Cablegate: Un High Level Coordinator On Iraq-Kuwait Issues

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

© Scoop Media