VZCZCXRO7000
RR RUEHBW RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #0457/01 1151352
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241352Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1289
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0523
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 000457 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/I AND EV/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2018 
TAGS: PREL PTER MARR NATO KCIP KISL KU RS XG
SUBJECT: OVERVIEW OF RECENT NATO-KUWAIT ENGAGEMENT 
 
REF: A. 07 KUWAIT 0870 
     ¶B. 07 KUWAIT 0440 
     ¶C. 06 KUWAIT 4652 
     ¶D. 06 KUWAIT 4557 
 
Classified By: DCM Alan G. Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: On April 9, the Polish Embassy delivered a 
briefing to NATO member-country COMs on recent NATO-Kuwait 
engagement.  On January 14-15, a team of NATO experts visited 
Kuwait to identify GOK security priorities and investigate 
areas for increased cooperation.  On March 27, Kuwait hosted 
a NATO Special Committee Istanbul Cooperation Initiative 
(ICI) seminar to review threats to Kuwait's energy 
infrastructure, strategies for countering cyber attacks, 
overall gulf security and regional Islamic moderation 
programs.  During the ICI seminar, National Security Bureau 
Deputy Shaykh Thamer discussed the GCC's proposed atomic 
energy program and reiterated Iran's growing danger to the 
region.  Kuwait has not yet implemented an agreement to share 
classified information with NATO, and a transit agreement for 
shipping military materiel is stalled indefinitely.  The 
recently concluded Bucharest Summit underscored NATO regional 
priorities, but also highlighted Russia's growing unease with 
NATO's eastward expansion.  End summary. 
 
Jan 14-15 NATO Experts Visit 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) A team of NATO experts visited Kuwait on January 14-15 
to identify GOK security priorities and investigate areas for 
increased cooperation.  Members of the Kuwait Ministry of 
Interior (MOI), Ministry of Defense (MOD), Kuwait National 
Guard (KNG), National Security Bureau (NSB) and Fire 
Department attended the meetings.  The GOK identified border 
security, counterterrorism, WMD non-proliferation and civil 
emergency planning as areas of mutual interest. 
 
¶3. (SBU) NATO also advocated for greater Kuwaiti 
participation in the ICI, and presented the GOK with an ICI 
Menu of Practical Activities for 2008.  The NATO experts 
announced the launch of the E-Prime data network, which 
allows NATO partners to review the ICI activities menu 
online.  At the conclusion of the meetings, both sides 
highlighted qualitative and quantitative growth in their 
cooperation, specifically noting Kuwait's nomination of a 
liaison officer to the NATO Partnership Cooperation Cell in 
Mons, Belgium. 
 
March 27 ICI Seminar in Kuwait 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) On March 27, Kuwait hosted a NATO Special Committee 
ICI seminar, which included representatives from the Kuwait 
MOD, MOI, NSB and the Ministry of Awqaf (religious 
endowments) and Islamic Affairs; as well as members of the 
Bahraini, Qatari and Emirati security establishment.  NATO 
Special Committee members from 11 European nations, in 
addition to delegates from the NATO Terrorist Threat 
Intelligence Unit and the NATO Office of Security also 
attended.  The seminar reviewed threats to Kuwait's energy 
infrastructure, strategies for countering cyber attacks, 
overall gulf security and regional Islamic moderation 
programs.  NATO representatives highlighted recent cyber 
attacks on Estonia emanating from Russia during the cyber 
security portion of the seminar. 
 
NSB on Nuclear Energy, Iran and Islamic Moderation 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶5. (C) During the ICI seminar, NSB Deputy Director Shaykh 
Thamer Ali Al Sabah delivered a presentation outlining GOK 
regional security views.  Shaykh Thamer welcomed NATO 
assistance and called for intensified mutual dialogue.  He 
advised that the GCC intends to develop its own nuclear 
energy program, but assured the NATO representatives that it 
would be a strictly peaceful endeavor conducted with full and 
transparent disclosure to the IAEA and the UN. 
 
¶6. (C) In contrast, Shaykh Thamer said the GCC views Iran's 
foreign policy and its nuclear program as threats to regional 
stability.  Thamer discussed the growth of Iran's regional 
influence, particularly in Lebanon and the Palestinian 
territories, and reiterated that Iran has threatened to 
attack U.S. and European interests in the Gulf.  He noted 
that Iran does not possess advanced military technologies, 
but cautioned that its current forces were sufficient to 
 
KUWAIT 00000457  002 OF 003 
 
 
disrupt maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. 
Shaykh Thamer stressed that Kuwait seeks to isolate Iran 
internationally, and that it backs the leading role of the UN 
and the IAEA in addressing Iran's nuclear program.  He 
counseled NATO to "take GCC advice" to "avoid mistakes" in 
dealing with Iran. 
 
¶7. (C) Speaking about Kuwait's Islamic moderation program, 
Shaykh Thamer said the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs 
had conducted moderation training for 720 imams thus far.  He 
also highlighted the World Moderation Center's international 
conferences, courses and expert exchanges as evidence of its 
global reach and success.  (Note: Kuwait's moderation 
initiative is essentially a marketing program for Western 
consumption, as evidenced by its conferences in London, 
Washington and Moscow.  The program does not require imams to 
take moderation training, nor does it attempt to rehabilitate 
extremists.  End note.) 
 
Status of NATO-Kuwait Agreements 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) NATO is pursuing an Information Security Agreement 
with Kuwait that will allow for the exchange of classified 
information.  The GOK signed the agreement on December 12, 
2006, but has not yet implemented the requisite security 
measures.  A team of NATO experts will visit Kuwait in May to 
inspect its equipment and offer advice on next steps.  NATO 
expects the information exchanges to begin before July 2008. 
 
¶9. (C) In addition, NATO is attempting to finalize a Transit 
Agreement that will facilitate the shipment of military 
materiel through Kuwait to Iraq and Afghanistan.  While the 
absence of such an agreement has not prevented this, the lack 
of established protocols has resulted in some unnecessary 
delays.  The GOK noted that this accord would need to be 
approved by the National Assembly, but assured NATO 
representatives that "there is no real controversy with this 
agreement." 
 
¶10. (C) Note: The Amir dissolved the National Assembly on 
March 19, and new elections are scheduled for May 17.  The 
dissolution was partly a response to Parliament's inability 
to pass substantive legislation.  The UK previously 
circumvented this problem by signing a bilateral MOU with the 
GOK, which the Amir approved by decree.  The British 
Ambassador did not specify whether this occurred during the 
last parliamentary dissolution in 2006.  The U.S. and U.K. 
have also signed bilateral agreements to pass intelligence to 
Kuwait.  End note. 
 
Recap of Bucharest Summit 
------------------------- 
 
¶11. (C) The Polish Embassy recapped the April 2-4 NATO 
Bucharest Summit and outlined NATO's top priorities for the 
Gulf, namely: 
 
-- Continued support for the UN-mandated International 
Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (now comprising 40 
nations) 
-- Continued support for the Government and people of Iraq 
-- Continued development of the Iraq Security Forces 
-- An extension of the NATO Training Mission in Iraq through 
2009 
-- Enhanced Iraqi Navy and Air Force leadership training, 
police training, border security and counterterrorism 
initiatives, and defense reform. 
 
¶12. (C) During the summit, NATO encouraged new countries to 
join the ICI, specifically Saudi Arabia and Oman, and 
announced its desire to build liaison arrangements on a 
voluntary basis with "the region."  The Austrian Ambassador 
noted during the briefing, however, that the KSA was having 
difficulty selling ICI membership to its public, and that 
Oman was balking since Sultan Qaboos is reportedly not 
convinced of the magnitude of the Iranian threat and is weary 
of joining the "anti-Iran" camp. 
 
¶13. (C) During the briefing, Romanian Ambassador Constantin 
Nistor discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin's 
participation in the summit.  He said Putin expressed 
Russia's readiness to talk with NATO on membership expansion, 
noting that Russia was "beyond the Cold War" and that it was 
not interested in revisiting that era.  AMB Nistor relayed 
that the GOR had apparently warmed to the Europe Missile 
Shield, with the caveat that the control foci be located in 
 
KUWAIT 00000457  003 OF 003 
 
 
both Belgium and Russia. 
 
¶14. (C) The Ambassador cautioned, however, that Russia viewed 
continued NATO expansion as a threat to its security and that 
Georgian and Ukrainian membership would be "very difficult 
for Russia to accept."  AMB Nistor speculated that Ukraine 
may be split should it opt to join NATO.  He recommended that 
NATO continue its close engagement with Russia and observed 
that Russian buy-in was critical to resolving a host of 
international problems. 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
Jones