WELCOME CABLE FOR CODEL BARRASSO (NOVEMBER 24-27)

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001106

CODEL
SIPDIS

NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN
SUBJECT: WELCOME CABLE FOR CODEL BARRASSO (NOVEMBER 24-27)


1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes CODEL BARRASSO to travel to post
from NOV 24-27, 2009.


2. Visit Officer: An Embassy visit officer and an expeditor
will meet and assist you upon arrival.

Embassy Point of Contact is:

Control Officer:
Garth Hall
Political Officer
Office: (965) 2259-1690
Mobile: (965) 9942-4087
Email: HallGT@state.gov


3. Lodging: Rooms have been reserved at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel for Nov 25-26, 2009. The hotel telephone number is
(965) 2474-2000 and the fax number is (965)2474-2460. The
single room rate at the hotel is approximately USD308.33 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 339.00 for lodging, plus a meal
and incidental expense (M&IE) allowance of USD 109.00 for a
total of USD448.00.



4. 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 KD 3.000, or USD 15.00 for each
visa issued. 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) 2259-1001, and
the IVG
number is 4950000. The after-hours number which rings at
Marine Guard Post One is (965) 2538-2098. The mission duty
officer can be
reached through the embassy switchboard, Post One or by cell
phone at (965) 9967-7265. 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

KUWAIT 00001106 002 OF 003


review their personal security practices.

e. Health Advisory for Kuwait: Visitors from November to
March can expect cold winds and, at times, heavy rains.
Light winter clothing
is suitable for Kuwait during these months. At this time,
allergies and colds are more common, and visitors to the area
are advised to
bring over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol,
Ibuprofen and cough medicine, with them for self-treatment.
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 noon to 2:00 p.m.,
Saturday
through Wednesday. At the current rate of exchange, one
Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) is equivalent to approximately USD 3.65.

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.

KUWAIT 00001106 003 OF 003


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/

********************************************* *********
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit:
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at:

http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it
********************************************* *********
JONES