IRAQI INCURSION ACROSS KUWAITI BORDER

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 04397 E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR TAGS: PREL IZ KU AS SUBJECT: IRAQI INCURSION ACROSS KUWAITI BORDER REF: (A) STATE 253201 (B) WILSON/MACK TELECON (C) WILSON/CHARLES TELECON ¶1. (S-ENTIRE TEXT) ¶2. WE HAVE TRIED REPEATEDLY SINCE 0630 LOCAL TO REACH SENIOR MFA OFFICIALS, INCLUDING FOREIGN MINISTER AZIZ. UNDERSECRETARY HAMDUN IS APPARENTLY NOT AT HOME SINCE NOBODY ANSWERS HIS HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER. THE FOREIGN MINISTRY DUTY OFFICER IS AWARE OF OUR INTEREST IN TALKING TO THE MINISTER, AND WE ARE REMIND- ING THEM EVERY TEN MINUTES. AT 0710 LOCAL WE WERE TOLD THAT BOTH HAMDUN AND THE FOREIGN MINISTER WERE IN A MEETING. ¶3. EMBASSY HAS SET UP A CRISIS MANAGEMENT TEAM. EMBASSY TELEPHONE NUMBERS ARE: 7196138/9, 7189265, 7189267, 7193791, 7189273. SECURITY LINE IS EXTENSION 286. ¶4. IRAQI PRESS THIS MORNING MAKES NO MENTION OF INCURSION. IRAQI PRESS COVERAGE OF THE KUWAIT/IRAQ TALKS ARE CRITICAL OF KUWAIT'S UNCOMPROMISING POSITION, BUT DO NOT IN ANY WAY SUGGEST THAT THE GOI IS CONSIDERING THE MILITARY OPTION. WILSON