US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT922

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000922 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PM, NEA/ARP, NEA/REA, NEA/NGA 
CPA BAGHDAD FOR AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2014 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, MARR, MOPS, KU, IZ 
SUBJECT: (C) FOREIGN MINISTER URGES RESOLUTION OF AIK FUEL 
ISSUE 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 00390 
     B. KUWAIT 00379 
     C. KUWAIT 00368 
     D. KUWAIT 00243 
     E. KUWAIT 00127 
     F. SECTO 00042 
 
Classified By: CDA Frank C. Urbancic, reason 1.4(b,d). 
 
1.(U) This is an action message; please see para 5. 
 
2.(C) Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem 
Al-Sabah summoned the Charge d'Affaires to an urgent meeting 
after official Kuwaiti business hours March 21 at the request 
of Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and 
the Council of Ministers to try to reach an understanding on 
the AIK fuel issue. Dr. Mohammed told the Charge that the GOK 
is under tremendous pressure from the National Assembly and 
Auditor's Bureau to justify the continued unlimited AIK fuel 
supplies the GOK provides free of charge to U.S. and 
Coalition forces in Iraq, "especially now that major 
hostilities have been declared over." He added that the 
National Assembly's recent "grilling" of Finance Minister 
Mahmoud Al-Nouri has aggravated the situation and that the 
GOK needs USG support on the fuel issue in order to prevent a 
worsening of relations with Parliament. (Note: Al-Nouri faces 
a possible no-confidence vote tomorrow, March 22, in the 
National Assembly. End Note). Dr. Mohammed stressed that 
other Gulf countries were not sharing in the Iraq support 
effort and that the GOK does not want to be "burdened" with 
the entire fuel cost indefinitely. He hoped that some 
"burden-sharing" arrangement could be found to suit both 
sides and help the GOK defend politically its continued AIK 
support for post-war Iraqi reconstruction. 
 
3.(C) Charge told Dr. Mohammed that GOK assistance in the 
form of AIK fuel is indispensable for the post-war 
reconstruction and development effort in Iraq, and that the 
USG appreciates GOK contributions to date. He stressed the 
importance of reaching an acceptable agreement with the GOK 
that would enable Kuwait to continue to provide AIK fuel 
supplies at the level outlined in January by Assistant 
Secretary for Political Military Affairs Lincoln Bloomfield 
 
SIPDIS 
Jr. during his visit to Kuwait (i.e., 458 million gallons in 
2004). 
 
4.(C) Dr. Mohammed said he hoped the issue could be discussed 
in detail before the March 30-31 Joint Military Commission 
(JMC) and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad 
Al-Sabah's upcoming visit to Washington. He said an advance 
team will be traveling to Washington prior to the Minister of 
Defense's visit. Charge said the Foreign Minister's message 
that it wanted an "agreement" or "contract" that the GOK 
could present to the National Assembly in order to ensure 
parliamentary support for continued AIK fuel assistance was 
clear. Charge suggested that both sides establish technical 
committees and convene a meeting to discuss the issue before 
Sheikh Jaber's visit later this month. 
 
5.(C) Action Request: That the Department establish a group 
empowered to speak with authority on U.S. requests to follow 
up on the Bloomfield presentation with the Kuwaiti technical 
committee in Washington before the JMC. 
 
6.(U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
URBANCIC