KUWAITI SECURITY DIALOGUE PARTICIPATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001130

SIPDIS

NEA/ARP, NEA/RA, PM FOR PETRONE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KU
SUBJECT: KUWAITI SECURITY DIALOGUE PARTICIPATION

REF: STATE 112900

Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and
d


1. (U) The responses below are keyed to reftel questions.


2. (U) The United States and Kuwait participate bilaterally
in two established dialogues: The Gulf Security Dialogue
(GSD) and the Joint Military Commission (JMC). Details on
these dialogues are provided below.

Gulf Security Dialogue (GSD)
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3. (C) The 2006 genesis of the GSD was to affirm for Kuwait
USG commitment to gulf security and recognize Kuwait's unique
contribution to OIF as well as growing security concerns
relevant to Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. GSD
discussions were intended to focus on the six pillars of
enhanced defense cooperation: enhanced defensive capabilities
and cooperation, regional security, critical infrastructure
protection, counter-terrorism and internal security,
counter-proliferation, and developing a shared assessment on
Iraq. Due to evolving conditions in the region, there is
some sense that some pillars may need to be updated or
refocused.

-- Participants. Participants in the 2006 discussion
included then DOS Acting Assistant Secretary, DOD Deputy
Assistant Secretary, US Ambassador (or CDA),OMCK Chief, DIA,
NSA, and political and economic officers. Participants on the
Kuwaiti side included the Director and Deputy Director of the
National Security Bureau (NSB) and officials from MFA, MOI
(including Kuwait State Security),Oil Ministry, and KMOD.

-- Occurrences. In a joint statement issued May 22, 2007,
the two sides agreed to meet every six months in alternating
capitals. As it has turned out, however, the GOK has hosted
all three GSDs, which took place May 2006, June 2007, and
March 2008. Efforts to schedule subsequent GSDs -- and to
hold one in Washington -- have been derailed by scheduling
issues and the non-availability of key officials from
relevant offices.

-- Utility. The 2006 and 2007 GSDs were widely viewed as
productive and worthwhile. Apparently piqued by USG
insistence on holding the March 2008 GSD again in Kuwait,
then-NSB director Shaykh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al Sabah (now Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Affairs) failed to
show. In lieu of the director, his deputy Shaykh Thamer Al
Sabah led the discussion and proved a limited interlocutor.
GOK officials responded positively to subsequent USG
overtures to restart the process and were disappointed when
these failed to come to fruition. Overall, Post deems the
GSD dialogue useful -- provided that it engages key decision
makers -- and believes it warrants an enhanced commitment to
firm dates, reciprocal venues, and a more focused agenda.

Joint Military Commission (JMC)
--------------


4. (C) The JMC, the highest bilateral military meeting, was
established in connection with the 1991 implementation of the
USG/GOK Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA).

-- Occurrences. The JMC is notionally expected to occur
every 2 years in rotating capitals but, due to scheduling
conflicts, has in reality taken place approximately every
third year. The last JMC took place spring 2007; the next
JMC is tentatively scheduled to take place in Washington in
January 2010.

--On the Kuwait side, the JMC is theoretically meant to be
led by the "Top 4" (MinDef, Mindef Undersecretary, Chief of
Staff, and Deputy Chief of Staff). However, levels of
participation have eroded over time and the Kuwaitis planned
to send the KMOD J3 (Director of Operations) as their lead
official to the -- subsequently scrapped -- October 2009 JMC.
OMCKQhief Brig Gen Touhill has pushed KMOD hard to have its
presumptive Chief of Staff lead the Kuwaiti side in January
2010, but was told on December 1 that Major General
Al-Othman, KJ3, will lead the delegation.

-- Utility. As a whole, both Kuwaiti and US military
participants deem these meetings useful in providing a forum
for discussing bilateral mil-mil issues. With the wind-down
of OIF, the desired U.S. military-related footprint and

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operational activity in Kuwait, the permissiveness of the
operating environment, and the degree to which Kuwait will
continue to provide AIK and other support for our activities
here (perhaps to include GOK desire to revisit or more
clearly define aspects of the DCA) are all on the table and
can appropriately be addressed at the operational level via
the JMC as a precursor to higher-level political engagement.
Thus, the upcoming JMC may be particularly significant.

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

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