VZCZCXYZ0005
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #9013 2950601
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 212055Z OCT 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 8258
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD IMMEDIATE 9076
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT IMMEDIATE 7089
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE 4711

UNCLAS STATE 109013 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (SENSITIVE CAPTION ADDED) 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC IZ
SUBJECT: GUIDANCE: UNSC CONSULTATIONS ON KUWAITI PROPERTY 
AND MISSING PERSONS, OCTOBER 22 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request. USUN should draw from the 
following building blocks during October 22 consultations 
regarding repatriation by Iraq of missing Kuwaitis and 
Kuwaiti property, including the Kuwaiti national archives. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Begin building blocks: 
 
-- I would like to begin today by thanking Ambassador Tarasov 
for his detailed report regarding the repatriation or return 
of all Kuwaiti and third-country nationals or their remains 
and the return of all Kuwaiti property, including archives, 
seized by the former Iraqi regime.  These remain important 
issues and, while we welcome the increased cooperation 
between Kuwait and Iraq, much work remains. 
 
-- Since the Council last met to discuss this issue, we are 
heartened by the positive and continuing momentum that has 
ensued, especially in locating and identifying the remains of 
missing American servicemen, Captain Michael Scott Speicher, 
and both Iraq and Kuwait's utilization of the Tripartite 
Commission's Technical Subcommittee (TSC) as a positive 
display of bilateral relations and progress. 
 
-- We are also very encouraged by Iraq's Ministry of Human 
Rights (MOHR) recent work to advance the search for missing 
Kuwaitis from the 1990 Iraqi invasion; particularly, the 
recent media campaign to solicit eyewitness accounts, 
including the publishing in Iraqi newspapers on August 16 of 
the names and photographs of the approximately 370 Kuwaitis 
still missing and accompanying hotline numbers and website 
addresses for contacting relevant GOI agencies; the 
excavation of some 27 potential mass grave sites near Kerbala 
on September 28 and the reports that excavation teams have 
been putting in twelve-hour days since that date, digging to 
depths of 3-4 meters in search of mortal remains; and the 
continued attempts to solicit actionable information from 
witnesses, particularly, those who claim to have knowledge of 
three different mass grave sites containing as many as 100 
bodies near Ramadi. 
 
-- Unfortunately, no conclusive progress has been made in 
finding the Kuwaiti archives and no credible information 
about their whereabouts has emerged. 
 
-- Building on these recent efforts, we urge the Iraqi 
government to make a concerted push to provide whatever 
information it can to bring these matters to a close and to 
support the extension of the High Coordinator's mandate for a 
further eight months, in accord with the 
recommendation of the Secretary-General in April 2009.  We 
also call on the Government of Iraq 
to follow up on its offer to host the next TSC in Baghdad on 
November 18. 
 
-- We look forward to Ambassador Tarasov's continued work and 
believe that at the end of the High Coordinator's eight-month 
mandate extension, Iraq and Kuwait will have furthered 
bilateral cooperation, located and identified remains of the 
missing to "end years of anguish and uncertainty for the 
families," and determined the disposition of the Kuwaiti 
national archives, which are the priceless cultural patrimony 
of that nation.  Progress on these issues is an important 
step for Iraq to take to return to the legal and 
international standing it enjoyed prior to the adoption of 
UNSCR 661 (1990). 
 
-- Also, in extending the High Coordinator's mandate until 
June 2010, we call on all relevant parties to work together 
to advance progress on this issue. 
 
End building blocks. 
CLINTON