VZCZCXYZ0016
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKUA #0291 0591402
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF2005 0591406
O 281402Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 000291 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ARP AND NEA/RA CHUCK LAWSON 
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR WALLER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL KPAL KWPG IS IZ LE SO SU IR
EG, KU 
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: MFA U/S SAYS GCC FOREIGN 
MINISTERS WILL MEET BEFORE ARAB LEAGUE MEETING 
 
REF: STATE 24372 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CDA MATT TUELLER FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (C/NF)  SUMMARY:  ON FEBRUARY 28 CDA DELIVERED REFTEL 
DEMARCHE IN ADVANCE OF THE MARCH 3 ARAB LEAGUE MINISTERIAL TO 
MFA UNDERSECRETARY KHALED AL-JARALLAH.  AL-JARALLAH EXPRESSED 
OPTIMISM THAT THE MECCA AGREEMENT AND RECENT EFFORTS BY THE 
QUARTET WERE REINVIGORATING THE PEACE PROCESS.  THE CHARGE 
CAUTIONED THAT THE MECCA AGREEMENT DID NOT ADDRESS HAMAS 
REJECTIONISM AND THAT THE ARAB LEAGUE SHOULD THUS WITHHOLD 
ENDORSEMENT OF A NUG UNTIL ITS MAKEUP WAS CLARIFIED. 
AL-JARALLAH SAID THAT A GCC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING BEFORE 
THE MAIN ARAB LEAGUE MEETING ON MARCH 3 WOULD PRODUCE A 
COMMUNIQUE WITH INDIRECT LANGUAGE CALLING ON IRAN NOT TO 
MEDDLE IN IRAQ AND THE REGION.  THE UNDERSECRETARY WAS 
RECEPTIVE TO THE IDEA OF INCLUDING LANGUAGE IN THE GCC 
COMMUNIQUE SUPPORTIVE OF SINIORA'S GOVERNMENT IN LEBANON.  ON 
AFRICA, AL-JARALLAH SIGNALED HIS SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN UNION 
INTERVENTION TO STABILIZE DARFUR AND SOMALIA.  FINALLY, 
AL-JARALLAH CONFIRMED KUWAIT'S PARTICIPATION IN THE IRAQ 
NEIGHBORS MEETING ON MARCH 10.  HE SAID THERE WAS SPECULATION 
THAT U.S. ATTENDANCE AT A MEETING WHERE REPRESENTATIVES FROM 
SYRIA AND IRAN WERE PRESENT WAS A SIGN OF A NEW POLICY.  THE 
CHARGE ASSURED HIM THERE HAD BEEN NO POLICY CHANGE.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT PEACE PROCESS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (C/NF)  THE CHARGE DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE TO MFA 
UNDERSECRETARY KHALED AL-JARALLAH REGARDING THE MARCH 3 ARAB 
LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING IN CAIRO.  AL-JARALLAH 
EXPRESSED OPTIMISM ABOUT THE PEACE PROCESS, NOTING THAT 
RECENT ACTIONS BY THE QUARTET HAVE GIVEN THE PALESTINIANS THE 
SENSE THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS SERIOUS ABOUT 
MOVING THE PROCESS FORWARD.  HE PRAISED THE MECCA AGREEMENT, 
NOTING IT WAS "WELCOMED BY ALL SIDES."  THE CHARGE AGREED 
THAT THE MECCA AGREEMENT HAD POSITIVE ASPECTS BUT EMPHASIZED 
THAT IT HAD NOT ADDRESSED HAMAS' CONTINUED REJECTION OF THE 
QUARTET PRINCIPLES, AND THAT STATEMENTS ENDORSING A 
PALESTINIAN NUG PREMATURELY COULD JEOPARDIZE RESUMPTION OF 
DIRECT TALKS BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, THE IMPORTANT 
NEAR-TERM GOAL.  AL-JARALLAH EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THE 
PALESTINIAN NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT WOULD ENTER 
NEGOTIATIONS, ESPECIALLY IF THE USG CONTINUED TO APPLY 
PRESSURE. 
 
GCC WILL MEET SEPARATELY AND ADDRESS IRAN SUBTLY 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3.  (C/NF)  AL-JARALLAH SAID THAT THE ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN 
MINISTERS MEETING WOULD TACKLE THE ISSUE OF IRAN'S GROWING 
REGIONAL ASPIRATIONS AND NUCLEAR AMBITIONS.  HE ALSO NOTED 
THAT THE GCC FOREIGN MINISTERS WOULD MEET IMMEDIATELY BEFORE 
THE ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING ON MARCH 3 ANDQ 
WOULD ISSUE A GCC COMMUNIQUE ADDRESSING IRAN INDIRECTLY.  THE 
CHARGE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL ACTORS SPEAKING 
CLEARLY AND PUBLICLY OF CONCERNS OVER IRANIAN BEHAVIOR. 
AL-JARALLAH SAID THE GCC COMMUNIQUE WOULD SEND "HINTS" TO 
IRAN, WITH LANGUAGE CALLING ON "REGIONAL COUNTRIES NOT TO 
INTERFERE IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF IRAQ" AND "NOT TO MAKE 
IRAQ A LAND FOR FIGHTING BETWEEN INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL 
POWERS."  HE PREDICTED THAT THE LANGUAGE EMANATING FROM THE 
ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT WOULD BE EVEN LESS DIRECT. 
 
RECEPTIVE TO PUBLICLY SUPPORTING LEBANON 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C/NF)  THE CHARGE SAID THE ARAB LEAGUE SHOULD SUPPORT 
THE SINIORA GOVERNMENT IN LEBANON AS IT RESISTS ATTEMPTS BY 
OPPOSITION FACTIONS TO BULLY IT INTO MAKING CONCESSIONS ON 
THE HARIRI TRIBUNAL.  THE ARAB LEAGUE MUST ALSO PRESS SYRIA 
AND IRAN TO COMPLY WITH UNSCR 1701 ON THE WEAPONS EMBARGO. 
AL-JARALLAH, REVIEWING THE LANGAUGE IN THE DRAFT GCC 
COMMUNIQUE, NOTED THAT THE CURRENT DRAFT DID NOT CONTAIN 
LANGUAGE ON SUPPORT FOR SINIORA'S GOVERNMENT BUT SAID THAT 
INCLUDING SUCH LANGUAGE WOULD BE USEFUL. 
 
KUWAIT SUPPORTIVE OF AU EFFORTS IN DARFUR AND SOMALIA 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  (C/NF)  AL-JARALLAH ASSURED THE CHARGE THAT THE ARAB 
LEAGUE MEETING WOULD ADDRESS THE SITUATION IN DARFUR, WHICH 
HE DESCRIBED AS A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER.  SOME ARAB COUNTRIES 
HAD ALREADY COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING AN AFRICAN UNION 
 
 
PEACEKEEPING FORCE AND THAT FURTHER COMMITMENTS WOULD BE 
FORTHCOMING DURING THE CAIRO MEETING.  AL-JARALLAH ALSO NOTED 
HIS CONCERN ABOUT SOMALIA AND STATED THAT THE FOREIGN 
MINISTERS WOULD ADDRESS THE TOPIC AT THE UPCOMING MEETING. 
HE FORESEES A ROLE FOR THE AFRICAN UNION THERE, AND FEARS 
THAT SOMALIA COULD BECOME A HAVEN FOR TERRORISTS IF IMMEDIATE 
ACTION IS NOT TAKEN TO STABILIZE THE COUNTRY. 
 
KUWAIT WILL ATTEND IRAQ NEIGHBORS MEETING 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C/NF)  AL-JARALLAH SAID THAT AMBASSADOR MANSOUR 
AL-AWADHI, DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS 
DEPARTMENT AT THE MFA, WOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING ON 
MARCH 10 OF IRAQ'S NEIGHBORS.  HE SAID THERE HAD BEEN A LOT 
OF TALK ABOUT THE U.S. SITTING IN A MEETING WITH THE SYRIANS 
AND IRANIANS AND WONDERED IF THIS MIGHT SIGNAL A TURNING 
POINT.  THE CHARGE RESPONDED THAT THE U.S. HAD PARTICIPATED 
IN SUCH MEETINGS PREVIOUSLY AND THAT THIS DID NOT SIGNAL A 
POLICY SHIFT OF ANY KIND. 
 
********************************************* * 
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