US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT3830

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003830 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/26/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, IZ, JO, KU, KUWAIT-IRAQ RELATIONS 
SUBJECT: GOK NOT MUCH TROUBLED BY SADDAM'S PHOTOS ON 
BAGHDAD ST., BUT DISMAYED BY BA'ATH PARTY MEETING IN AMMAN 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem 
Al-Sabah told the Ambassador in a meeting August 27 that the 
recent return of Saddam Hussein's photo to demonstrations of 
diehard Ba'athists in Baghdad did not concern Kuwait.  He 
suggested this was to be expected from people disenfranchised 
by the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, "who ran the country like 
a private farm."  Of greater concern to Kuwait was the recent 
Ba'ath Party meeting in Amman, Jordan, the FM said.  By 
permitting the meeting, the GOJ provided a "media outlet" to 
known Ba'athist sympathizers like the outspoken journalist, 
Salah Muqtar, who had participated by video-conference from 
Sanaa.  Kuwait conveyed its "dismay" to the GOJ, the FM 
noted, but he did not seem entirely satisfied by King 
Abdullah II's statements expressing concern about the Ba'ath 
Party meeting. 
 
2.  (C) Shaykh Dr. Mohammed also mentioned that the GOK was 
continuing to pressure its contacts in Iraq to resolve the 
political situation and stabilize the country.  He agreed 
with the Ambassador's statement that the support of Arab 
countries was vital to the success of the political process 
in Iraq.  (Note: The Iraqi Foreign and Finance Ministers may 
be visiting Kuwait next week.  End note.) 
 
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LEBARON