VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #0166 0551102
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 241102Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4671

S E C R E T KUWAIT 000166 
  
 NOFORN 
 SIPDIS 
  
 FOR CA/VO/L/C 
  
 E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2020 
 TAG KU, CVIS, CMGT 
 SUBJECT: VISA REVOCATION KUWAIT 
  
 REF: A. STATE 10533 
      ¶B. STATE 11763 
  
 Classified By: Classified by:  Consul Pat Walsh for reasons 1.4 b and d 
 . 
  
 ¶1. (U) Action request for Department para 7. 
  
 ¶2. (SBU) Ref A was a list of prudential revocations of visas 
 issued in Kuwait.  Ref B invited posts to notify VO/L/C of 
 any sensitive cases and to delay notifying the applicant 
 pending a response from Washington.  Post appreciates the 
 opportunity to reclama and wishes to bring one such case to 
 the attention of the Department. 
  
 ¶3. (C) The applicant in question is Dr. Walid Al-Tabtabae, 
 DPOB: April 3, 1964, Kuwait.  The applicant possesses the 
 following non-immigrant visa: B1/B2 issued August 27, 2001, 
 expires August 26, 2011.  The following CLASS hits are 
 entered in his name: One 00 hit entered September 24, 2004, 
 referencing TSC record 1382195, one P3B hit and one VRVK hit, 
 both entered December 30, 2009. 
 
¶4. (C) Al-Tabtabae is a six-time Member of Kuwait's National 
 Assembly, in which he serves as Chairman of the Human Rights 
 Committee and is a member (Rapporteur) of the Legislative and 
 Legal Affairs Committee as well as the Negative Phenomena 
 Committee. 

¶5. (C) Al-Tabtabae is an outspoken critic of U.S. policies on 
 Israel-Palestine and opposes the normalization of relations 
 with Israel.  In October 2009, he was barred entry into Egypt 
 for having illegally entering the Gaza Strip via tunnels 
 under the Rafah border.  Al-Tabtabae is is a leading 
 Salafist-leaning member of the Kuwaiti Parliament, is a 
 frequent and vocal critic of U.S. policies, and has a very 
 high media profile.  Kuwaiti Salafists, with whom Al-Tabtabae 
 is usually associated, are ultra-conservative and oppose many 
 aspects of U.S. foreign policy, but like most Kuwaitis for 
 the most part favor a continued U.S. military presence in 
 Kuwait as a bulwark against the ambitions of covetous larger 
 neighbors. 

 ¶6. (S/NF) Though Al-Tabtabae is often at odds politically 
 with the United States, and has met with senior members of 
 Hamas, Post is not aware of credible evidence indicating his 
 participation in or facilitation of terrorism, and notes that 
 the single intel piece available through TIDE indicates only 
 an indirect linkage, and source is of low quality. 

 ¶7.  (C)  In revoking Al-Tabtabae,s visa, we risk creating a 
 public cause clbre in Kuwait that would enable critics of 
 U.S. policy like Al-Tabtabae and his fellow-travelers in the 
 ultra-conservative/Salafist movement in Kuwait to portray the 
 revocation as punishment of those who disagree with U.S. 
 policy by labeling them &terrorists.8 

 ¶8.  (C) Action Request:  Post requests Department reconsider 
 this revocation. 
 WILLIAMS 
  
 ********************************************* ********* 
 For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
 visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: 
  
 http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it 
 ********************************************* ********* 
 WILLIAMS