VZCZCXRO8666
PP RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #1399/01 2591025
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 161025Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9947
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 1006
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA PRIORITY 1605
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1426
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 2427
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 1620
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0103

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001399 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KU PM PINR
SUBJECT: NATIONAL SECURITY BUREAU DEPUTY COMMENTS ON IRAQ, 
MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD, NATO 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 440 
 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 873 
 
Classified By: CDA Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 b and d 
 
Summary 
-------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On August 27, Charg paid a courtesy call on Kuwait 
National Security Bureau (NSB) Deputy Director Shaykh Thamer 
Ali Al-Sabah Al-Salem Al Sabah.  On September 5, NATO Deputy 
Secretary General Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo also met with 
 
SIPDIS 
Shaykh Thamer and later provided a briefing of his meeting to 
local Heads of Missions and Defense Attaches.  The below 
cable is a readout of the two meetings with a focus on Shaykh 
Thamer's views on Iraq, extremism and NATO.  End summary. 
 
Kuwait's grand plan for the British in Iraq 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) On August 27, Charg paid a courtesy call on Kuwait 
National Security Bureau-NSB (the agency responsible for 
coordinating state security policy) Deputy Director Shaykh 
Thamer Ali Al-Sabah Al-Salem Al Sabah.  Shaykh Thamer told 
the Charg of his recent suggestion to the British Embassy in 
Kuwait that the UK refrain from a total withdrawal from Iraq, 
and instead leave the airbase in Basra and relocate to an 
isolated airbase in the desert between Nasriya and Basra.  He 
congratulated himself on this idea, noting that this solution 
would suit all parties.  He reasoned that the British would 
no longer have to endure mortar and rocket attacks from Basra 
and would be far enough away into the desert to see the 
enemy's approach, yet close enough to respond to emergency 
needs of the city.  This solution, according to Shaykh Thamer 
would test the citizens of Basra and help them to determine 
the level of independence they are truly ready for. 
 
¶3.  (C) To reinforce this idea, Shaykh Thamer said that a 
civil war in southern Iraq is imminent.  He said that 95 
percent of the current attacks are against the British, and 
when the British are longer around to absorb the brunt of the 
insurgency, the Shi'a groups will turn against each other. 
He discounted the role of Sunnis in Basra, saying that their 
population has been reduced from 30 percent during the Saddam 
era to 11 percent now.  He added that it is a foregone 
conclusion that the Shi'a in Basra no longer look to Baghdad 
for leadership, but to Teheran.  He also said that it is just 
a matter of time before a mortar or rocket is fired into 
Kuwait. 
 
¶4.  (C) According to Shaykh Thamer, the British response to 
his proposal to relocate from Basra airbase to the airport in 
the desert was that this "was the most credible idea heard 
yet."  (Note:  Post has no information that indicates that 
the British showed interest in this plan.  It is our 
assessment that this idea was tabled as an attempt to keep 
the British in Iraq.  The Kuwaitis are highly concerned over 
implications of Iraqi violence spilling across the border. 
End note.) 
 
Extremism 
--------- 
 
¶5.  (C) When discussing potential levels of extremism in 
Kuwait, Shaykh Thamer said that he did not believe terrorists 
in Kuwait were planning attacks against the United States. 
He also said that he did not believe that Kuwaiti terrorists 
would perpetrate attacks in Kuwait.  He praised cooperation 
between U.S. and Kuwaiti officials in the area of terror 
financing and believes that the GOK effectively monitors 
substantial financial transactions-amounts more than KD 500 
(USD 1,800). 
 
Philosophy on Muslim Brotherhood 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Shaykh Thamer said that the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) 
has undergone a radical change.  According to him, prior to 
2000, the MB was entirely an Egyptian organization, but after 
2000 when the group began receiving Gulf financing, the main 
leaders and thinkers were no longer Egyptian, but Gulf Arabs. 
 According to him, there are stark differences between 
Egyptian MB and Kuwaiti MB: 
 
--Egyptian MB members grew up on Hassan Al-Bana's ideology, 
 
KUWAIT 00001399  002 OF 002 
 
 
were mostly poor with no resources, but well-educated. 
--Gulf and in particular Kuwaiti MB members tend to be very 
wealthy, but not necessarily well-educated.  Shaykh Thamer 
stressed that the Kuwaiti MB has no military wing or agenda. 
 
¶7.  (C) He noted that since 2000, the GOK began training, 
educating and reindoctrinating Imams in centers which aim to 
introduce "original Islam."  These centers teach that 
according to the Koran, Jihad was permissible only under the 
leadership of Caliphs.  Since there is no longer a Caliphate, 
he reasoned there should be no need or call for Jihad. 
 
Shaykh Thamer and NATO 
---------------------- 
¶8.  (C) NATO Deputy Secretary General Alessandro Minuto-Rizzo 
visited Kuwait to meet with Shaykh Thamer and develop 
interest in greater GCC cooperation with NATO and to push for 
the signing of a NATO Transit Agreement to allow transit of 
NATO forces and personnel through Kuwait.  According to 
Ambassador Minuto-Rizzo, the agreement is "practically 
finalized" and will likely be signed in an upcoming NATO 
visit to Kuwait. He also said that his meetings with Shaykh 
Thamer were very positive.  He is looking to expand NATO 
cooperation with Kuwait by sharing intelligence, providing 
experts to advise Kuwait on mil/mil activity and have Kuwait 
participate in NATO education and training.  He added that 
Thamer promised that the GOK would soon appoint an attach to 
NATO Brussels. 
 
¶9.  (C) Despite his overall positive impressions, Ambassador 
Minuto-Rizzo also highlighted from his meeting with Thamer 
that NATO/GCC cooperation will likely remain complicated and 
difficult.  Thamer reiterated to the ambassador Kuwait's 
reluctance to engage officially with an organization allied 
with Israel.  Minuto-Rizzo then spoke of the difficulties he 
faced around the region.  In Saudi for example, he said that 
FM Al Saud was in favor of developing the relationship, but 
that he could never sell NATO to his country.  Qatar, on the 
other hand was demonstrating the most flexibility in the GCC, 
and he hoped that Kuwait would also take the lead in putting 
differences with Israel behind and reaching out to NATO.  On 
this front, however, the Ambassador indicated he had gained 
little ground. 
 
¶10.  BIO Note: 
     --------- 
 
Shaykh Thamer is the son of former Minister of Interior 
Shaykh Ali Sabah Al-Salem; the nephew of Foreign Minister 
Shaykh Dr. Mohammed Al-Sabah; and the grandson of Amir Shaykh 
Sabah Al-Salem, who ruled Kuwait from 1965-1977.  He 
graduated from Arkansas State University.  Shaykh Thamer is 
generally pro-American though he openly criticizes U.S. 
policies at times. 
 
********************************************* * 
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