VZCZCXRO3997
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #1371/01 2541324
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 111324Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9909
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001371 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
 
ENERGY FOR KOLEVAR 
 STATE FOR S/CT, NEA/ARP, PM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2022 
TAGS: ASEC EPET PTER KCIP KU
SUBJECT: GOK TO DOE A/S KOLEVAR: PROGRESS ON CEIP; WANT 
MORE COOPERATION; DECISION ON JWG MOU WITH PM 
 
REF: KUWAIT 921 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: CDA Alan Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
 ¶1. (S/NF) Summary: On 9 September, Assistant Secretary of 
Energy for Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin 
Kolevar participated in a series of site visits, briefings, 
and meetings with GOK and oil sector officials to promote 
further USG-GOK cooperation on Critical Energy Infrastructure 
Protection (CEIP).  In a meeting with National Security 
Bureau (NSB) Deputy Director Shaykh Thamer Al-Ali Al Sabah, 
Kolevar strongly encouraged the GOK to designate a lead 
agency for CEIP and sign an MOU to establish a GOK-USG Joint 
Working Group (JWG).  Shaykh Thamer said the reluctance of 
any GOK agency to step up to the plate to sign the draft CEIP 
MOU presented by Ambassador LeBaron in June had served as a 
"wake-up call" for the GOK by drawing attention to the 
fragmented, diffuse, and uncoordinated nature of CEIP 
responsibilities under the current framework.  Shaykh Thamer 
said most of the other agencies now recommend that the NSB 
take the lead, but ultimately this will be a decision for the 
Prime Minister as will the decision on whether to sign an 
MOU. 
 
¶2. (S/NF) Saad Al-Shuwaib, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum 
Corporation (KPC), told Kolevar in a separate meeting that he 
hoped to see the establishment of an oil sector security 
force, independent of the Ministry of Interior (MOI).  Shaykh 
Thamer agreed and said the Government would draft new 
legislation allowing such a force to be armed.  Under current 
law, only MOI personnel can carry lethal weapons.  During the 
site visits and briefings, the Kuwaitis demonstrated progress 
on implementing some of the USG CEIP recommendations 
including the construction of landside and seaside perimeter 
fencing, observation towers, and a dedicated fiber-optic 
communications network.  They also laid out plans to create a 
more robust C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, 
and Intelligence) system and access control system, for which 
they intend to offer contracts to a short list of major 
international technology companies before the end of 2007. 
Finally, they revealed plans to establish a Coastal 
Protection Force, which would use small arms and small boats 
to patrol and protect the seaward approaches to the 
refineries and onshore export terminals.  Officials from the 
oil sector envision CEIP coordination at three levels:  a 
USG-GOK JWG, a high-level GOK Steering Committee to provide 
direction and authority, and a working-level Joint 
Coordination Committee to carry out implementation.  End 
Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Several Projects Underway to Fill Security Gaps 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶3. (S/NF) On 9 September A/S Kolevar participated in a series 
of site visits, briefings, and meetings to promote further 
USG-GOK cooperation on Critical Energy Infrastructure 
Protection (CEIP).  The site visits and presentations were 
led by the heads or deputies of Kuwait National Petroleum 
Company (KNPC), the Oil Sector Services Company (OSSCo), and 
the Security Decision Follow-up Committee (SDFC).  In tours 
of upgrades at the refineries and a major fuel depot, the 
Kuwaitis highlighted the ongoing construction of new 
observation towers and seaside perimeter fencing, the 
reinforcement of weakly protected emergency access gates, and 
the installation of more fixed and adjustable cameras 
integrated with motion detectors and electrified fencing. 
They presented plans for the creation of a Coastal Protection 
Force, which would use small arms and small boats to patrol 
and protect the seaward approaches to the refineries and 
onshore export terminals.  SDFC has hired the British firm 
Lynceus to establish and train the CPF. SDFC and OSSCo are 
working with Kroll, a U.S.-based security consulting firm, to 
plan a robust C4I system to integrate and manage the flow of 
information from a full spectrum of sensors and 
communications networks into a single joint control center. 
Kroll is also advising the Kuwaitis on a number of other 
planned projects including a modern access control system, 
underwater surveillance and detection, the construction of 
North and South breakwaters with installed surveillance 
equipment, and a mobile communications network. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
Seeking Better Control and Coordination 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
KUWAIT 00001371  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶4. (S/NF) In order to create a more seamless and more 
empowered organizational structure for managing CEIP, OSSCo 
and SDFC propose creating joint committees at three different 
levels.  For USG-GOK coordination they support the concept of 
a JWG to meet at intervals not to exceed six months.  For 
overall direction and decision-making authority within the 
GOK, they recommend the establishment of a ministerial or 
sub-ministerial-level steering committee, which they refer to 
as the Higher Security Committee.  At the working level, they 
said they have already created a Joint Coordination Committee 
to carry out implementation, but it was unclear whether the 
MOI, which still holds major responsibility for CEIP, is 
taking an active role in the JCC. 
 
¶5. (S/NF) In the area of training, SDFC and OSSCo have 
already recruited and indoctrinated a number of Kuwaitis to 
assume roles in technical maintenance and crisis management. 
According to SDFC, 50 personnel have already returned from 
training courses in English, computer science, and crisis 
management in Australia and the UK and another 25 are 
currently in the training pipeline. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
Ditch MOI; Create Oil Facilities Security Force 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6. (S/NF) In a separate meeting with Kolevar, KPC CEO Saad 
Al-Shuwaib said he fully supports CEIP objectives and now 
receives regular progress reports from his staff.  Al-Shuwaib 
said he was most concerned about the capabilities of MOI 
personnel, who are still responsible for gate security and 
incident response at major oil installations.  He said MOI 
personnel need to be replaced by a better qualified private 
security force dedicated to the oil sector. Al-Shuwaib said 
he had raised this proposal with the NSB's Shaykh Thamer, who 
was supportive.  Al-Shuwaib said he would encourage the 
Acting Oil Minister to champion this proposal within the 
Government. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
MOU-JWG Decision with PM - Don't Hold Your Breath 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶7. (S/NF) For his final meeting, Kolevar met with NSB Deputy 
Director Shaykh Thamer Al-Ali Al Sabah.  Kolevar stressed 
that the GOK should assign a lead agency for CEIP and sign an 
MOU to establish a GOK-USG Joint Working Group.  Shaykh 
Thamer said the reluctance of any GOK agency to step up to 
the plate to sign the draft CEIP MOU presented by Ambassador 
LeBaron in June had served as a "wake-up call" for the GOK by 
drawing attention to the fragmented, diffuse, and 
uncoordinated nature of CEIP responsibilities under the 
current framework.  Shaykh Thamer said most of the other 
agencies now recommend that the NSB take the lead, but 
ultimately this will be a decision for the Prime Minister as 
will the decision on whether to sign an MOU.  Cautioning that 
this decision might not come in the next 1-2 months, he 
insisted that USG-GOK CEIP cooperation should continue even 
in the absence of an MOU.  Thamer said that the GOK was 
implementing many of the simpler CEIP fixes now, but 
organizational changes will take more time.  Kolevar told 
Thamer that Energy Secretary Bodman would be attending a 
luncheon with the Kuwaiti Ambassador in the coming week and 
would strongly encourage the GOK to sign the CEIP MOU. 
 
¶8. (S/NF) Shaykh Thamer stressed that the GOK had to focus 
more attention on CEIP saying, "We've made progress but not 
enough," and "We need to adopt higher standards."  He agreed 
that MOI was not up to the task, saying the GOK needed to 
approach oil infrastructure security with a "2008 perspective 
rather than a 1978 perspective."  He supported the 
establishment of an oil facilities security force "along the 
lines of what the Saudis are doing."  He said the Government 
would draft new legislation allowing such a force to be 
armed.  Under current law, only MOI personnel can carry 
lethal weapons.  (Comment: In an indication that the KSA and 
GOK may not be sharing much information on CEIP, Shaykh 
Thamer seemed to believe, as had been erroneously reported in 
recent press, that the KSA had hired Lockheed Martin to train 
its Facilities Security Force.) 
 
------------------------------------ 
Press Release on USG-GOK Cooperation 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (U) Following Kolevar's departure, in a 10 September 
 
KUWAIT 00001371  003 OF 003 
 
 
Kuwait News Agency press release picked up by Reuters, KPC 
CEO Saad Al-Shuwaib is quoted as saying, "The Kuwait 
Petroleum Corporation and security apparatuses are seeking to 
tighten security at Kuwaiti oil installations."  He adds, 
"the U.S. side is really working with several Kuwaiti 
agencies concerned over tightened security at Kuwaiti oil 
installations."  (Comment: To the best of our knowledge, this 
is the first time a Kuwaiti official has publicly referred to 
U.S.-Kuwaiti cooperation on oil infrastructure protection. 
This press release closely follows the 26 August Financial 
Times article describing Saudi CEIP efforts). 
 
¶10. (U) Assistant Secretary Kolevar did not clear this cable 
before departing Kuwait. 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
MISENHEIMER