US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT1125

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001125 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA AND PM; OSD/ISA FOR A/S RODMAN AND PDASD FLORY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, EFIN, MARR, PGOV, KU 
SUBJECT: KUWAITI TECHNICAL TEAM ON FUEL TO TRAVEL IN APRIL; 
GOK EXTENDS HOC MANDATE 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 1061 
 
     B. KUWAIT 762 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C)  During a March 19 meeting on Arab League matters 
(septel) the Ambassador asked Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Under Secretary Khaled Al-Jarallah about the timing and 
agenda of a delegation to Washington for discussions on OIF 
fuel and related issues.  Al-Jarallah reported that Foreign 
Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah 
recently chaired a meeting of representatives from the 
ministries of Defense, Interior, Communications, Information, 
and Finance, as well as Kuwait Petroleum Company.  A 
technical sub-committee was formed which met the week of 
March 12 and which will meet again the week of the 19th to 
prepare proposals for the Washington talks.  Al-Jarallah 
anticipates that an expert-level team, to be led by Kuwaiti 
Ambassador to the U.S. Shaykh Salim Al-Abdallah Jabir 
Al-Sabah, will be ready to travel in April.  Al-Jarallah was 
optimistic that progress would be made during the visit and 
referred to a report of the March 18 meeting between Shaykh 
Salim and DOD A/S Rodman during which A/S Rodman noted the 
Kuwaiti offer of $24 per barrel with appreciation and said a 
response would be forthcoming soon. 
 
2.  (C)  The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the March 
16 decision to keep open the Humanitarian Operations Center - 
HOC (septel).  Al-Jarallah agreed that the HOC has played a 
vital role in the reconstruction of Iraq, but said it was a 
priority for the GOK that UN Assistance Mission for Iraq 
(UNAMI) assume this function.  He noted the GOK's frustration 
that Parliament has not yet approved the UNAMI/GOK agreement. 
 The Ambassador commented that much of the HOC's success was 
due to the active role played by Kuwait, in conjunction with 
coalition personnel, and encouraged the GOK to remain engaged 
once UNAMI is fully operational. 
 
3.  (U)  Baghdad: Minimize considered. 
 
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LEBARON