US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT4424

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004424 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, MARR, MOPS, IZ, KU, NATO 
SUBJECT: GOK APPROVES NATO REQUEST FOR TANK SHIPMENTS, 
REGISTERS CONCERN 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) During a meeting with the Ambassador on October 
15,Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Salem Al-Sabah 
agreed to a NATO request to accept Iraq-bound T-72 tanks at a 
Kuwait port but registered strong GOK concern about the 
substance and optics of the shipment. "We will give approval, 
but we are concerned," the FM stated. "The nature of these 
weapons is offensive, designed to conduct brisk operations 
across borders," he added. "They formed the backbone of the 
Iraqi Republican Guard." He added that the GOK defense 
establishment is also "extremely" concerned about the "state 
of flux" within the Iraqi armed forces and the structure of 
Iraqi soldiers' loyalties. 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador reminded the FM that the shipment would 
also include Greek surplus armored personnel carriers. 
Shaykh Mohammed said that procuring the APCs "made sense" in 
terms of internal security but that the tanks "were designed 
to beat armies, not rebels." Shaykh Dr. Mohammed repeated his 
request for Ambassador to share the GOK message. "We want to 
be helpful," he concluded, "but want to register the concern." 
 
3. (C)  Comment: Unloading of surplus T-72s (the same models 
Saddam used to invade) at a Kuwaiti port should not be viewed 
by NATO as a public affairs opportunity. 
 
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LEBARON