Cablegate: Country Clearance Granted for Codel Loebsack (October

VZCZCXYZ0006
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #1536/01 2911151
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181151Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0153
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 1031
RUEHFT/AMCONSUL FRANKFURT PRIORITY 2522
RUENAAA/OLA WASHINGTON DC
INFO RUEHDL/AMEMBASSY DUBLIN PRIORITY 0175
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0293

UNCLAS KUWAIT 001536

SIPDIS

CODEL
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OREP AMGT ASEC AFIN GM KU IZ COUNTRY CLEARANCE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR CODEL LOEBSACK (OCTOBER
19-21, 2007)

REF: STATE 145039

1. Embassy Kuwait welcomes and grants country clearance for CODEL
LOEBSACK to travel to post on October 19-21, 2007.

2. This clearance is not/not valid for entry into Iraq; you must
apply for Iraq clearance through Embassy Baghdad.

3. Visit Officer: An Embassy visit officer and a driver/expeditor
will meet and assist you at the airport.

Embassy points of contact are:

Kevin Sou, ISU Liaison
Office-(965) 259-1527
Cell-(965)961-9920
Fax-(965) 259-1190
Unclass e-mail: SouKL@state.gov

SIPDIS

Agnel Berry, ISU Coordinator
Office- (965) 259-1416
Cell- (965)973-9854
Fax- (965) 259-1190
Unclass e-mail: BerryAH2@state.gov

SIPDIS

4. Lodging: Rooms have been reserved at Radisson SAS Hotel for
October 19, 2007. The hotel telephone number is (965) 575-6000 and
the fax number is (965) 565-2999. The single room rate at the hotel
is approximately USD 272.00 per night, which includes breakfast. The
hotel accepts major credit cards and is within the per diem rate.
The daily per diem rate for Kuwait is USD 291.00 for lodging, plus a
meal and incidental expense (M&IE) allowance of USD 105.00 for a
total of USD 396.00.

5. 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
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,
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 should bring this document with them
to ensure there are no 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.

6. This is revision one to the Embassy's standard country clearance
cable.

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Visit Kuwait's Classified and Unclassified Websites at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ and http://kuwait.state.gov/

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Misenheimer

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