VZCZCXRO8271
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #4511/01 3291147
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 251147Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7690
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 004511 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
WHITE HOUSE FOR APHSCT TOWNSEND; NSC FOR HINNEN; DOE FOR IE; 
STATE FOR EB/ESC, NEA/ARP, PM/PPA, S/CT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2016 
TAGS: EPET ENRG PTER KU OIL SECTOR
SUBJECT: APHSCT TOWNSEND BRIEFING AND TOUR OF KUWAIT 
CRITICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 4425 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 3071 
     ¶C. 05 KUWAIT 4400 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d). 
 
¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY:  On 14 November, Assistant to the 
President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism 
(APHSCT) Frances Fragos Townsend received a briefing from 
Director of the Kuwait National Security Bureau (NSB) 
Shaykh Thamer Ali A. Al-Salem Al-Sabah and senior managers 
of Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) regarding the 
status of Kuwait's critical energy infrastructure security 
and plans for improvements.  Shaykh Thamer outlined the 
responsibilities and organizational structure of the 
agencies tasked with managing Kuwait's energy 
infrastructure security, described existing and planned 
security systems and hardware installations, and referred 
to the development of standard operating procedures and 
doctrine.  The briefing was followed by a tour of selected 
security facilities at KNPC's Shuaiba and Mina Al-Ahmadi 
refinery complexes including a crisis response center, a 
refinery control room, and perimeter security 
installations.  Townsend emphasized the importance 
of a clear doctrine and unified chain of command and control, 
integrated communications, integrated response procedures, 
including the evacuation of surrounding populations if 
necessary, 
and frequent practice and refinement of procedures through 
repeated drills and exercises.  The NSB and KNPC briefers 
acknowledged that they had identified the same priorities 
and were in the process of installing the systems and 
developing the training and procedures needed to better 
deter possible threats and respond to major incidents 
whether they be terrorist attacks or industrial accidents. 
The Kuwaitis announced plans to conduct a major security 
exercise in December.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (S/NF)  On 14 November, APHSCT Townsend received a 
briefing led by Shaykh Thamer, Director of the Kuwait 
National Security Bureau and supported by KNPC Deputy 
Managing Director Suhail Yusef Bu-Grace and the Deputy 
Managing Directors of Kuwait's three refineries, Husain 
Ismail of Shuaiba, Asa'ad Ahmad Al-Saad of Mina-Al-Ahmadi, 
and Abdul Mohsen Ali Khajah of Mina Al-Abdulla.  The 
briefers explained that overall responsibility for energy 
infrastructure security was assigned to a high-level, 
inter-ministerial Security Decision Follow-up Committee. 
This committee is led by the President of the NSB, Shaykh 
Ahmed Al-Fahd, and reports directly to the Council of 
Ministers.  The KNPC Deputy explained that Kuwait Petroleum 
Corporation (KPC), which manages all of Kuwait's oil 
industry, is in the process of consolidating security 
functions and organizations across all of its 
subsidiaries.  A new KPC subsidiary called the Oil Sector 
Services Company (OSSCo) is gradually assuming the security 
responsibilities that were previously managed separately 
by each of the individual subsidiaries including the Kuwait 
Oil Company (KOC), Kuwait National Petroleum Company 
(KNPC), Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC), and Petrochemical 
Industries Company (PIC).  OSSCo plans to gradually acquire 
these management responsibilities over a period of twelve 
to eighteen months.  The security force for the oil sector 
is currently comprised of personnel from the Ministry of 
the Interior, the National Guard, the Coast Guard and 
security personnel employed by each of the KPC 
subsidiaries.  This last group is not allowed to carry 
arms.  OSSCo is also in the process of establishing a shore 
protection force to enhance the security of the seaward 
approaches to the refineries and loading terminals. 
Although OSSCo will eventually assume overall 
responsibility for security within KPC, the company is not 
expected to have control over Interior Ministry personnel. 
 
¶3.  (S/NF)  Shaykh Thamer explained that in the event of a 
security incident, the MOI assumes operational control, 
whereas in the event of an industrial incident, the oil 
company operations managers take control.  Townsend 
suggested that this might be an artificial distinction and 
said that one lesson learned in the U.S. was that an 
integrated response was required including integrated 
communications and an integrated command-and-control 
structure.  The NSB and KNPC briefers acknowledged the need 
for greater integration and said that they were in the 
 
KUWAIT 00004511  002 OF 002 
 
 
process of installing the communications systems and 
establishing the standard operating procedures and 
protocols required to enable this level of integration. 
When Townsend asked about the quality of information sharing 
and 
Management across facilities and companies, including the 
effective dissemination of threat information, the NSB and 
KNPC 
reps answered that there is currently no effective system for 
managing information.  They said that moving from the current 
"ad-hoc" approach to a more systematic one was a high 
priority.  When 
Townsend asked about the development of crisis management 
doctrine, the Kuwaitis replied that the development and 
reinforcement of standard operating procedures is currently 
their greatest focus of activity.  They plan to test these 
systems and procedures during a major security exercise to 
be conducted in December.  Townsend stressed the importance 
of 
drills and exercises and also emphasized the need to be 
prepared 
to coordinate with local authorities during a major incident 
due 
to the proximity of the refineries to the city of Fahaheel. 
 
¶4.  (S/NF)  With regard to hardware and systems, Shaykh 
Thamer explained that each of the individual KPC 
subsidiaries had been working with its own private security 
contractor to identify gaps and prioritize hardware 
installations to fill those gaps.  The refineries have 
already completed a major upgrade of perimeter fencing (now 
three layers instead of one surrounding the entire facility 
and extending into the sea), a large-scale CCTV 
installation, placement of security buoys and a radar 
system in the maritime exclusion zone, and the 
establishment of a temporary Crisis Center.  The 
construction of a high-tech, permanent crisis center is 
part of the plan for a fully-integrated security system 
scheduled to be completed by 2009-2010. 
 
¶5.  (S/NF)  Following the briefing, Shaykh Thamer led 
Townsend on a tour of some of the security 
installations at the Shuaiba and Mina-Al-Ahmadi refinery 
complexes.  This began with a tour of the temporary Crisis 
Center which is manned 24-hours by a 5-person security 
watch section including KNPC and Ministry of Interior 
personnel.  From the Crisis Center, watchstanders can 
control and monitor an extensive network of security 
cameras, perimeter alarms, electrified fences, and radar. 
They can also communicate with the guard force, security 
agencies, and the refinery control room.  En route to the 
next stop, the motorcade traveled along the perimeter to 
observe the triple-layer barrier, electrified fence, and 
perimeter cameras.  The next stop was the control center 
for the Shuaiba refinery which was manned by about 20 
personnel who monitor plant operations and equipment 
status.  The monitoring and communications equipment 
appeared modern and comprehensive.  The final stop was an 
electronics shed near the perimeter that contained 
processing equipment and an operator-interface for the 
perimeter surveillance equipment, including cameras and 
alarms.  A security contractor demonstrated how the system 
responds to a perimeter alarm by alerting the operator, 
indicating the location of the intrusion, and slaving a 
camera to the location. 
 
¶6.  (S/NF)  In separate meetings with APHSCT Townsend 
(septel) and earlier with the Ambassador (ref. A), 
President of the Kuwait National Security Bureau and former 
Energy Minister Shaykh Ahmed Al-Fahd expressed the desire 
to cooperate with the USG to enhance Kuwait's critical 
energy infrastructure as a top priority under the Gulf 
Security Dialogue. 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
Tueller