US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT5805

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 005805 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/23/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, ETRD, KU 
SUBJECT: GCC COMMITS TO ANTITERROR PACT, INCREASED ECONOMIC 
COOPERATION 
 
Classified By: CDA John G. Moran for reason 1.4 (b) 
 
1. (U) Summary: Wrapping up its annual summit in Kuwait on 
December 22, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) agreed its 
member states would enter into an anti-terror pact, but did 
not specify a deadline.  In the organization's closing 
statement, the Supreme Council (SC), composed of heads of 
states of the six GCC members or their representatives, 
condemned recent terror attacks in Riyadh and Iraq and urged 
member states to accede to the International Convention on 
Combating Terror.  On the economic front, the GCC ratified a 
new Gulf Authority for Standardization, aimed at coordinating 
efforts towards the full implementation of a planned customs 
union.  The SC also praised the agreement between the 
Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Governing 
Council to expedite the transfer of power to the Iraqi 
people.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) GCC countries agreed to conclude an anti-terror 
convention during their December 21-22 annual summit in 
Kuwait, which assumed the rotating presidency for one year. 
Strongly condemning the Riyadh bombings and all acts of 
violence, the GCC Supreme Council agreed in its final 
communique that Ministers of Interior from respective member 
states would sign an agreement at a later date.  Acting on a 
recommendation from its Interior Ministers, the SC also urged 
its member states to join the UN International Convention on 
Combating Terror, citing the destabilizing effects of 
terrorism on the region. 
 
3. (U) The GCC leaders also focused on increased economic 
cooperation as a means to increase stability.  During the 
summit, the GCC Supreme Council: 
 
-- Discussed economic integration and conducted evaluations 
of reports and recommendations on economic issues.  They took 
note of progress regarding the planned GCC Customs Union. 
 
-- Affirmed the necessity of the free flow of commodities and 
goods between its member states, as well as the removal of 
obstacles to this free flow.  To this end, the SC decided to 
establish a Customs Information Center at the GCC General 
Secretariat, linking GCC customs agencies and facilitating 
 
SIPDIS 
the execution of Customs Union requirements. 
 
-- Reviewed progress made on the joint Gulf Market 
initiative, to be fully implemented by 2007. The initiative 
includes a provision guaranteeing GCC citizens full rights 
while in other GCC states. 
 
-- Established that the Monetary Union would issue a common 
GCC currency NLT January 2010.  The decision to issue a 
common currency had been previously ratified during the 22nd 
session. 
 
-- Ratified a unified anti-dumping law with an effective date 
of January 2004. 
 
-- Ratified a new Gulf Authority for Standardization, to be 
headquartered in Riyadh.  The organization will monitor 
progress by member states on customs union implementation 
issues, as well as safeguard quality standards on products 
entering the GCC market. 
 
-- Agreed to cooperate more closely on power and water issues 
in the future. 
 
-- Assigned a committee to draft a feasibility report on the 
establishment of rail links between GCC states. 
 
4. (U) On Iraq, the Supreme Council reiterated GCC sympathy 
for and solidarity with the Iraqi people "in their current 
ordeal."  They expressed satisfaction with the new US policy 
expediting the shift of power to Iraqis and welcomed the 
agreement between the IGC and CPA to lay down a specific 
timetable transferring power.  The council also called for a 
UN role in Iraq, "in order to enable Iraqis to decide their 
own political future." 
 
5. (U) Calling on the occupation forces to follow all 
relevant UNSCRs and international law, specifically the 1949 
4th Geneva Convention, the SC denounced the terrorist 
explosions against civilians, humanitarian groups, 
international organizations and diplomatic missions. (Note: 
It did not specifically mention US forces.  End Note.)  It 
denounced deliberate mass murder by the former Iraqi regime 
as "flagrant, gross violations of human rights, Islamic 
principles and Arab values and morals," and welcomed the 
establishment by the Iraqi Governing Council of a special 
tribunal to try members of the former regime. 
 
6. (C) Comment: For all the pre-summit talk that this meeting 
would chart the course of the GCC for the next ten years, the 
result is what one might expect from a summit of less than 
one full day.  The major themes track with the GCC states' 
professed interest in greater economic unity and cooperation 
against the strategic threat of terrorism. 
MORAN