US embassy cable - 05KUWAIT5099

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AMBASSADOR PITCHES COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER ON CUTTING AL MANAR OFF ARABSAT

Identifier: 05KUWAIT5099
Wikileaks: View 05KUWAIT5099 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Kuwait
Created: 2005-12-12 13:01:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: PTER PGOV PREL ANET KU
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
VZCZCXRO1793
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #5099 3461301
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121301Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2125
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS KUWAIT 005099 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARPI AND S/CT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PREL, ANET, KU 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PITCHES COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER ON 
CUTTING AL MANAR OFF ARABSAT 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 5083 
     B. KUWAIT 5061 
     C. STATE 216186 
 
1.  (SBU)  Ambassador ran into the Kuwait Communications 
Minister, Shaykh Ahmed Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the 
evening of December 11 and made a strong pitch to pull Al 
Manar from ARABSAT programming.  The Minister replied that 
ARABSAT is a jointly owned company and therefore others would 
need to be approached as well.  Ambassador noted that we are 
making the same strong pitch to other owners of ARABSAT, 
including Saudi Arabia, as well as to satellite owners around 
the world, and that we have had some success.  The Minister 
inquired about the Saudi reaction; Ambassador replied that he 
had not seen a response from Riyadh.  (We will supply the 
Minister with a non paper on the topic.) 
 
2.  (U)  Ambassador made a similar pitch to Information 
Minister Dr. Anas Al-Rasheed on December 7 and NEA DAS Gray 
conveyed U.S. concerns to Acting Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Undersecretary Khalid Al-Babtain on December 6. (refs A and 
B). 
LEBARON 

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