US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT3262

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003262 
 
SIPDIS 
 
MANILA FOR PAUL O'FRIEL 
NEW DELHI FOR LAUREN HOLT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2014 
TAGS: ELAB, PBTS, MOPS, KU, IZ 
SUBJECT: KUWAITI MFA SAYS GOK WILL NOT ENFORCE BAN ON 
FOREIGN NATIONALS ENTERING IRAQ 
 
REF: KUWAIT 3033 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reason 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) During introductory meeting with MFA Chief of Protocol 
Walid al-Khubaizi on September 20, Khubaizi told Ambassador 
LeBaron that he would be meeting later that day with the 
Indian and Filipino Ambassadors and via conference call with 
the Nepali Ambassador resident in Riyadh.  On instruction 
from the Foreign Minister, he would tell them that it was not 
the responsibility of the GOK to enforce their travel bans to 
Iraq.  Khubaizi said that the GOK decision in August to 
enforce the bans had been made while several senior officials 
were out of country.  Now GOK ministers viewed the decision 
to have Kuwaiti border officials stop Indian and Filipino 
workers and drivers from entering Iraq to have been "a 
mistake."  (He alluded to pressure from Kuwaiti companies who 
were being hurt by the ban.)  Walking the decision back was 
problematic, but Khubaizi would start by telling the Indian 
and Filipino Ambassadors that they should work with Iraqi 
officials and with the U.S. military regarding security 
concerns in Iraq, but that Kuwait would not stop third 
country nationals from entering Iraq. 
 
2. (C)  Comment:  The GOK action will complement the 
approaches we have made in various capitals to re-visit their 
Iraq travel bans.  It may in some instances allow distressed 
contractors to move towards more normal work schedules and 
alleviate the mounting logistical problems created by the 
travel bans.  However, it is not a clear fix to the problems 
created by the travel bans.  The governments in question may 
have other means of dissuading their expatriate nationals 
from traveling to Iraq and can certainly enforce the ban on 
workers recruited directed from home countries.  We will 
continue to make the point to their Embassies here that all 
reasonable security measures are taken to protect 
third-country nationals employed directly or indirectly by 
the U.S. military and that vital contract support for the 
mission in Iraq is negatively affected by the travel ban. 
End comment. 
 
3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
LeBaron