VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #0148 0311451
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311451Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8184

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PA/PR/FPCW (JBAILEY), NEA/PPD (DBENZE), NEA/ARP 
(BJACKSON) 
 
REF: STATE 201154 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC OPRC KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT PROPOSALS FOR FPC REPORTING TOURS 2007 
 
¶1.  Kuwait Public Affairs proposes five rank ordered FPC reporting 
tour topics: Gulf regional security; free trade; Islam/Religion in 
America; history of women's participation in American politics; and 
the life of Kuwaiti students at American colleges and universities. 
Post also nominates Al-Qabas newspaper to participate in one or more 
of these subject tours. 
 
¶2. Gulf regional security: This tour could provide access to 
high-level officials at the U.S. Department of State, the White 
House, Congress, and the Pentagon.  With this access, journalists 
could report on U.S. interest in ensuring Gulf security, the 
emphasis on cooperation with regional partners and the role that 
NATO and other international organizations could play to strengthen 
regional security. 
 
¶3. Free trade: This tour could provide access to senior government 
officials at the Departments of State and Commerce as well as with 
the Small Business Administration and other trade related USG 
entities.  Private businesses with a potential to invest in Kuwait 
could also be included.  The tour would focus on the Kuwait-U.S. 
TIFA agreement underscoring the benefit to Kuwait and the region of 
an eventual FTA and encouragement of entrepreneurship, particularly 
for women business leaders. 
 
¶4. Islam in America: This tour could provide access to the American 
Islamic community, including Imams and political leaders. 
Journalists would have the opportunity to report on the freedom that 
Muslims enjoy in the U.S. to practice their religion.  At the same 
time, the tour could explore the ongoing debate in the U.S., and 
elsewhere, about the role of religion in public life.  The 
experience of how American society balances the separation of church 
and state would be useful to Muslim nations, including Kuwait, that 
are undergoing similar debates within their own societies. 
 
¶5.  Women's participation in American politics:  This tour could 
provide access to historians and historic places that can bring to 
life the struggle for women's equality in America.  Current issues 
of women in American politics could be explored with women political 
leaders and grassroots organizers of today.  An interview with 
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi -- who recently visited Kuwait -- 
would be a great capstone interview for this tour.  Subsequent 
reporting would give Kuwaitis a framework for understanding the 
goals of the women's movement to attain equal participation in 
political life and share in the American economy.  It could also lay 
a foundation for appreciating the benefit of gender equity to all 
society. 
 
¶6. Middle Eastern students at American colleges and universities: 
Many Kuwaiti parents and students remain hesitant to travel to the 
U.S. to pursue higher academic studies for fear that Arabs and 
Muslims are not welcome in America.  This program could provide 
access to Arab and Muslim students, particularly student leaders, 
currently living and studying in the U.S.  This tour could bring 
journalists face-to-face with Kuwaitis and other Middle Eastern 
students and scholars studying in America institutions to discuss 
their experiences interacting with American society, the benefits of 
a U.S. education, and also the role that they play as 
representatives of their own nations, informing Americans about the 
Middle East and Islam. 
 
¶7. Post nominates Al-Qabas Arabic-language newspaper. With a 
circulation of about 65,000, Al-Qabas enjoys a wide circulation in 
Kuwait and its reporting is generally pro-American.  Over the years 
Public Affairs has worked closely with editors and reporters of 
Al-Qabas on numerous USG VIP interviews, NAVCENT media reporting 
tours, and a US/NATO Media Reporting Tour to Brussels.  Public 
Affairs Kuwait has reached an informal agreement with Al-Qabas 
editorial management to co-organize several reporting tours to the 
U.S., if approved. 
 
¶8.  Expected results: Previous reports in Al-Qabas on media 
reporting programs such as the US-NATO Tour, and NAVCENT-sponsored 
Coalition Embarkations in the Arabian Gulf, which were co-organized 
for the newspaper by the Public Affairs Kuwait, consisted of 
multiple reports published on consecutive days in full-page colorful 
layouts.  These reports reflected U.S. Foreign policy accurately 
with appropriately selected images and headlines. 
 
¶5.  Cost Sharing Option: Al-Qabas editorial management has agreed in 
principle to share the cost of the program with the U.S. Embassy by 
covering the international airfare for round-trip air travel between 
Kuwait and the U.S. for all Al Qabas participants in the program. 
 
¶6.  PLEASE ADVISE ACCEPTANCE. 
 
TUELLER