Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04KUWAIT1649
2004-05-24 11:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuwait
Cable title:  

(C) UNCC: GOK APPEALS TO HOLD THE LINE

Tags:  PREL IZ KU UNSC 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001649 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR D, NEA/ARP, IO/UNP, L/CID, NEA
CPA FOR DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR JONES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2014
TAGS: PREL IZ KU UNSC
SUBJECT: (C) UNCC: GOK APPEALS TO HOLD THE LINE

REF: STATE 78069

Classified By: CDA FRANK URBANCIC; REASON 1.4 (B, D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001649

SIPDIS

STATE FOR D, NEA/ARP, IO/UNP, L/CID, NEA
CPA FOR DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR JONES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2014
TAGS: PREL IZ KU UNSC
SUBJECT: (C) UNCC: GOK APPEALS TO HOLD THE LINE

REF: STATE 78069

Classified By: CDA FRANK URBANCIC; REASON 1.4 (B, D).


1. (C) An agitated MFA IO Director Amb. Abdullah al-Murad
called in CDA May 24 to stress that the GOK at the highest
levels attaches great importance to maintaining the existing
UN Compensation Commission (UNCC) arrangement. He was
concerned about reports from New York that Germany "supported
by France" was trying to have the prospective UNSCR on Iraq
cancel the UNCC altogether if possible, or failing that,
reduce the take from the current 5% of Iraqi oil revenues
(already inadequate in the GOK's view),or reprogram those
monies. MFA was calling in all UNSC members to seek their
support on this issue. He expressed appreciation that the
USG is a "friend and ally" doing its best to resist "these
manipulations."


2. (C) Al-Murad advanced the following arguments: the UNCC
was created by the UNSC in Resolutions 687 and 705, based on
the principle of legal responsibility. The UNCC was not
established against Saddam Hussein or any particular regime,
but in favor of the victims of Iraq's deliberate
depradations. To cancel it now would give the lie to that
principled stance, undermining the legitimacy of all the
UNSC's actions. It would harm the USG's image and
undoubtedly lead to protests in Kuwait. From 1995 until
2000, the UNCC take was 30%, then 25% until 2003 when it was
slashed to 5%. This level is already inadequate: there are
thousands of victims of many nationalities, and at this rate
some will have to wait another "ten or fifteen years" -- i.e.
a quarter of a century from the time of loss -- to collect.


3. (C) Now, when Iraq still does not yet have a sovereign
government, the time is not yet right to consider any
additional action, al-Murad continued. The Germans are
mixing debt and compensation, which are two separate issues:
debt is bilateral, but compensation is multilateral and based
on Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Kuwait holds "$18 to 20
billion, I don't have the figure" of Iraqi debt, which will
be discussed in the Paris Club.


4. (C) Al-Murad noted that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait intended
to put forth governmental claims for environmental
devastation "by the end of next year." He did not know
whether Saudi Arabia was demarching UNSC members on the
importance of maintaining the UNCC, but he took the point
that that would help.


5. (C) COMMENT: the GOK believes it has a firm commitment
from the USG to the Foreign Minister on April 2 that the USG
will continue to support maintaining the UNCC at its current
level (reftel).


6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
URBANCIC