UN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE WITH UPCOMING KUWAIT-IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000263 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA, BAGHDAD FOR EVAN READE E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV KU IZ UN SUBJECT: UN REQUESTS ASSISTANCE WITH UPCOMING KUWAIT-IRAQ BORDER MISSION SECURITY REF: 05 KUWAIT 4380 Classified By: Ambassador Richard LeBaron for reason 1.4 (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. See para 5. ¶2. (C) Summary: In a January 25 meeting with the Ambassador, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Resident Representative, Moez Doraid, requested assistance for the upcoming border assessment team's visit to the Kuwait-Iraq border area February 10-25. According to Doraid, the UN team would like to be able to stay on the border, preferably at Navistar coalition crossing (run by the U.S. military),and have security provided by MNF-I for the Iraq side of the border. In addition, Doraid asked for the most recent border maps that show the location of mines left since the first Gulf War, and medical evacuation assistance should the need arise. Doraid noted continued high-level Kuwaiti interest in this matter and said that the Kuwaiti Prime Minister had raised it with UNSYG Kofi Annan recently. End summary. Security Protection Request -------------- ¶3. (C) Moez Doraid, UNDP Resident Representative and UN's ranking representative in country, asked for assistance with the UN's planned February 10-25 mission to do maintenance on the border pillars along the Kuwait-Iraq border. The team is expected to consist of four experts from the New York office as well as a few staff from the UN's Kuwait office. Two types of security protection requests were made: armed protection while examining and traveling between border pillars on the Iraqi side and a quick response force in the event of a protest or demonstration. The protection area for assessing the border pillars would be along access roads on each side of the border. ¶4. (C) Although Doraid stated that the UN in Baghdad was in touch with the Iraqi government to assist with security, he asked specifically for additional protection from MNF-I. He told the Ambassador that the UN headquarters had sent conflicting messages, including one that had told him assistance would be forthcoming from CENTCOM only since the request was considered outside the mandate for MNF-I. The Ambassador recommended that Doraid also contact the British Embassy since the border area falls under the British MND-SE area of responsibility. (Note: Doraid contacted POLOFF after the meeting to inform her that UNAMI confirmed Iraqi government support of the mission and that security would be provided for the Iraqi side. In addition, Doraid said a British Liaison Officer has been assigned to assist the Iraqis in supporting the mission. End note.) ¶5. (U) Action Request: Post would appreciate Department's and Embassy's Baghdad assistance in passing the request for protection to relevant MNF-I officials and advising them of the mission. Sleeping at the Border -------------- ¶6. (C) Doraid also stated that the mission would be more effectively accomplished if the team could bed-down at the border, preferably at coalition crossing Navistar. According to Doraid, his staff has already spoken to military contacts at Navistar and they are coordinating their stay at the transient housing (tents) located there. Post will ensure that the transient housing is available for the team. Medevac Assistance Request -------------- ¶7. (C) Doraid further requested assistance in providing medical evacuation assistance, should it be necessary to move any of the team during their border mission. Stating that it would be too difficult to have the UN's personal physicians on site, Doraid asked if the USG would be able to assist in moving anyone with a medical emergency from inside Iraq's border to Kuwait. ¶8. (C) On a related issue, the UNDP Resident Representative inquired if recent border maps could be provided showing the location of any mines left behind from the first Gulf War. We offered a set of UNIKOM maps, produced in 1994, which indicate areas that contained mines after the Coalition withdrew in 1991. We will ask local U.S. military assets if more recent maps are available with the relevant information. KUWAIT 00000263 002 OF 002 ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LeBaron