US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT2512

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 002512 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, ASEC, PGOV, KU 
SUBJECT: INTERIOR MINISTRY OFFICIAL APPRAISES KSS 
PERFORMANCE 
 
 
Classified By: CDA MATTHEW TUELLER; REASON 1.4 (B) 
 
1. (C)SUMMARY: In an August 8 meeting with Charge, Interior 
Ministry Undersecretary LtGen Nasser Al-Othman said that the 
Ministry will not stop in its efforts to uncover militant 
activities in Kuwait.  Al-Othman also spoke of a need to 
improve KSS and for the organization to be more aggressive in 
pursuing terror suspects. END SUMMARY 
 
2. (C) On August 8, Charge called on Interior Ministry 
Undersecretary LtGen Nasser Ahmed Al-Othman.  Charge thanked 
Al-Othman for the security the Ministry has provided to the 
US Embassy and US citizens in Kuwait.  He also congratulated 
him on the recent arrests of Kuwaitis suspected of supporting 
Al-Qa'ida by recruiting militants to strike US targets in 
Iraq and Kuwait.  Al-Othman commented that the Ministry,s 
aim is not merely to prepare these cases for prosecution but 
to get more information and to develop additional leads on 
possible suspects.   He assured Charge that they are not 
relenting on the investigation and are following up on all 
leads. 
 
KSS Must Do Better 
------------------- 
3. (C) LtGen Al-Othman said the Kuwait State Security (KSS) 
must be more aggressive in pursuing terrorists and terrorist 
supporters.  He remarked that had three Kuwaiti youths not 
been apprehended in Syria after trying to enter Iraq in July, 
they would still be in Kuwait, unknown to security officials 
and planning attacks.  The detentions led to KSS raids and to 
the arrest of many more terror suspects here.  He used this 
point to illustrate that KSS must do better and must be more 
aggressive in its approach to apprehending militants. 
Al-Othman remarked that Kuwait is in a middle phase of 
security efforts against militants but must move to the next 
step.  He stated that security officials are now able to 
surround and apprehend militants but they must make efforts 
to penetrate the organizations as well. 
 
4. (C) Al-Othman stated KSS also needs good investigators 
with good training.  Because of this need, Al-Othman 
expressed an interest in future training opportunities with 
US law enforcement officials.  He said that KSS personnel 
must become more skilled.  He also expressed hope for 
improved interoperability with US law enforcement officials 
in the future. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT: LtGen Nasser Al-Othman,s view of the KSS 
appears to be closely aligned with that of the Interior 
Minister*that KSS needs to be reformed and revitalized if it 
is to better protect Kuwaiti citizens and residents from 
militant activities in Kuwait. 
TUELLER