EMBASSY ENDORSES ARCENT DU CONTAINERIZATION PLAN

S E C R E T KUWAIT 001153 NOFORN SIPDIS NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR MOPPS KU SUBJECT: EMBASSY ENDORSES ARCENT DU CONTAINERIZATION PLAN REF: A. KUWAIT 180 ¶B. 2003 MG STRATMAN - COS LTG AL-AMIR LETTER Classified By: Political Counselor Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (S/NF) Incoming Kuwaiti Armed Forces Chief of Staff LTG Shaykh Ahmad Al-Khalid Al Sabah has made resolution of the long-running depleted uranium (DU) round reside issue a top priority. In several conversations with OMC-K, most recently on December 9, he has indicated his desire to see the USG quickly resolve the DU residue issue at the Kuwaiti Udairi Range Complex -- noting that this issue has lingered since 2003 (ref A) and that the USG had made prior commitments in this regard which the GoK now seeks to see fulfilled. Shaykh Ahmad has conveyed that if the matter is not quickly resolved (within two weeks, by December 25) he will elevate it to the political leadership here, and has intimated that inaction could have lasting consequences for the bilateral mil-mil relationship. Given earlier comments by Kuwait's Defmin to the Ambassador (also ref A),we believe Shaykh Ahmed will have a receptive audience should he suggest that inaction on our part should lead to consequences. ¶2. (S/NF) Embassy fully understands the complexity of the DU residue issue and the broader policy ramifications of establishing a mitigation precedent in this case, as conveyed most recently by PM A/S Shapiro over lunch during last week's NEA Chief of Missions conference. However, the case of Kuwait may be sui generis in that the USG has already committed to the clean up (ref B, emailed to NEA/ARP). Consequently what is at issue here is not establishing a precedent through a new endeavor, but rather following through on an existing commitment. ¶3. (S/NF) Embassy understands that ARCENT has put forward a proposal that would involve containerization of the limited amount of potentially DU contaminated sand currently stored on-site in mounds of tarp-covered dirt at the Udairi Range Complex. Ambassador endorses this proposal and requests that approval be expedited. Resolving this long-running bilateral mil-mil irritant will serve the broader US interest by reinforcing a positive relationship with the new Kuwaiti Armed Forces leadership, and will also facilitate continuing host government cooperation in sustaining Kuwait's role as a vital logistical and operational hub for the US military. ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES