Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KUWAIT2543
2003-06-10 11:15:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:
(C) KUWAIT SEEKS US SUPPORT AGAINST NEW PROPOSAL
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 002543
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2013
TAGS: PREL KU IZ UN
SUBJECT: (C) KUWAIT SEEKS US SUPPORT AGAINST NEW PROPOSAL
ON COMPENSATION PAYMENTS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, reasons 1.5 b and d.
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 002543
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2013
TAGS: PREL KU IZ UN
SUBJECT: (C) KUWAIT SEEKS US SUPPORT AGAINST NEW PROPOSAL
ON COMPENSATION PAYMENTS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, reasons 1.5 b and d.
1. (C) At a luncheon in honor of visiting US Ambassador to
Jordan Edward Gnehm on June 7, Kuwaiti UN Permanent
Representative Ambassador Mohamed Abulhassan buttonholed
Ambassador Jones regarding recent developments in the UN
Compensation Commission in Geneva. According to Abulhassan,
the French and German representatives on the Commission were
pushing for a change in procedure to require that any
compensation payments exceeding USD 25,000 be referred to the
UNSC in New York for approval. Abulhassan said that Kuwait
strongly opposed this thinly veiled attempt to tie the whole
compensation process in knots. The UNSC had already given
the Commission the authority to make all compensation
payments. That was its job; it made no logical sense for the
Commission to seek to return that authority to the UNSC. He
urged the U.S. to support Kuwait in opposing the proposal.
The Ambassador agreed to relay this information and request
to Washington and UNSC posts.
2. (C) Comment: After the fate of its Gulf War missing, the
payment of Kuwait's many large private compensation claims is
probably the second most important international issue here
at this time. Moreover, the GOK is still smarting from UNSC
Resolution 1483's sharp reduction in the share of Iraqi oil
revenues going to the UN compensation fund as well as from
its delegation of decision authority for continuation of
compensation payments to the UNCC in Geneva. If Abulhassan's
information is correct, this Franco/German proposed change in
procedure would all but freeze major compensation payments.
With GOK morale at a low in the wake of the cancellation of
last week's proposed POTUS visit, adoption of this change
would be a very bitter pill indeed for Kuwait to swallow. We
strongly recommend that the US support the Kuwaitis on this
issue. Please advise.
3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
JONES
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2013
TAGS: PREL KU IZ UN
SUBJECT: (C) KUWAIT SEEKS US SUPPORT AGAINST NEW PROPOSAL
ON COMPENSATION PAYMENTS
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, reasons 1.5 b and d.
1. (C) At a luncheon in honor of visiting US Ambassador to
Jordan Edward Gnehm on June 7, Kuwaiti UN Permanent
Representative Ambassador Mohamed Abulhassan buttonholed
Ambassador Jones regarding recent developments in the UN
Compensation Commission in Geneva. According to Abulhassan,
the French and German representatives on the Commission were
pushing for a change in procedure to require that any
compensation payments exceeding USD 25,000 be referred to the
UNSC in New York for approval. Abulhassan said that Kuwait
strongly opposed this thinly veiled attempt to tie the whole
compensation process in knots. The UNSC had already given
the Commission the authority to make all compensation
payments. That was its job; it made no logical sense for the
Commission to seek to return that authority to the UNSC. He
urged the U.S. to support Kuwait in opposing the proposal.
The Ambassador agreed to relay this information and request
to Washington and UNSC posts.
2. (C) Comment: After the fate of its Gulf War missing, the
payment of Kuwait's many large private compensation claims is
probably the second most important international issue here
at this time. Moreover, the GOK is still smarting from UNSC
Resolution 1483's sharp reduction in the share of Iraqi oil
revenues going to the UN compensation fund as well as from
its delegation of decision authority for continuation of
compensation payments to the UNCC in Geneva. If Abulhassan's
information is correct, this Franco/German proposed change in
procedure would all but freeze major compensation payments.
With GOK morale at a low in the wake of the cancellation of
last week's proposed POTUS visit, adoption of this change
would be a very bitter pill indeed for Kuwait to swallow. We
strongly recommend that the US support the Kuwaitis on this
issue. Please advise.
3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
JONES