US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT811

S E C R E T KUWAIT 000811 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
STATE FOR NEA, NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA, PM 
TUNIS FOR NATALIE BROWN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2014 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, IZ, KU 
SUBJECT: (C) U.S. FUNDING REQUESTS PUSHING HARD CHOICES ON 
GOK 
 
REF: KUWAIT 777 
 
Classified By: CDA FRANK URBANCIC; REASON 1.4 (A, B, D) 
 
1.  (S/NF) The GOK has been the most stalwart supporter of 
U.S. actions in Iraq anywhere in the Arab world.  As a result 
of our close partnership, the Kuwaitis have given us 
tremendous support.  The large number of pending U.S. 
requests for additional support, however, is beginning to 
pinch, and the GOK may now start making choices among the 
many American requests.  We have just learned unofficially, 
for example, that the MOD has stopped many of its upgrades 
because, within the Kuwaiti bureaucracy, MOD is actually 
paying the bill for the AIK fuel currently being provided to 
U.S. and coalition forces out of its own budget since there 
is no funding in the regular government budget -- which 
parliament must approve.  Military projects being put on hold 
for the time being while payment for this fuel bill is sorted 
out follow: 
 
- There has been no progress on the $55 million upgrades to 
Camp Arifjan previously agreed to by Kuwait, which are needed 
in order for us to vacate Camp Doha by end 2005 as promised; 
 
- We have deferred requesting ten-day basing for C-23 Sherpa 
aircraft; 
 
- The requested deployment of two EC-130H Compass Call 
aircraft remains on hold.  Their purpose is to provide 
sophisticated electronic warfare support to defeat IEDs in 
Iraq.  The best the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CoS) 
is willing to allow is to exchange them for any two existing 
C-130s; 
 
2.  (S) The CoS has ambitious plans for the Kuwaiti Armed 
Forces that are being stymied by the drain on his resources 
from paying for our forces' fuel, including: 
 
- Acquisition of C-130Js; 
 
- Upgrades of the Kuwaiti F-18 program (Boeing); 
 
- Short-range radar (Motorola), $22 million; 
 
- Acquisition of the Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids 
Systems (HIDAS) aviation survival equipment suite for the 
Apache, in time to ensure HIDAS is integrated while the 
aircraft are on the production line. 
 
3.  (S) In addition, the United States is squeezing the 
Kuwaitis to provide cash or AIK funding in the following 
amounts for various other causes: 
 
- Afghanistan ($30 million pledged previously, we have asked 
for more); 
 
- Jordan (25,000 barrels/day oil for 6 months, worth $135 
million at $30/barrel); 
 
- Palestinian Authority; 
 
- Liberia; 
 
- Ukraine/Chornobyl; 
 
- A potentially huge additional military-cooperation project 
has not even been broached in any comprehensive way with the 
Kuwaitis yet:  relocation of the strategic Aerial Port of 
Debarkation/Embarkation (APOD) from Kuwait City International 
Airport to Ali al-Salem airbase, with a potential total 
price-tag near $500 million, for which the USG could seek 
considerable Kuwaiti participation. 
 
4.  (S) COMMENT:  The more we are able to give the Kuwaiti 
leadership a clear sense of the total support we seek from 
them, the easier it will be for them to meet our requests. 
 
5.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
URBANCIC