VZCZCXRO2176
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHKU #1055/01 0860627
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 270627Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3692
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001055 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP - BERNS, H, AND NEA/IR, LONDON FOR TSOU, 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ IR KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS
KUWAIT-IRAN RELATIONS 
SUBJECT: CODEL MCCAIN THANKS GOK FOR IRAQ SUPPORT; PM TELLS 
DELEGATION IRAQ A U.S. "BURDEN" 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 807 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 677 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary: Senator McCain and a delegation of Senators, 
Congressmen, and Governors met March 24 with Prime Minister 
Shaykh Nasser Mohammed, Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. Mohammed, 
and other senior Kuwaiti officials to express U.S. gratitude 
for Kuwait's generous assistance to Operation Iraqi Freedom 
and "phenomenal" hospitality to U.S. forces stationed in 
Kuwait.  On regional security issues, specifically Iraq and 
Iran, the Prime Minister told the delegation the "burden" of 
building a coalition government in Iraq lay on the U.S., and 
reported he had similarly emphasized the need for a coalition 
government to separate Iraqi Shi'a and Sunni delegations who 
recently visited Kuwait.  While hoping for the best, the PM 
said Kuwait was preparing for a possible civil war in Iraq 
and reported that the Kuwait Red Crescent Society had already 
purchased 100,000 tents and other supplies to shelter 
potential Iraqi refugees.  PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said the 
Amir had been "very frank" with Iranian President Ahmadinejad 
during the latter's recent visit (refs A and B), particularly 
regarding Kuwaiti concerns about a Three-Mile Island or 
Chernobyl-style accident at one of Iran's nuclear facilities. 
 According to the PM, Ahmadinejad assured the Amir that 
Iran's nuclear program was for peaceful purposes only.  The 
delegation also visited the National Committee for Missing 
and POW Affairs, an event that received considerable local 
media coverage.  In comments to the press, Senator McCain 
praised the committee's efforts to locate missing Kuwaiti 
POWs.  He also argued that the Lebanese people "deserve to 
live independent from Syrian occupation."  End summary. 
 
Composition of Codel McCain 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Accompanying Senator John McCain (R-AZ) were Senator 
Russell Feingold (D-WI), Senator John Thune (R-SD), Governor 
Tim Pawlenty (MN), Governor Bob Riley (AL), Governor Jon 
Huntsman (UT), Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL), 
Representative Joe Schwarz (R-MI), and Representative Tom 
Udall (D-NM). 
 
Clear Message of U.S. Gratitude 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) In a March 24 meeting with Prime Minister Shaykh 
Nasser Mohammed Al-Sabah, Foreign Minister Shaykh Dr. 
Mohammed Al-Salem Al-Sabah, and other senior GOK officials, 
Senator McCain strongly expressed U.S. gratitude for Kuwait's 
support for coalition efforts in Iraq.  "We could not be 
doing what we do without you," he said.  Characterizing 
Kuwaiti hospitality to U.S. troops as "phenomenal," McCain 
said, "We will always be very, very grateful."  Senator 
Feingold also thanked the Kuwaitis for their "tremendous" 
counter-terrorism cooperation, assistance to victims of 
hurricane Katrina, and "enormous help" in Operation Iraqi 
Freedom (OIF).  Governor Pawlenty agreed, saying, "You have 
demonstrated your friendship with words and deeds."  Their 
thanks were echoed by the other members of the delegation. 
The PM expressed appreciation for the delegation's gratitude, 
but said Kuwaiti support for its "ally" was a "duty."  He 
also highlighted the "excellent historical relations between 
the U.S. and Kuwait" and concluded, "A friend in need is a 
friend indeed, and the U.S. is a friend indeed." 
 
Iraq a U.S. "Burden" 
-------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) The PM stressed the need to build a coalition 
government in Iraq, which he said was a U.S. responsibility 
and "burden."  PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said he had 
similarly emphasized the need to form a broad, representative 
government in meetings with separate Shi'a and Sunni 
delegations that recently visited Kuwait (ref A).  He claimed 
the Sunnis acknowledged their "mistake" in boycotting the 
January 2005 elections, but were worried that the new Iraqi 
Constitution codified their exclusion from power.  He lauded 
Iraq's 1924 Constitution as "the best in Iraq's history" and 
said provisions giving proportional representation to Iraq's 
various ethnic and religious groups worked as "a tent over 
all factions." 
 
¶5.  (C) Another problem complicating Iraqi government 
formation was that Iraqi Sunnis "cannot accept (Ibrahim) 
Jaafari as Prime Minister," PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said, 
adding that the "burden" was on the U.S. to convince Shi'a 
 
KUWAIT 00001055  002 OF 003 
 
 
groups to replace him.  At one point, he even suggested 
gathering Iraq's political groups in one room, locking the 
door, and forcing them to reach an agreement.  "Once a 
stable, strong Iraqi government is established, terrorism 
will diminish," the PM argued.  Governor Riley queried the 
GOK leaders about what to do should current efforts to form a 
government in Iraq fail.  The Kuwaiti PM returned to his 
response that securing a workable government in Iraq is a 
burden that only the U.S. can bear. 
 
Hoping for the Best, But Preparing for the Worst 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶6.  (C) Although hoping for the best, the PM said Kuwait had 
contingency plans in the event of a civil war in Iraq. 
Specifically, he said the GOK was prepared to shelter 
refugees crossing Kuwait's border with Iraq and reported that 
the Kuwait Red Crescent Society had already bought 
approximately 100,000 tents and other supplies.  He 
emphasized, however, that the Kuwait-Iraq border was "very 
secure."  "We hope nothing will happen, but we are prepared 
if it does," he concluded. 
 
120 KM from Potential Three-Mile Island 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C) Reporting on the recent visit of Iranian President 
Ahmadinejad to Kuwait (refs A and B), PM Shaykh Nasser 
Mohammed said the Amir was "very frank" with Ahmadinejad, 
particularly regarding Kuwait's concerns about the potential 
for a Three-Mile Island or Chernobyl-style accident at one of 
Iran's nuclear facilities; the closest, Bushehr, was only 120 
kilometers from Kuwait, he noted.  The Amir also advised 
Ahmadinejad to "cooperate in Vienna."  According to the PM, 
Ahmadinejad assured the Amir that Iran's nuclear program was 
solely for peaceful purposes, but did not respond to his 
suggestion that Iran cooperate in Vienna to address 
international concerns.  FM Shaykh Dr. Mohammed said 
Ahmadinejad's rhetoric on Israel, UAE islands claimed by Iran 
(which he said were "non-negotiable"), and the nuclear issue 
was "equally alarming to us."  He emphasized that Iran "does 
not represent a model for the GCC or the Arab world" and 
agreed that the Amir was "very frank" in his "direct 
discussion" with Ahmadinejad. 
 
¶8.  (C) Minister for Amiri Diwan Affairs Shaykh Nasser Sabah 
Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah said Ahmadinejad suggested Gulf countries 
"invest" in Iran's nuclear program, a proposition the 
Minister noted would only be possible if Iran fully complied 
with the IAEA.  (Note: In a March 8 meeting with Ambassador, 
FM Shaykh Dr. Mohammed said the GOK did not respond to this 
"preposterous" proposition (ref B).  End note.)  Shaykh 
Nasser Sabah believed Ahmadinejad's visit to Kuwait was an 
attempt to "cross the siege," apparently a reference to 
Iran's desire to allay Gulf countries' opposition to and fear 
of Iran's nuclear program and reduce Iraq's isolation from 
its Gulf neighbors. 
 
People-to-People Exchanges Key to Long-Term Alliance 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶9.  (C) Governor Huntsman asked what the U.S. could do to 
deepen ties with Kuwait.  PM Shaykh Nasser Mohammed said 
that, in addition to political and military cooperation, the 
U.S. and Kuwait should cooperate in other fields, 
particularly trade and technology.  "We need assistance in 
all fields," he emphasized.  McCain noted the declining 
number of Kuwaiti students studying in the U.S. and asked how 
this issue could be addressed.  The FM said the visa issue 
was still the "number one" cause for the decline, but praised 
the Ambassador's effort to resolve the problem.  "Political 
alliances are important, but people-to-people alliances are 
even more significant" in strengthening long-term relations, 
he concluded. 
 
GOK Addressing Gulf Pollution 
----------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (C) Responding to Representative Udall's question about 
the odor the Congressman noted along the coast near his 
hotel, President of the Government Assessment Agency Shaykh 
Mohammed Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah explained that "contractual 
differences" had prevented new Kuwaiti water treatment plants 
from coming on-line after several older plants were shut 
down.  The new plants would be on-line in June and September 
2006, he promised.  Shaykh Nasser Sabah emphasized that a 
solution to the "huge problem" of pollution in the Gulf would 
require joint action by all Gulf countries, including Iran 
 
KUWAIT 00001055  003 OF 003 
 
 
and Iraq.  He specifically blamed large oil tankers for the 
problem and argued that Gulf countries needed a "collective 
pipeline," but noted that Saudi Arabia opposed this proposal. 
 
 
High Profile Visit to POW Center 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶11.  (U) The delegation also visited the National Committee 
for Missing and POW Affairs, an event that received 
considerable media coverage in both Arabic and English 
dailies on March 25 and about two minutes of air time on the 
independent Kuwait satellite television network Al-Rai TV's 
evening newscast.  In comments to the press, McCain praised 
the committee's continuing efforts to locate Kuwaitis taken 
prisoner during the first Gulf War.  He also argued that "the 
people of Lebanon deserve to live independent from Syrian 
occupation" and "have the right to elect their government 
without any outside interference." 
 
¶12.  (U) Codel McCain departed post before this message was 
prepared. 
 
********************************************* * 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s 
 
Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ 
********************************************* * 
LEBARON