VZCZCXRO4495
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHKU #0320/01 0631418
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041418Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8443
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, OSD FOR ASD/DPMO CRONAUER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL MARR IZ SA KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS
SUBJECT: TRIPARTITE COMMISSION TECHNICAL SUBCOMMITTEE 53RD 
SESSION 
 
REF: A. 06 KUWAIT 4536 
     ¶B. 06 KUWAIT 3640 
 
¶1. Summary: Kuwait hosted the 53rd session of the 
Tripartite Commission's Technical Subcommittee (TSC) on 
February 20, 2007 with representatives from Iraq, Saudi 
Arabia, Kuwait, France, the International Committee 
for the Red Cross (ICRC), and Embassy Kuwait in 
attendance. The session closed no cases.  Kuwait refined 
its request to the U.S. for assistance with satellite 
imagery research and analysis and requested a meeting with 
representatives from the U.S. National 
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).  Kuwait and Iraq 
agreed to coordinate on interviewing several witnesses. 
There was no new information on CAPT. Speicher.  His DNA 
profile remains in the Kuwaiti database and continues to 
be checked against all newly received profiles. The next 
TSC meeting will take place on June 5, 2007 in Kuwait. 
 
SIPDIS 
End Summary. 
 
Mass Graves Update 
------------------ 
 
¶2. The 51st session of the TSC was held in Kuwait on 
February 20, 2007. The Kuwaitis and the United States 
opened the meeting by informing the attendees that the 
Kuwaiti delegation had responded to the U.S. Department 
of State liaison to the U.S. National 
Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) by narrowing its 
request for satellite imagery research and analysis of 
areas in Naseriya and Kerbala to a six month period from 
August, 1990 to February, 1991.  The U.S. delegation 
noted that the period was still likely to be too broad 
for the NGA to provide assistance.  The Kuwaiti 
delegation inquired whether it would be possible to have 
single images from one day in each of the six months 
during the identified period.  The Kuwait delegation also 
expressed interest in having its technical experts meet 
with the NGA representative either in Kuwait or the U.S. 
The U.S. delegation agreed to inquire on behalf of the 
Kuwaiti delegation. 
 
Witnesses 
--------- 
 
¶3. Iraq informed about contacts with a witness in Syria 
regarding sites in Kuwait and Iraq.  Kuwait expressed 
interest in meeting with the witness.  The ICRC offered 
its office in Damascus as a possible venue for the 
meeting. 
 
¶4. Kuwait and Iraq agreed to pursue further information 
from another witness regarding gravesites containing 
Kuwaitis.  Kuwait confirmed for the Iraqi delegation that 
there are no legal grounds for detaining witnesses 
coming to Kuwait in connection with TSC investigations. 
 
Closed Cases 
------------ 
 
¶5. No cases were closed since the last TSC meeting in 
November, 2006.  Kuwait reported it had conducted no 
exhumation activities.  Kuwait and Iraq noted that they 
foresee closure of three and two cases respectively during 
the next Tripartite Commission meeting.  Saudi Arabia 
proposed a bilateral agreement between Iraq and Saudi 
Arabia for closure of 59 non-First Gulf War files of 
Iraqis buried in Saudi Arabia, for 29 of which the names 
were known but the exact location of the grave was 
unknown.  The TSC took note of the bilateral agreement 
concerning these cases. 
 
Other Activities 
---------------- 
 
¶6. Iraq submitted four cases for whom families have 
requested the repatriation of human remains from Saudi 
Arabia. 
 
¶7.  Iraq presented new information on three individual 
gravesites in Ramadi, Baghdad International Airport and Abu 
Ghraib.  The Baghdad information was judged not reliable. 
The Ramadi site was to be further researched for its 
reliability.  The Abu Ghraib site was assessed most 
promising and Iraq and Kuwait will coordinate on further 
investigation of the site. 
 
¶8. There was no new information on CAPT. Speicher's case. 
His DNA profile remains in the Kuwaiti database and 
 
KUWAIT 00000320  002 OF 002 
 
 
continues to be checked against all newly received 
profiles. 
 
¶9. Kuwait explained that there were no DNA profiles for the 
human remains repatriated to Iraq from Kuwait on October 
15, 2006 at the Safwan-Abdaly border. 
 
Next TSC Meeting 
---------------- 
 
¶10. The next TSC meeting will take place on June 5, 2007 
in Kuwait at the Sheraton Four Points.  Activities to be 
undertaken before the next session are: 
 
- The U.S. will contact the NGA representative about a 
  possible meeting with Kuwaiti technical experts 
  concerning satellite imagery analysis assistance. 
 
- Iraq will contact the Defense and Interior Ministries 
  about possible visits to Kerbala 3, Nasseriya, Samawa 
  and Najaf. 
 
- Kuwait and Iraq will contact the witness in Syria. 
 
- Iraq will contact a witness in London. 
 
- Kuwait will finalize a number of DNA analyses. 
 
¶11. Delegations: 
 
State of Iraq 
------------- 
Mr. Ahmad M. Baker, Head of Delegation 
Mr. Kazem M. Kazem 
Mr. Ali M. Thumad 
Mr. Yaqoob Kh. Haider 
 
State of Kuwait 
--------------- 
H.E. Ibrahim M. Al-Shaheen, Head of Delegation 
Mr. Forzan Al-Forzan 
Mr. Rabea Al-Adsani 
H.E. Khaled Al-Maqamis 
Dr. Mohammad Al-Hadda 
Dr. Soltan Al-Khalaf 
 
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
----------------------- 
Mr. Zuhair M. Al-Idrissi, Head of Delegation 
Dr. Abdulrahman S. Al-Shareif 
Mr. Ahmad M. Omar 
Mr. Khalid Al-Treiri 
Mr. Fahad Al-Juraid 
 
Republic of France 
------------------ 
Mr. Jacques Coudray, Head of Delegation 
 
International Committee for the Red Cross 
----------------------------------------- 
Mr. Jean-Michel Monod, Regional Delegate for the GCC Countries 
Mr. Guilhem Ravier, Protection Coordinator 
Mr. Micha Wedekind, Delegate for 'Missing' files in Iraq 
Ms. Dalia Emrazian, Protection Department 
 
United States 
------------- 
Mr. DeWitt Conklin, Head of Delegation 
 
 
********************************************* * 
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/ 
********************************************* * 
LeBaron