(SBU) GULF WAR MISSING: TSC MEETING SET FOR SEPT.

UNCLAS KUWAIT 002217 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/I, IO/UNP, D, NEA/FO GENEVA FOR STONECIPHER LONDON FOR GOLDRICH PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KPOW PHUM IZ KU ICRC SUBJECT: (SBU) GULF WAR MISSING: TSC MEETING SET FOR SEPT. 7 IN KUWAIT REF: KUWAIT 731 ¶1. (SBU) Embassy has received a diplomatic note from the Regional Delegation of ICRC announcing that the 46th session of the Technical Sub-Committee (TSC) of the Tripartite Commission on Gulf War POWs and Missing Persons (TPC) will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Kuwait on September 7, 2004 at 9:00 a.m. The note invites the Embassy to inform ICRC of any specific subjects it wishes to have included in the agenda. ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT: This meeting was originally expected to be held in May, then in June, ahead of the transfer of sovereign authority to the Iraqi Interim Government. From our discussions with ICRC, we understand there are basically two reasons for the delay until September: -- while there has been progress in the sense that more of the Kuwaiti missing have been positively identified through DNA examination of mortal remains, there were no significant developments in that process; -- once the Iraqi Interim Government took power, it made sense to hold off on meeting, both to give the Iraqis time to get organized and because many of the regular TSC participants would be unavailable during the intense heat of summer. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: As always, we will raise the case of our own Captain Michael Scott Speicher. If there is any other issue that Washington wishes to see placed on the agenda, please advise. ¶4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. JONES