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DE RUEHKU #0094/01 0331311
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FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4517
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
EEB/ESC/TFS, NEA/ARP, S/CT 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/02/2020 
TAGS: PREL KPAL EAID KTFN PTER IZ IR YM KU
SUBJECT: A/S FELTMAN DISCUSSES IRAQ, IRAN, MEPP, AND YEMEN 
WITH KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 23 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 53 
     ¶C. KUWAIT 36 
 
Classified By: Economic Counselor Oliver John for reasons 1.4 (b), (d), 
 (e). 
 
¶1.  (C) Key points: 
 
- A/S Feltman noted he'd accompanied Vice President Biden to 
Iraq, where he continued to encourage political 
reconciliation.  The A/S suggested movement on Chapter VII 
issues involving Kuwait was more likely following the March 
elections, but said he had pressed Iraq to name an Ambassador 
to Kuwait. Dr. Mohammed noted Kuwait's concern about Iranian 
influence in Iraq and asked whether POTUS' call for Iranian 
engagement had shifted; A/S Feltman noted an increasing blow 
back from Iraqi Shi'a towards Iran and foreshadowed a sharper 
US policy toward Iran; 
 
- The FM said Kuwait would provide an additional USD $50 
million to the World Bank Trust Fund for the Palestinian 
Authority, and expressed doubts about recent efforts towards 
the Middle East Peace Process; A/S Feltman thanked Kuwait for 
its generous support and stated that the picture, while 
complicated, included more positive elements such as contacts 
at the sub-negotiating level; 
 
- The FM announced his plans to travel to London for the 
Yemen and Afghanistan conference on January 26, including a 
meeting with Secretary Clinton on January 27.  He will attend 
the Friends of Afghanistan meeting as well as the GCC lunch 
(ref b). End Summary and Key Points. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On January 25, A/S Jeffrey Feltman accompanied by 
Ambassador, Peter Vrooman, NSC Director for Iraq, and Econoff 
(note taker) met with Kuwaiti FM Dr. Mohammed Al Sabah. 
 
 
Where is Iraq's Ambassador to Kuwait? 
 
¶3.  (C) A/S Feltman briefed the FM on Vice President Biden's 
visit to Baghdad, including details about the US-Iraq Joint 
Coordinating Committee (JCC) on Political and Diplomatic 
issues.  A/S Feltman noted the purpose of the JCC was to 
develop a strategic dialogue with Iraq similar to what we 
already enjoy with Kuwait.  A/S Feltman suggested it would be 
difficult to move forward on Kuwait's basket of Chapter VII 
issues until after the Iraq elections in March, although he 
had urged Iraq Foreign Minister Zebari to send an Ambassador 
to Kuwait as this was essential to moving other important 
discussions forward. 
 
¶4.  (C) Dr. Mohammed expressed concern over the negative 
Kuwait narrative in the Iraqi press and from some GoI 
officials.   He lamented what he described as the Iraqis 
'singular focus' on debt and compensation issues while 
failing to see the linkages (given Kuwait's parliament) to 
their Chapter VII obligations.  Despite Iraq's lack of 
cooperation, the FM said Kuwait is reaching out to Iraqi 
politicians as part of a strategy of active engagement, 
citing the recent visits of ISCI leader Ammar Al Hakim, Sunni 
Arab Vice President Al Hashemi, Speaker Sammarraie, and 
Sheikh Abdullah of the Shammar Tribe in Ninewa.  Improving 
Kuwait-Basra relations is of particular focus for the GoK, he 
added, and   Governor Al Miyahi of Basra (Da'wa party) paid a 
successful visit to Kuwait on January 17. 
 
¶5.  (C) In an effort to create goodwill, Dr. Mohammed said 
Kuwait had donated USD $1 Million to the Iraqi Ministry of 
Human Rights for the purpose of capacity building in their 
effort to identify the remains of missing persons (Both Iraqi 
and Kuwaiti).  Vrooman noted that the Iraqi minister of Human 
Rights had informed the U.S. Vice President that her ministry 
was pursuing the cases of Kuwaiti missing persons.  Iraqi FM 
Zebari also reaffirmed to A/S Feltman on January 24 that 
Iraqremained committed to follow-up on Kuwaiti missing 
persons and properties even as other issues remained on hold. 
 (Note: The Kuwaitis are frustrated by the lack of concrete 
results in this area, see ref. c.  End Note). 
 
 
Concern over Iran 
 
¶6.  (C) The FM sought A/S Feltman's assessment of continuing 
Iranian influence in Iraq.  A/S Feltman stressed that the 
Iraqis themselves believe their neighbors are meddling and 
suggested that the Al-Fakka oil incursion might have unified 
Iraqis in opposition to Iran.  A/S Feltman offered his sense, 
 
KUWAIT 00000094  002 OF 002 
 
 
based on conversations in Baghdad and elsewhere, that Iraqi 
Shi'a were now emphasizing their national Arab Iraqi identity. 
 
¶7.  (C) Dr. Mohammed questioned whether the Administration's 
engagement policy remained unchanged in light of Iran's 
failure to respond positively to previous proposals.  A/S 
Feltman acknowledged that Iran had failed to respond 
positively to U.S. offer on engagement.  A/S Feltman 
foreshadowed a sharper USG approach towards Iran, in response 
to the lack of a positive Iranian response to the 
international community's efforts on engagement.  Foreign 
Minister Dr. Mohammed replied "it is very important to have 
international solidarity on the Iran issue". 
 
 
Status of Middle East Peace Process 
 
¶8.  (C) A/S Feltman thanked Dr. Mohammed for Kuwait's 
contribution to the Palestine Authority through the World 
Bank trust fund.  Dr. Mohammed said he would announce the 
GoK's plan to provide another USD $50 million contribution 
after the government dealt with Kuwait's parliament on its 
recent controversial legislation concerning personal debt 
relief.  Dr. Mohammed noted his concerns about the 
effectiveness of the recent Senator Mitchell visit.  A/S 
Feltman responded that there had more contact at the 
sub-negotiation level, which has created some positive 
momentum.  Nonetheless, he acknowledged that real progress 
won't be made until the parties come to the negotiating table. 
 
¶9.  (C) Dr. Mohammed mentioned a recent meeting he had with 
Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (ref a) followed 
by a meeting with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal.  Meshal claimed 
he was not an Iranian puppet and that he remained very 
interested in Palestinian reconciliation.  During that 
meeting the FM said Meshal asserted that Hamas was not 
opposed to Egyptian mediation. 
 
 
Yemen - not a failed state 
 
¶10.  (C) A/S Feltman conveyed USG expectations for the 
upcoming London conference regarding Yemen, which was to 
boost support for security and development.  The Foreign 
Minister asked whether the USG supported British Foreign 
Minister Miliband's position that Yemen is a failed state. 
A/S Feltman responded by saying that the U.S. did not 
characterize Yemen as such, but stressed the need to include 
political and developmental dimensions along with support for 
the military.  The FM said that GoK was told that Houthi 
militants were Hezbollah in the making and receiving support 
for Iran.  A/S Feltman said that may be the case but the U.S. 
had not yet seen intelligence or evidence to support this 
contention. 
 
¶11.  (U) This cable has been cleared by A/S Feltman. 
 
********************************************* ********* 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: 
 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it 
********************************************* ********* 
JONES