US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT1402

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001402 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/FO, PM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2014 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, ASEC, IZ, KU 
SUBJECT: (SBU) CJCS DISCUSSES IRAQ PRIME MINISTER AND 
MINISTER OF DEFENSE 
 
Classified By: CDA FRANK C. URBANCIC, FOR REASONS 1.4 (A, B) 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General 
Richard B. Myers discussed the current situation in Iraq with 
the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense April 14. 
Prime Minister Shaykh Sabah emphasized that Kuwait's support 
for Coalition efforts in Iraq would continue.  General Myers 
contrasted the current situation in Fallujah and the problems 
dealing with radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.  He said 
the military situation in Fallujah has been exacerbated by 
foreign fighters flocking into the city.  He explained that 
al-Sadr's actions has been marginalized and his militia 
devalued in many areas. 
 
------------------------- 
(U) "A GREAT PARTNERSHIP" 
------------------------- 
 
2. (C) At the outset of their April 14 meeting at the Prime 
Minister's residence, General Richard B. Myers, Chairman of 
the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), thanked Prime Minister 
Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jabir Al-Sabah and Deputy Prime 
Minister and Minister of Defense Shaykh Jabir al-Mubarak 
al-Hamad Al-Sabah for Kuwait's support and termed the USG-GOK 
relationship "a great partnership." 
 
3. (C) Shaykh Sabah replied, commenting warmly on his 
September visit to the United States and his meetings with 
President Bush and other senior officials.  He added that the 
relationship was very firm and that Kuwait was "extremely 
committed" to making the relationship work.  He then 
solicited General Myers' views on the "realities in Iraq." 
 
 
---------------------- 
(U) STAYING THE COURSE 
---------------------- 
 
4. (C) Referencing President Bush's 4/13 press conference, 
General Myers emphasized that the timetable for transfer of 
sovereignty is firm.  He explained that military plans for 
future troop deployment to Iraq include requesting the same 
number of troops as now.  But he added, hopefully fewer 
troops will be needed.  He went on to outline the new 
Coalition military command structure for Iraq, of which the 
Iraqis will be an integral part. 
 
 
------------------ 
(U) UNITED NATIONS 
------------------ 
 
5. (C) General Myers acknowledged the Prime Minister's 
recommendation of an expanded role for the United Nations. 
He said that despite certain media reports, the UN now 
appears to  play a more serious role there.   Shaykh Sabah 
concurred, saying that Kuwait believes the UN could be very 
helpful before June 30. 
 
 
----------------------- 
(S) GOING AFTER AL-SADR 
----------------------- 
 
6. (S) General Myers articulated the Coalition's case against 
radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, explaining that the 
power of al-Sadr has become "further marginalized" by his 
actions which are beginning to alienate key constituencies 
inside Iraq including other Shiite leaders and the Kurds.  He 
described al-Sadr's noticeably uncooperative attitude during 
recent meetings with members of Iraq's Governing Council 
(IGC) and his defiant attitude toward other clerics.  He went 
on to say that recent attacks against al-Sadr's Jaysh 
al-Mahdi militia have severely reduced their military 
effectiveness; al-Sadr is now surrounded in Al-Najaf.  The 
CJCS stated that one day the Iraqis will bring al-Sadr to 
justice, but added, "How do you do that without causing a lot 
of casualties?"  Alluding to previous discussions with the 
CJTF-7 commander LTG Sanchez, which weighed offensive 
operations options against al-Sadr using Iraqi troops only, a 
combination of Iraqi and Coalition troops, or Coalition 
troops alone, General Myers stated that despite the 
possibility of a backlash by the local populace, Coalition 
forces are prepared, if necessary, to go after al-Sadr alone. 
 
 
------------------------- 
(S) FIRESTORM IN FALLUJAH 
------------------------- 
7. (S) General Myers briefly described the recent military 
operations in Fallujah, wondering whether the current 
difficulties in Fallujah could have been mitigated if the 
Coalition had used the IGC or the tribal council system 
immediately after the cessation of major military operations 
in the region last year.  Shaykh Sabah agreed with his 
assessment, he mentioned reports two Kuwaitis may have been 
killed during the recent fighting in Fallujah. 
 
 
----------------------------- 
(S) IRAN, SYRIA, SAUDI ARABIA 
----------------------------- 
 
8. (S) The Prime Minister said that Iran continues to 
interfere in Iraq not out of concern for the Iraqis, but as a 
way of damaging the United States' reputation in Iraq and 
elsewhere in the region.  He said that the Iranian government 
has given USD 80 million to al-Sadr.  He said, "We know that 
there are many Saudis in Fallujah.  We have heard from Syria 
that about 1,000 Saudis recently crossed the Syrian border 
into Iraq.  Of course, the Syrian government did not tell us 
that, but we were informed by the Syrian tribes in the area. 
We naturally on-passed this information to you."  General 
Myers agreed with Shaykh Sabah's assessment of Iran. 
 
 
-------------- 
(S) AL-JAZEERA 
-------------- 
 
9. (S) Shaykh Sabah warned General Myers that the long 
history of biased reporting of the Al-Jazeera television 
station would continue to cause problems for the Coalition. 
General Myers acknowledged the problem, but told Shaykh Sabah 
that repeated meetings between USG officials and Al-Jazeera 
representatives yield little results.  Shaykh Sabah 
facetiously inquired in English if launching a missile at the 
television station would help. 
 
 
------------------------- 
(S) "CLOSEST TO THE FIRE" 
------------------------- 
 
10. (S) GOK's Minister of Defense Shaykh Jabir expressed the 
GOK's desire to be kept better informed about the situation 
in Iraq, commenting that as friends of the USG, "We do not 
wish to hear things from others before we hear it from you." 
General Myers quickly agreed that it was important that the 
USG keep Kuwait informed and that the USG needed to do a 
better job of it.  He added that the monthly OSD allied 
briefings would be conducted weekly from now on.  Shaykh 
Jabir thanked General Myers for these comments adding, "We 
are closest to the fire.  We need to know first."  The 
meeting concluded by Shaykh Sabah stating that he wished the 
USG continued success in Iraq; he commented in English that 
Kuwait's support for Coalition efforts in Iraq will continue. 
 
11. (S) COMMENT:  This meeting, the first between General 
Myers and the Prime Minister was  perhaps as important for 
what was said as what was not.  AIK fuel was not raised by 
either side.  Neither was the issue of Kuwaiti nationals held 
at Guantanamo.  The GOK realizes how delicate the situation 
is now in Iraq and does not wish to give any appearance of 
impeding us at this critical juncture, mindful that, as we 
often hear from Kuwaitis, in and out of government,"your 
success in Iraq is our success." 
 
12. (U) The Chairman did not have a chance to clear this 
cable. 
URBANCIC