REQUEST FOR BAGHDAD'S ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003529 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PREL ELAB EG KU IZ SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR BAGHDAD'S ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING DEATH CERTIFICATES FOR MISSING EGYPTIAN DRIVERS REF: A. KUWAIT 3413 ¶B. CAIRO 7326 ¶1. This is an action request for Embassy Baghdad; please see para 4. ¶2. As reported in Ref A, Embassy Kuwait received a letter from Major General Gary D. Speer, Deputy Commanding General of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC), requesting post's assistance in resolving the cases of three Egyptian drivers presumed to have been killed while driving in Iraq (text repeated in para 4). CFLCC is asking for Government of Egypt (GOE) help in providing death certificates for the three men, so that a death benefit of approximately $34,000 may be paid to each man's next-of-kin. ¶3. Post is grateful for Embassy's Cairo's assistance in raising this issue with the GOE (Ref B). Both Embassy Cairo and the Egyptian Embassy in Kuwait, however, have advised us that the Egyptian Embassy in Baghdad is responsible for issuing the death certificates. ¶4. ACTION REQUEST. Post requests that Embassy Baghdad approach the Egyptian Embassy regarding the death of their nationals in Iraq, and convey CFLCC's request for official death certificates. END ACTION REQUEST. ¶5. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER. September 15, 2004 Department of the Army, Coalition Forces Land Component Command United States Army Central Command Camp Arifjan, Kuwait Office of the Deputy Commanding General Matthew H. Tueller Charge d'Affaires Embassy of the United States of America Kuwait City, Kuwait Dear Mr. Tueller: Thank you for the Country Team's continued support of the Coalition Forces Land Component Command. Embassy involvement in the foreign national driver crisis has been critical in moving this issue forward. As a related matter, request your assistance in the cases of three Egyptian drivers who were killed in action while driving in Iraq for our host nation contractors. Missing since April 11, 2004, Egyptian truck drivers, Mr. Ibrahim Moussa, PP Number 792387, and Galal El Sayet Osman, PP Number 488960, worked under United States Army Contract Number W912D1-04-D-0001 for Ahamadah General Trading and Contracting Company. Also, Habshy Elsayed, PP Number 1438858, worked under United States Army Contract Number W912D1-04-D-004 for IAP, Incorporated and has been missing since April 26, 2004. These men have been missing since the convoys they were traveling in came under hostile fire from anti-coalition forces. Although their bodies were not recovered, the nature of the attack and the extent of the damage to these individuals and their vehicles were such that they are presumed to be dead. Our deepest sympathy and sorrow is respectfully given to their families. These drivers' employment contracts provided for a death gratuity in the amount of 10,000 Kuwaiti Dinar per person. Request assistance with the Egyptian Embassy in obtaining Government of Egypt death declarations (death certificates) for these men, so the death gratuities can be provided to their next of kin. Respectfully, Gary D. Speer Major General, US Army Deputy Commanding General END TEXT OF LETTER ¶6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. -------------- (U) Visit Embassy Kuwait's classified website http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ -------------- - LeBaron