Kuwait Navy HQ complex) are under consideration. The GOK recently called on USACE to assist in assessing needed repairs to the USD 160 million Mishref wastewater recycling facility whose systemic failure on August 24 resulted in extensive environmental damage. ¶7. (C) The U.S. Coast Guard operates in Kuwait in support of CENTCOM and NAVCENT operations in the region. At present, a USCG detachment of some 117 personnel conducts port security operations at Kuwait Naval Base and Shuwaybha Port related to U.S. military movements/shipments and protective measures for Iraq's Al-Basra oil terminal (ABOT). In addition, USCG personnel conduct periodic training of Kuwaitis in maritime law enforcement issues. The presence of USCG personnel in Kuwait is supported by normal OIF deployment funding. ¶8. (C) The U.S. military presence also has a significant impact on the Kuwaiti economy, through local contracts and purchases, housing and transportation for contractors and other purchases. The U.S. military has estimated that the direct annual economic impact of the U.S. military on the KUWAIT 00001036 003 OF 004 Kuwaiti economy was $6.2 billion. Of that, however, almost $2.6 billion consisted of fuel purchases which are either subsidized or could be sold for an equal price to another customer. From 2003 to 2005, Kuwait provided the U.S. military with free jet fuel for Operation Iraqi Freedom. From March 2005 until end-December 2008, it provided jet fuel at a discount. In 2008, the estimated cost of that subsidy to the GOK in 2008 when oil prices reached record levels was USD 528 million (Kuwait 477). Subtracting out the fuel payments (since Kuwait would presumably have been able to sell fuel at a higher price),still leaves a direct economic impact of $3.6 billion. This figure does not take into account any multiplier effect of additional funds circulating through the Kuwaiti economy. It also does not directly address the fact that Kuwaiti companies, such as the global logistics giant Agility, grew rapidly by supporting the U.S. military. Customs -------------- ¶9. (C) A U.S. Customs Advisory Team (comprised of two AMCIT personal services contractors and two local-hire support personnel) has operated in Kuwait since 1992, with the primary objective of providing training to the Kuwait General Administration of Customs (KGAC) on core enforcement issues including narcotics interdiction, narcotics investigations, terrorist financing/money laundering, financial investigations, intellectual property rights, and organizational structure. Working in close cooperation with Embassy, the Customs team has significantly enhanced GOK capacities to address international crime with minimal intra-GOK duplication of effort. Significantly, all training conducted under the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Advisory Program is funded by the KGAC at no cost to the USG. In FY 2010, the U.S. Customs team will send 45 Kuwait Customs employees and enforcement personnel for training in the U.S. on a range of matters related to trans-national crime, smuggling and radiation detection; the USD one million costs for this program will be borne by the GOK. International Broadcasting Bureau Station -------------- ¶10. (C) The International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) has operated a station in Kuwait (IBB/BGG) since 1993 under the terms of a twenty-year agreement. The facility, operated by three Amcit officers and twenty-six local hires, serves as a short and medium wave broadcasting facility and satellite gateway facility for IBB's global network. The station currently operates four 250 KW shortwave transmitters and two medium wave transmitters (one at 150 KW and one at 600 KW) as well as two FM transmitters. The station broadcasts BBG programming in several languages to target audiences in the Middle East and western Asia. In addition to its radio broadcasts, IBB Kuwait also uplinks to several regional commercial satellites, broadcasting direct satellite-to-home transmissions of BBG radio and television programs. The Kuwait facility also functions as a major network switching center, routing BBG programming to other BBG transmitting stations in Asia. The facility is presently building a third medum wave transmitter to enable direct broadcasting of Radio Farda (Persian language) programs to Iran, as well as expanding its ability to broadcast towards Africa and additional regions of Asia. For cost reasons (high local cost of land and salaries),IBB closed down its Ismaning facility in Munich, Germany in 2007 and moved the station's satellite gateway operations to the Kuwait transmitting station. (Note: It is not clear that the GOK is aware of this transfer. IBB believes the transfer is covered by its existing Duly Authorized Telecommunications Entity authority to operate uplink and downlink operations. End Note.) The move saved the USG an estimated USD 2.1 million per year, including approximately USD 1.8 million in lower local salary costs and 300,000 in land lease costs (land lease costs in Germany were about USD 300,000; land for the site in Kuwait -- a twelve square kilometer site protected by Kuwait's military -- is provided by the GOK at no cost). Federal Highway Admininstration Programs -------------- ¶11. (C) The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has fielded programs in Kuwait since 1968 under the terms of a 1968 Consulting Agreement with Kuwait's Ministry of Public Works (MPW). Under the agreement, FHWA provides consulting services to MPW in the areas of highway planning, design, construction, administration and maintenance. FHWA staff in Kuwait also facilitate the travel of Kuwaiti highway KUWAIT 00001036 004 OF 004 engineers for technical training in the U.S. and the travel of U.S. technical experts to Kuwait to conduct technical courses. Currently, FHWA is working with MPW to develop a master plan to manage the overall operation and maintenance of Kuwait's highway system. These consulting services are provided to MPW by a three-person FHWA team based in Kuwait at GOK expense. The program is fully covered by the GOK (approximately USD 1,400,000 per year in personnel salary and support costs) at no cost to the USG. U.S./Kuwait bilateral highway cooperation has been a factor in maintaining the U.S. position as a leading exporter of transportation-related commercial goods and services, thereby creating economic opportunities for U.S. firms and workers. ¶12. (S) Comment: For nearly twenty years, the USG has been able to count on a Kuwaiti environment that permitted maximum operational freedom in the military sphere and others. While those days are not yet over -- and Kuwait's nervousness about being a small state in a dangerous neighborhood means they will want a significant U.S. presence for the foreseeable future -- many Kuwaitis believe that the time is approaching when we can jointly look at a "right-sized" USG presence, particularly regarding the U.S. military presence and Kuwaiti support for the same. In part, this sentiment comes from a sense that the immediate danger from a weakened Iraq has diminished and, in part, it comes from an understandable Kuwaiti desire to redirect resources where possible to meet other needs. The GOK -- and Kuwaitis in general -- retain a large reservoir of good will towards the U.S. and recognize their small size and dangerous neighborhood requires a protector, preferably the U.S. Consequently, they decidedly are not seeking to push us out the door. Nonetheless, many anticipate that as Iraq combat operations wind down there will be a commensurate shift in our military footprint here, writ large. What size that footprint should or will be -- and how much Kuwaiti territory and financial resources should remain dedicated to supporting it as the U.S. re-directs its attention to other theaters -- is a conversation we need to begin to shape now, recognizing that the tenor and ultimate outcome of that discussion will likely have consequences for other U.S. civilian operations as well. End Comment. ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES