US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT2072

S E C R E T KUWAIT 002072 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA, PM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, EPET, EAID, MOPS, IZ, KU 
SUBJECT: (S) OIF FUEL ISSUE:  GOK INVITES COMMERCIAL 
CONTRACT 
 
REF: KUWAIT 2018 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR RICHARD H. JONES; FOR REASONS 1.4 (A, B, D) 
 
 1. (S) Further to the conversation reported reftel, Embassy 
has received a diplomatic note from the MFA Americas Dept. 
(number 20041488 dated July 7, 2004), in Arabic, marked 
"Urgent and Secret."  Informal Embassy translation follows: 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs presents its best compliments 
to the Embassy of the United States of America, and with 
reference to the amounts consequent upon the State of 
Kuwait's provision of fuel to the American forces, and after 
the meeting held between His Excellency the Undersecretary of 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and His Excellency the 
Ambassador of the United States of America on Wednesday, June 
30, 2004 regarding the referenced subject, 
 
This Ministry is pleased to inform the esteemed Embassy that 
the Government of the State of Kuwait, in appreciation for 
the great role played by the United States of America in 
Iraq, has decided not to request the amounts consequent upon 
the State of Kuwait's provision of fuel to the American 
forces up to the date of transfer of authority to the Iraqis. 
 
After the transfer of authority to the Iraqis, we assess that 
the presence of the American forces and their stay in Iraq 
springs from the desire of the Iraqi authority, upon which 
falls the duty to provide all types of facilitation and 
support for that presence, including the provision of the 
necessary fuel for these forces. 
 
For its part, the Ministry assures that the State of Kuwait 
is prepared, if the American forces wish the continuation of 
the provision of fuel, to conclude a contract between the two 
parties arranging the matter on a commercial basis. 
 
(Complimentary closing) 
 
END TEXT. 
 
2. (U) Baghdad Minimize considered. 
JONES