US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT3039

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 003039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2013 
TAGS: MOPS, PREL, EPET, IZ, KU 
SUBJECT: GOK REQUESTS INCREASED SECURITY FOR FUEL SHIPMENTS 
TO IRAQ 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, reasons 1.5 (B) and (D). 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paragraph 3. 
 
2. (C) MFA U/S Khalid al-Jarallah contacted the Ambassador on 
the afternoon of July 9 at the request of Minister of Foreign 
Affairs Shaykh Sabah al-Sabah.  According to al-Jarallah 
there is a continuing need for security for trucks carrying 
goods from Kuwait into Iraq, particularly those carrying fuel 
under contract to Kellogg, Brown and Root.  He said that 
Shaykh Sabah had raised this issue recently with both NEA A/S 
Burns and UK FM Jack Straw and that each had assured him of 
their readiness to be of help on the issue.  Unfortunately, 
although some security was being provided, it was still 
insufficient.  Shaykh Sabah had asked him to reiterate the 
GOK request for increased security for the fuel trucks in 
particular.  He termed this a "small but important" issue 
since the availability of fuel impacted on the daily lives of 
Iraqi civilians.  The Ambassador noted that, unfortunately, 
he had not been present during Shaykh Sabah's discussions 
with A/S Burns, however he would relay this request at once 
to Washington and the Coalition Provisional Authority in 
Baghdad. 
 
3. (C) Comment and Action request:  We understand from KBR 
that its trucks do periodically receive small arms fire, even 
at locations relatively near to the IZ/KU border, and that 
one of their fuel-truck drivers was seriously wounded in late 
June.  We have also heard reports of other incidents where 
trucks have been looted and drivers held for ransom.  While 
we are not in a position to verify such accounts, we have no 
reason to believe that local interlocutors would 
intentionally try to exaggerate the security situation inside 
Iraq.  In such an environment, a redoubling of efforts to 
protect shipments of materials important to the US to the 
extent that resources allow would seem to make good sense. 
Please advise on how we should respond to the GOK request. 
 
4.  (U) Minimize considered. 
JONES