US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT3507

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 003507 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, ECON, PREL, PREF, KU, IZ, Assistance 
SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS CENTER TO DECENTRALIZE 
OPERATIONS; UN AND NGOS ANXIOUS 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 1061 
 
     B. KUWAIT 1120 
 
This cable is sensitive but unclassified; please protect 
accordingly.  Not for Internet distribution. 
 
1.  (U) Summary and Comment: At an August 2 meeting at the 
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MFA International Organizations 
Department Director Ambassador Abdullah Murad said that the 
Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC) offices would be closing 
down on August 10, but said that the MFA would try to 
continue the services of the HOC by delegating them to the 
relevant ministries and agencies throughout Kuwait.  He 
outlined how each specific task previously facilitated by the 
HOC would now be facilitated by the individual ministries, 
and assured all those present that the GOK was still 
committed to the goals of the HOC.  United Nations 
representatives at the meeting expressed strong concern about 
the decentralization of the HOC's operations and asked, 
unsuccessfully, that the HOC continue as is until the 
approval by the National Assembly of an MOU between the 
United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the 
GOK, expected in October or November.  HOC Chief, General 
(ret) Ali Al-Mumin, said that he would compile a list of all 
the names and phone numbers of the HOC representatives in 
each ministry and make that available to the UN and all of 
the NGOs.  Comment:  Embassy interventions succeeded in 
keeping the HOC open far longer than intended by the GOK.  At 
this time, we judge that additional efforts would not be 
successful and we will press for prompt approval of the UNAMI 
MOU.  End Summary and Comment. 
 
MFA Commits to Keeping HOC Services Going 
----------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (U) Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
International Organizations (I/O) Department Ambassador 
Abdullah Murad hosted a meeting August 2 to discuss the 
future operations of the Humanitarian Operations Center (Ref 
A).  Present at the meeting were Embassy Officers, U.S. 
military personnel detailed to the HOC and from CFLCC, UN 
personnel, HOC Chief General (ret) Ali Al-Mumin, and other 
MFA I/O personnel.  Murad opened the meeting by saying that 
the current physical HOC location would be closed down but 
that the MFA would "try to keep all of the services going." 
General Ali said that the MFA had just met August 1 with all 
of the GOK ministries and agencies involved with the HOC and 
all had agreed to continue providing the HOC services from 
within their own organizations.  He said that, as of August 
10, the HOC would no longer take on any new tasks or 
responsibilities, and that all services should be requested 
directly through the relevant ministry. 
 
3.  (U) General Ali commented on a number of the specific 
functions in which the HOC has been involved and explained 
how those functions would continue.  He said that, after the 
HOC location shuts down on August 10, Iraqi returning 
refugees would still have their transportation facilitated 
"for a week or two" and then direct transportation would be 
arranged from the airport to the Abdali border crossing.  For 
health cases, General Ali said that he would like to continue 
the HOC's work in this regard but that there would be a 
"snag" on some private patients coming from Iraq to Kuwait 
for treatment.  He said that the Ministry of Health would 
need to approve each individual case.  For Customs, 
specifically how the NGOs would get Customs exemptions on 
humanitarian supplies entering Kuwait destined for Iraq, 
General Ali said that he, an assistant and a liaison officer 
stationed at the UN compound would all have the authority to 
sign an exemption from Customs duties.  He said that the 
Kuwait Customs Agency did not want to take the responsibility 
themselves on this matter. 
 
4.  (U) General Ali added that he would send a form to all 
HOC participating ministries and ask each one to provide the 
name and contact information for those responsible for 
continuing the HOC functions within each ministry.  He said 
that a list of qualified NGOs would also be distributed to 
all ministries.  Econ Officer encouraged them to do this as 
soon as possible, preferably before the August 10 cut-off 
date. 
 
UN Not Happy, Needs MOU Approved 
-------------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) UN Resident Coordinator Moez Doraid thanked the GOK 
and the MFA specifically for all of its support for the HOC 
and the UN, and voiced the UN's desire to see the HOC 
continue to operate "as is."  He explained that UNAMI is 
still waiting for its own MOU to be ratified and, in the 
absence of a UNAMI MOU with the GOK, the HOC continued to 
serve a critical function.  He welcomed a HOC liaison officer 
in the UN compound, but asked if it would still be possible 
for the UN and NGOs to have one physical focal point to go to 
for all of their needs.  He repeatedly asked if there was any 
way to keep the HOC functioning exactly as is until the UNAMI 
MOU is approved by the National Assembly.  MFA I/O Director 
Murad made it clear that this would not be an option, as far 
as he was concerned, and that the two issues could not be 
linked. 
 
6.  (U) Murad again emphasized that each ministry would 
provide the necessary HOC services and that he and General 
Ali would take responsibility for this.  When U.S. Army Col. 
Carlos Trejo explained how critical the HOC has been to 
health functions, Murad said that the MFA was "simply 
dividing up the work" and moving offices and not closing down 
the HOC.  UN officials again pushed for continuation of the 
HOC as is and were told that it was not possible and that 
everyone needs to trust the MFA to handle this transition. 
He said that the MFA "will always find a solution."  Col. 
Trejo explained that the U.S. military and CFLCC would do 
what they could to continue to support the HOC but support 
and services would almost certainly not be available as they 
had been previously. 
 
Confusion Reigns Among HOC Staff 
-------------------------------- 
 
7.  (U) Political Officer met August 6 with Lt. Col. Price 
and Col. Trejo to discuss the HOC closure in further detail. 
According to the two American officers, the HOC's operations 
will cease on August 10th and the building with all offices 
and support personnel will shut down on August 30th.  General 
Ali will take no more than three personnel with him to his 
office in Shuwaikh.  Coalition personnel (i.e. uniformed 
officers and NCOs) will no longer be required and General Ali 
himself told Col. Trejo that he would make no effort to 
prolong their stay.  In addition, the GOK is to designate a 
Liaison Officer to UNAMI to assist with the additional NGO 
workload and General Ali's office would put out a list of 
contacts which will be able to provide support in lieu of the 
Immigration and Medical officers. 
 
8.  (SBU) According to Col. Trejo, General Ali feels strongly 
that the NGOs need to move over to UNAMI even if UNAMI 
doesn't share this view.  (Note: Col. Trejo met with UNAMI 
staff last week and reportedly they believed the exact 
opposite.  End Note.)  In addition, both officers said that 
there was confusion amongst the staff at the HOC, with most 
saying that the HOC is 'ending', 'closing, and 'disbanding', 
not/not moving to other offices.  Finally, Col. Trejo and Lt. 
Col. Price spoke of the intense dislike that many of the 
staff had for General Ali and the fact that many refused to 
follow him to another office, with one retiring and one 
transferring as soon as possible, in order to ensure that 
they were not called upon to share a workspace with him 
again.  The animosity is so intense that one secretary took 
off her shoe to demonstrate what she thought of the former 
Chief of Staff.  General Ali will retain control of the $5 
million designated for Najaf and is still in the running for 
Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq, although another candidate has 
also been identified, according to Lt. Col. Price. 
 
9.  (U) Basrah minimize considered. 
 
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Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: 
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LEBARON