US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT3548

S E C R E T KUWAIT 003548 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PTER, KU 
SUBJECT: KUWAITI CHIEF OF STAFF MEETS WITH THE CHIEF OF 
U.S. NAVAL OPERATIONS - A NEW VIEW AT AN OLD RELATIONSHIP 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for 
reasons 1.4 (a), (b), and (d) 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY AND COMMENT.  The Chief of Naval operations, 
Admiral Vern Clark, met with Kuwait Chief of Staff, 
Lieutenant General Fahed, on October 11 and discussed the 
state of the bilateral relationship.  Fahed asserted that the 
bilateral relationship is now based on mutual desires and 
interests and is no longer based on the defense of Kuwait. 
Fahed added that the GOK shares the USG's interest in seeing 
stability and peace spread to the people of the region.  The 
Chief of Staff's musings are similar to other statements we 
hear from Kuwaitis who are struggling to understand Kuwait's 
role in a post-Saddam region.  We interpret his remarks to 
mean that he favors emphasizing strategic interests in order 
to build a relationship that will last no matter what happens 
to the north.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (S) Kuwaiti Chief of Staff, General Fahed, received the 
Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Vern Clark, for forty 
minutes on October 11.  Fahed opened the conversation with a 
discussion on Iraq and then turned to the topic of the 
U.S.-Kuwait bilateral relationship.  Fahed stated that the 
bilateral relationship is no longer based primarily on the 
defense of Kuwait.  Touching on the same subject that Fahed 
addressed with General Abizaid a week prior, Fahed stressed 
that pursuit of "mutual interests" of peace and stability in 
the region should be the manner in which the relationship is 
characterized.  Fahed added that "we don't just support you 
because you are the United States of America.  We support you 
because we believe in your mission."  Fahed finished by 
saying that CENTCOM sponsored military exercises must have 
relevance for his military, intimating that some of the 
recent exercises involving senior GCC military and civilian 
leaders were outside of the purview of his forces' mission. 
 
3. (S)  Admiral Clark later met with Major General Al Mullah, 
Kuwait Navy Commander, who brought up the topic of how to 
handle the Iraqis and the border issue on the water.  The 
border issue encompasses the Iraqi, Kuwaiti, and, to a lesser 
extent, Iranian access to the Khor Abd Allah waterway near 
Bubiyan Island.  Clark recommended that any discussion occur 
in a political arena for resolution as a matter between 
governments.  The border issue is sure to be revisited as 
almost daily reports of Iraqi intrusions into Kuwaiti 
waterways are reported and the demarcation line is difficult 
to "see" on the seas. 
LeBaron