TFKU01: CHEESEBURGERS AS SYMBOLS OF RESISTANCE; WATER AS A

S E C R E T KUWAIT 04875 E.O. 12356 DECL:OADR TAGS: PREL PGOV KU SUBJECT: TFKU01: CHEESEBURGERS AS SYMBOLS OF RESISTANCE; WATER AS A WEAPON OF WAR ¶1. CANADIAN EMBASSY LAST NIGHT, AUGUST 27, LEARNED IN A MOST TANGIBLE WAY OF THE STRENGTH OF THE KUWAIT RESISTANCE, AND THE IMPACT EMBASSIES' DEFIANCE OF IRAQI ORDERS TO CLOSE HAS HAD ON THE LOCAL KUWAITI POPULATION. ¶2. IN THE LATE EVENING, THE SMALL BAND OF CANADIAN DIPLOMATS SEALED INTO THEIR EMBASSY HEARD ROCKS BEING PELTED AT THEIR WINDOWS. FEARING THE WORST -- THE MUCH RUMORED RENT-A-MOBS -- THEY GINGERLY LOOKED OUT THEIR WINDOWS. THERE, ON THE SIDEWALK OUTSIDE THEIR CHANCERY, WERE TWO VERY FRIGHTENED KUWAITI BOYS. IN THEIR HANDS WERE A PLATTER OF CHEESEBURGERS, PICKLES, A CASE OF SODAS AND A COOLER OF ICE. AS THEY PLACED THE FOOD DOWN BY THE GATE, THEY SHOUTED OUT "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STAYING", AND SCAMPERED OFF. A FEW MINUTES LATER, ANOTHER YOUNG, SCARED BOY CAME TO THE GATE, PUSHED A BOX OF TABLE CANDLES THROUGH, AND RAN OFF. ¶3. CHEESEBURGERS BY CANDLELIGHT WILL NOT END THE IRAQI OCCUPATION OF KUWAIT. THE WILLINGNESS OF THESE THREE BOYS, AND THEIR FAMILIES, TO DEFY THE SEALING (THE CANADIANS ARE NOT AS GUARDED AS OTHERS) BY BRINGING FOOD AND LIGHT IS, HOWEVER, A SIGN THAT THE KUWAITIS HAVE NOT GIVEN UP YET, AND SEE OUR COLLECTIVE DIPLOMATIC WILLINGNESS TO TOUGH IT OUT ON THEIR BEHALF AS A PORTENT THAT KUWAIT WILL ULTIMATELY PREVAIL. THE HAMBURGERS WERE EVEN HOT AND PROPERLY DONE. ¶4. IN A LATER CONVERSATION, CANADIAN CHARGE INFORMED US THAT IN THE COURSE OF THE MORNING, THE IRAQIS HAD RETURNED TO HIS CHANCERY AND DUG A LARGE DITCH, THEREBY PERMANENTLY CUTTING OFF THEIR WATER. BOWDEN ASSURES US (AND WOULD LIKE HIS GOVERNMENT INFORMED) THAT THEY HAVE AMPLE SUPPLIES. BOWDEN WOULD LIKE INFORMATION WE CAN PASS TO HIM ON WHAT OTTAWA IS DOING TO RETALIATE AGAINST THE IRAQI EMBASSY THERE. HOWELL