VZCZCXRO2315
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDIR RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHKU #0527/01 1460331
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260331Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3398
INFO RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 000527 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP (BMASILKO), NEA/PPD (DBENZE) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT MEDIA REACTION: U.S. SOLDIERS INFECTED WITH H1N1 
 
REF: KUWAIT 515 
 
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SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary and Comment.  On the evening of Saturday, May 23, 
news of confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza among U.S. military 
personnel transiting Kuwait to Iraq broke in the local and 
international media.  The story ran on the front page of all local 
papers, and on local, regional, and pan-Arab television channels on 
May 24.  All stories reflected the available press guidance and 
statements from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health.  On Sunday, May 24, 
the Ministry of Health held a press conference to explain the GOK 
position and measures taken to contain the spread of disease.  On 
Monday, May 25, all the Kuwaiti local newspapers reported positively 
on the press conference, echoing the GOK statement that Kuwait 
remains safe from H1N1 influenza.  The Embassy continues to monitor 
the press and respond to queries in close consultation with Kuwaiti 
government officials and U.S. military officers.  End Summary and 
Comment. 
 
---------------- 
KUNA's Reporting 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) was the first local media 
organization to break the story, posting on its website May 23 the 
press guidance from the U.S. Embassy and the statement from the 
Ministry of Health.  Kuwaiti Undersecretary at the Ministry of 
Health, Dr. Ibrahim Al-Abdulhadi, told KUNA that "health officials 
discovered that the U.S. soldiers were infected with swine flu once 
they arrived in Kuwait, so they were completely quarantined in their 
military base.  Most of infected soldiers left Kuwait already and 
the rest were treated in the military base hospital.  They would be 
leaving the country later.  Kuwait is safe, he confirmed, and was 
following the recommendations and measures of the World Health 
Organization."  KUNA posted as well the U.S.  Embassy statement 
saying it "was aware that the H1N1 influenza cases have been 
tentatively confirmed among U.S. military personnel assigned abroad, 
including soldiers transiting via U.S. military bases in Kuwait." 
It affirmed as well that "they have not come into any contact with 
the Kuwaiti population."  The Embassy added that the U.S. and 
Kuwaiti governments "have closely coordinated monitoring and 
response measures." 
 
The below are KUNA's links: 
 
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite /ArticleDe 
tails.aspx?id=2000380&Language=en 
 
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite /ArticleDe 
tails.aspx?id=2000388&Language=en 
 
-------------- 
News Headlines 
-------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The headlines of the main five Kuwaiti newspapers on Sunday, 
May 24, before the press conference, affirmed that Kuwait was H1N1 
free. 
 
Moderate Arabic local daily Al-Qabas: 
 
- "18 U.S. Soldiers in Kuwait are Infected with the Swine Flu but 
they were Isolated" 
 
- "They have not Come into any Contact with the Kuwaiti Population" 
 
Conservative Arabic local daily Al-Watan: 
 
- "American Soldiers in Kuwait are Infected with H1N1" 
 
- "Major Kristi Beckman: Kuwait Agreed Upon Each Person Quarantined 
in Military Facilities" 
 
- "U.S. Embassy is Coordinating with the Ministry of Health to 
Guarantee the Safety of Kuwait's Population" 
 
- "Kuwait Has Never Let Anybody Enter the Country Without Being 
Inspected and the American Soldiers do the Test Within Five Days" 
 
- "Ministry of Health: It is in Our Interest to Quarantine Any 
Infected Person who Might Transmit the Infection" 
 
Liberal Arabic daily Al-Rai: 
 
- "18 American Soldiers in Kuwait are Infected with Swine Flu" 
 
- "They were Quarantined in Their Military Base and the U.S. Embassy 
 
KUWAIT 00000527  002 OF 003 
 
 
Affirmed that they have not Come into Contact With the Population" 
 
Pro-Government Arabic daily Al-Anbaa: 
 
- "Swine Flu is on the Kuwaiti doorstep!" 
 
Pro-Government Arabic daily Al-Seyassah: 
 
- "Swine Flu in Kuwait and the Ministry of Health is on its Nerves" 
 
- "The Ministry has Called for an Urgent Meeting of the Flu Combat 
Committee and the Civil Defense is in Stand-By Mode" 
 
- "18 Confirmed H1N1 Cases of American Soldiers who were Isolated in 
Camp Arifjan" 
 
- "Concerns that the Disease Might Spread Because the Incoming 
Foreign Forces do not go Through Precautionary Measures" 
 
- "Tampa U.S. Central Command Spokesperson Affirmed that the 
Infected Soldiers are Still in Kuwait but in a Late Statement the 
Ministry of Health Said that Some of them Have Left the Country" 
Both conservative Al-Watan and pro-government Arabic daily 
Al-Seyassah sourced information to the U.S. Central Command 
statement confirming 18 H1N1 cases among U.S. soldiers at an 
American military base in Kuwait.  The Al-Seyassah report also 
highlighted the entry and exit of U.S. soldiers through military 
bases and not official Kuwait border crossings. 
 
------------------- 
Television Coverage 
------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) Local TV channels Al-Rai and Kuwait TV, regional Al-Manar 
Television (Hezbollah owned and operated) and Pan-Arab Al-Arabiya 
all broadcast the story, based on KUNA's initial report.  The TV 
channels hosted high-ranking Kuwaiti officials, who affirmed that 
Kuwait is H1N1 free and all necessary measures have been taken to 
resolve the issue of the American soldiers.  Hezbollah's Al-Manar 
reported in its Arabic morning news on Sunday, May 24 that there is 
an unknown number of infected U.S. soldiers that transferred the flu 
to Kuwait.  Al-Manar added that this was the first instance of the 
flu in Kuwait and in the Gulf.  However, on Al-Manar's English 
website, the issue was confined solely to the statements from the 
U.S. Embassy and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health with no commentary. 
 
 
------------------------- 
Press Conference Coverage 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) All newspapers on Monday, May 25, reported positively on the 
Ministry of Health press conference, most took information and 
details from the KUNA report: 
http://www.kuna.net.kw/NewsAgenciesPublicSite /ArticleDe 
tails.aspx?id=2000589&Language=en.  The below is a sample of how the 
local press covered the story: 
 
- Moderate Arabic daily Al-Qabas published a full page report on the 
Kuwaiti Ministry of Health press conference, which took place at the 
Ministry on May 24, under the headline: "Story of the American 
soldiers infected with H1N1 Flu."  The two main sub-headlines of the 
report read, "16 out of the infected 18 have left the country after 
five have been cured;" and "The two remaining soldiers have been 
released from the quarantine quarters after showing signs of 
improvement." 
 
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Editorial 
--------- 
 
¶6.  Only moderate Arabic daily Awan devoted an editorial to the H1N1 
issue.  Chief Editor Mr. Ousama Al-Rantisi gave an objective summary 
of the events regarding how the news became public and how both the 
GOK and the USG handled the issue; he thanked both governments for 
their coordination.  However, he also asked several rhetorical 
questions, such as: "When exactly did the infected soldiers enter 
Kuwait?  From where did they come?  Did they enter through the 
Kuwait International Airport?  How come they did not come into 
contact with Kuwait's population?  Did they all come here form the 
same American State?  Did they leave infected or they were reported 
infected after they entered Kuwait?  Did the American authorities 
inform the WHO initially or after they notified the Kuwaiti 
authorities?"  Al-Rantisi also mentioned that Awan sent one reporter 
and one photographer to an American aircraft carrier three weeks 
ago, "therefore the question is does the quarantine include all 
those who have come close to American soldiers?  "Were these cases 
detected before or after Awan's visit to the carrier?  We have lots 
of questions and little information.  In this case how can we rest 
assured that our health condition is not at risk?" 
 
KUWAIT 00000527  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
 
********************************************* * 
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