US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT256

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000256 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN, ETTC, PTER, PREL, KU 
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR DEPT CLARIFICATION OF ALLEGED REPORT 
ON KUWAITI CHARITIES 
 
 
1.  This is an action request:  please see para 3. 
 
2.  On December 31, 2004, the Arabic newspaper Al-Watan 
alleged that a U.S. Department of State report exonerated all 
Kuwaiti charities of support for terrorism (informal 
translation in para 3).  The story was subsequently repeated 
in other publications (including two opinion pieces by 
Islamist commentators, who used the report's alleged 
conclusions to bolster their attacks on Kuwaiti liberals). 
Post's public affairs section has received numerous inquiries 
about this supposed report, and we understand that the 
Kuwaiti DCM in Washington has approached the Department to 
verify the article's veracity.  To our knowledge, at least 
one Kuwaiti charity remains designated under E.O. 13224 and 
is included on the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee's consolidated 
list. 
 
3.  ACTION REQUEST.  Post requests that the Department 
confirm the existence or non-existence of such a U.S. 
Government report, so that we may respond accordingly. 
 
4.  BEGIN ARTICLE. 
 
Al-Watan newspaper 
December 31, 2004 
By Khalil Khalaf 
 
"Monies from Kuwaiti charities are indeed directed toward 
good works.8   This is the result, or the exoneration, which 
Kuwait received from the Department of State through a 
detailed report.  Informed sourced confirmed to Al-Watan that 
authoritative parties in Kuwait received a detailed report 
from the State Department regarding follow-up and monitoring 
of money donations and collections for charitable activities 
in Kuwait and parties overseas which receive these donations. 
 
 
The American report exonerated Kuwaiti charitable entities 
from any suspicions related to support of terrorist groups or 
having any sort of links to terrorism.  The report indicated 
that monies from Kuwaiti charities are, in reality, directed 
towards good deed activities and spent on aiding orphans, the 
poor, and the needy.  The money is also utilized to build 
mosques and to dig wells, etc. 
 
A government source praised the cooperation of Kuwaiti 
charitable institutions to Al-Watan and noted his 
appreciation for the results.  END ARTICLE. 
LEBARON