VZCZCXRO5837
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHKU #1543/01 2951254
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221254Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 1039
INFO RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 1749
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1898
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0295
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 1077
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA 1610
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT 5500
RUEHMK/AMEMBASSY MANAMA 2409
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0736
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0462
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0164

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001543 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BA EG JO KU QA OTRA AMGT ASEC
SUBJECT: KUWAIT COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR AMBASSADOR 
CROCKER AND DELEGATION 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 3496 
 
¶1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes and grants country clearance to 
Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq; Senior Advisor David 
Pearce; Special Assistant Ali Khedery; and A/RSO David 
Hazarian, to travel to post on October 29, 2007 to meet 
with host government principals. 
 
¶2. An Embassy visit officer and a driver/expeditor will 
meet and assist you at the airport. 
 
Visit Officer: 
 
Jason Khile, Political Officer 
Office:     (965) 259-1690 
Cell:       (965) 942-4087 
Fax:        (965) 259-1051 
Unclass e-mail: KhileJB@state.gov 
 
SIPDIS 
 
¶3. Following is post's standard guidance for visitors to 
Kuwait: 
  a. Entry Requirements: Kuwait now issues single-entry visas 
to American citizens on arrival, upon presentation of a valid 
passport. There is a processing fee of three(3) Kuwaiti Dinar 
(KD 3.000, or USD 12.00) for each visa issued. The fee may be 
paid either in KD or USD.  Post strongly advises travelers to 
carry some documentation 
concerning the purpose of their visit.  Passengers arriving 
on U.S. military flights should anticipate extra delays 
because immigration services are not available on the 
military side of the airfield and passports have to be 
carried to a different location at the airport for 
processing.  Please allow four hours for passport processing 
when arriving by milair.  Airport visas are valid for 90 days 
after arrival; anyone staying beyond this period must obtain 
an extension, which should be requested 2 weeks prior to visa 
expiration.  Anyone departing Kuwait who has overstayed the 
visa will be charged a fine of KD 10.000 (US 36.00) per day 
at the airport.  All travelers 
planning to visit Iraq should make sure that they obtain the 
required exit/entry stamps for each transit through Kuwait, 
and be aware that they will need to obtain a new Kuwaiti visa 
upon return, even after a daytrip to Baghdad.  Failure to do 
so can result in heavy fines.  If possible, travelers should 
try to obtain a multiple-entry visa before arriving in Kuwait. 
 
b. Visitors are reminded that the importation of alcohol, 
pork products, personal firearms, and any 
suggestive/pornographic materials (videotapes, magazines or 
books) is strictly prohibited by Kuwaiti law.  Visitors are 
strictly enjoined from bringing in any such items, even in 
checked luggage or carry-on baggage, as the consequences can 
be severe.  Kuwait is still clearing mines and munitions. 
Visitors must remain on major paved roads when traveling in 
Kuwait.  Travel north of Jahra toward the Iraqi-Kuwaiti 
border is not authorized without approval from the embassy 
and an appropriate escort. 
 
   c. Embassy Kuwait's normal workweek is Sunday through 
Thursday, and office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
The time difference with the East Coast of the United States 
is EDT plus seven hours. The embassy switchboard number is 
(965) 259-1001, and the IVG number is 4950000. The 
after-hours number, that rings at Marine Guard Post One, is 
(965) 538-2098.  The mission duty officer can be reached 
through the embassy switchboard, Post One or by cell phone at 
(965) 967-7265.  The embassy pouch address is 6200 Kuwait 
Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6200. 
 
   d. Threat Assessment:  Kuwait is a high-threat post and 
the military threatcon is currently Charlie.  We have 
increased security precautions at official U.S. installations 
in Kuwait and recommend that all Americans in Kuwait remain 
alert to their surroundings and review their personal 
security practices. 
 
   e. Health Advisory for Kuwait:  April through October is 
the hot season in Kuwait.  Temperatures reach 120-140 degrees 
F in summer. Caution should be taken to prevent dehydration 
and heat exhaustion by 1) drinking plenty of fluids and 2) 
staying indoors, especially during peak temperature hours of 
noon to 4:00 PM.  Low humidity 
 
KUWAIT 00001543  002 OF 003 
 
 
coupled with high temperatures creates excessive moisture 
loss from evaporation.  It is necessary to drink 2-4 quarts 
of water daily to prevent dehydration. 
 
   f. Money:  Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, 
restaurants and other establishments throughout Kuwait and 
ATM machines are also readily available.  For travelers on 
official orders, the Commercial Bank of Kuwait can provide 
accommodation services (cashing a personal check drawn on a 
U.S. bank into local currency) up to a maximum of USD 300.00 
per day from noon to 2:00 p.m., Saturday through Wednesday. 
At the current rate of exchange, one Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) is 
equivalent to approximately USD 3.60. 
 
   g. CAA Access:  Visitors who need unescorted access into 
secure areas of the mission must slug cables to the attention 
of the RSO, and include the level of their clearance.  The 
cable should include the visitor's Social Security number, 
and the name of the agency granting the clearance.  Cables 
should include the ASEC tag to ensure distribution to the RSO 
office and the Marine Security guard at Post One. 
 
   h. Computer and Electronics Usage:  Sensitive military 
information has been discovered recently on business center 
computers at local hotels in Kuwait City.  All U.S. 
government personnel and contractors must remember that it is 
their responsibility to observe good computer and information 
security practices.  Information processed on computers in 
hotel business centers, through email correspondence or 
document creation, is highly exploitable.  Public computers 
located in hotel business centers, internet cafes, airport 
lounges, etc. should never be used to process, store or 
disseminate sensitive information.  Compromise of sensitive 
government or military information can result in serious 
damage to national security.  Compromises of sensitive 
personal data can result in significant personal and 
financial hardship.  Random checks are conducted by Embassy 
personnel on public PC's. Breaches on COMPUSEC will result in 
the violator receiving security infractions and/or security 
violations. Interagency security 
standards prohibit the introduction or use of non-USG owned 
computer hardware and software at all USG diplomatic 
facilities.  Cell phones, palm pilots, radios and other 
convenience electronics are prohibited in all secure areas of 
the mission. 
 
   i. Photography:  Tourist photography is encouraged in 
Kuwait. However, it is strictly forbidden to photograph 
public buildings, economic infrastructure (e.g., oil 
facilities), or military and other security-related 
facilities and personnel.  Confiscation of film and camera 
and even arrest may result from doing so.  A good rule of 
thumb:  If there is any doubt as to whether a photograph 
should be taken, don't take it. 
 
   j. Action Request:  Each visitor, regardless of length of 
stay, must bring or forward fiscal data to pay for direct 
costs of the visit.  Each agency, organization or visiting 
delegation will be charged for the actual costs attributed to 
their visit.  Direct charge costs include, but are not 
limited to:  American and LES staff overtime (e.g., 
expeditor, accommodation exchange, and representational event 
support), field travel, lodging and meals and 
incidental expenses (M&IE) by embassy employees, vehicle 
rentals, long-distance telephone calls, equipment rentals, 
office supplies and all other costs that are directly 
attributable to the visit.  If fiscal data on a traveler's 
authorization is to be used for this purpose, this 
information must be spelled out in the travel orders and 
sufficient funding provided to meet these expenses.  In 
addition, for TDYers over thirty (30) days, there will be a 
charge for ICASS support services.  If your sponsoring agency 
is not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be 
prepared to sign an ICASS Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
for ICASS support services upon arrival.  The agency should 
provide post with written communication, generated by the 
traveler's headquarters, that confirms the agency will pay 
ICASS charges for the TDYer, provide the agency ICASS billing 
code for the TDY support to be provided, and authorize the 
traveler to sign the ICASS invoice generated by the TDY 
module. When travel is urgent, TDYers sh 
ould bring this document with them to ensure there are no 
 
KUWAIT 00001543  003 OF 003 
 
 
interruptions in the provision of services. Post will not 
provide any services to a TDYer staying in excess of 30 days 
without having received this documentation prior to day 31 of 
the TDY. 
 
¶4. This is revision one to the Embassy's standard country 
clearance cable. 
 
 
 
********************************************* * 
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