VZCZCXRO3305
OO RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHTRO
DE RUCNDT #0565 1772231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 252231Z JUN 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4500
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000565 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM UNSC KU IZ
SUBJECT: UN HIGH LEVEL COORDINATOR ON IRAQ-KUWAIT ISSUES 
BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL 
 
¶1. (SBU) Gennady Tarasov, the recently appointed UN High 
Level Coordinator (replacing deceased Russian diplomat 
Vorontsov) for the repatriation or return of Kuwaiti and 
third-country nationals or their remains and the return of 
all Kuwaiti property seized by Iraq, met privately with the 
Security Council June 28.  Tarasov reported that limited 
progress has been made in accounting for human remains of 
Kuwaiti and third-country nationals, with the chief 
limitation in recovery being the unstable security situation 
in Iraq.  The total number of Kuwaiti and third-country 
nationals whose mortal remains have been identified by the 
Kuwaiti authorities is 235, but 350 Kuwaiti and third-country 
nationals are still unaccounted for.  Tarasov lamented that 
there has been little progress made in finding the Kuwaiti 
archives, and called on the international community to 
provide information regarding the location of the archives. 
Tarasov stated that his recent visits to Saudi Arabia and 
Kuwait were very positive.  He also reported that Iraqi 
PermRep Bayati had invited him to visit Baghdad to discuss 
the situation, and he commended Iraq for returning hundreds 
of Kuwaiti radio and television recordings.  Tarasov said he 
looks forward to his trip to Baghdad and further 
consultations with Iraq, Kuwait, the Organization of the 
Islamic Conference, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the League 
of Arab States, and members of the Tripartite Commission.  He 
summarized his mandate as "strictly humanitarian."  In 
response to Amb Wolff's intervention regarding the urgency of 
accounting for CPT Michael S. Speicher (MIA since January 17, 
1991), Tarasov stated that CPT Speicher is still an important 
issue on the Tripartite Commission's agenda that is discussed 
regularly. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Council members paid tribute to the late Ambassador 
Yuli Vorontsov, expressed their support for Ambassador 
Tarasov, and welcomed the news that the GOI had formally 
invited Ambassador Tarasov to Iraq.  Members of the Council 
reaffirmed their support for the efforts of the International 
Committee of the Red Cross, the Tripartite Commission and its 
Technical Subcommittee, and urged renewed efforts by all 
parties to resolve the situation.  Of note, Russia called for 
the search for human remains to continue until all are found 
and stated that Tarasov's mandate and the search for the 
Kuwaiti national archives should not cease without "full and 
ultimate clarification" that they would not be found. 
Indonesia, France and Italy called on Iraq and Kuwait to 
redouble their efforts so that Tarasov's mandate is 
successfully concluded without delay. 
Khalilzad