TRIPARTITE COMMISSION TECHNICAL SUBCOMMITTEE 53RD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 000320 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP, OSD FOR ASD/DPMO CRONAUER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL MARR IZ SA KU KUWAIT IRAQ RELATIONS SUBJECT: TRIPARTITE COMMISSION TECHNICAL SUBCOMMITTEE 53RD SESSION REF: A. 06 KUWAIT 4536 ¶B. 06 KUWAIT 3640 ¶1. Summary: Kuwait hosted the 53rd session of the Tripartite Commission's Technical Subcommittee (TSC) on February 20, 2007 with representatives from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, France, the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC),and Embassy Kuwait in attendance. The session closed no cases. Kuwait refined its request to the U.S. for assistance with satellite imagery research and analysis and requested a meeting with representatives from the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Kuwait and Iraq agreed to coordinate on interviewing several witnesses. There was no new information on CAPT. Speicher. His DNA profile remains in the Kuwaiti database and continues to be checked against all newly received profiles. The next TSC meeting will take place on June 5, 2007 in Kuwait. SIPDIS End Summary. Mass Graves Update -------------- ¶2. The 51st session of the TSC was held in Kuwait on February 20, 2007. The Kuwaitis and the United States opened the meeting by informing the attendees that the Kuwaiti delegation had responded to the U.S. Department of State liaison to the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) by narrowing its request for satellite imagery research and analysis of areas in Naseriya and Kerbala to a six month period from August, 1990 to February, 1991. The U.S. delegation noted that the period was still likely to be too broad for the NGA to provide assistance. The Kuwaiti delegation inquired whether it would be possible to have single images from one day in each of the six months during the identified period. The Kuwait delegation also expressed interest in having its technical experts meet with the NGA representative either in Kuwait or the U.S. The U.S. delegation agreed to inquire on behalf of the Kuwaiti delegation. Witnesses -------------- ¶3. Iraq informed about contacts with a witness in Syria regarding sites in Kuwait and Iraq. Kuwait expressed interest in meeting with the witness. The ICRC offered its office in Damascus as a possible venue for the meeting. ¶4. Kuwait and Iraq agreed to pursue further information from another witness regarding gravesites containing Kuwaitis. Kuwait confirmed for the Iraqi delegation that there are no legal grounds for detaining witnesses coming to Kuwait in connection with TSC investigations. Closed Cases -------------- ¶5. No cases were closed since the last TSC meeting in November, 2006. Kuwait reported it had conducted no exhumation activities. Kuwait and Iraq noted that they foresee closure of three and two cases respectively during the next Tripartite Commission meeting. Saudi Arabia proposed a bilateral agreement between Iraq and Saudi Arabia for closure of 59 non-First Gulf War files of Iraqis buried in Saudi Arabia, for 29 of which the names were known but the exact location of the grave was unknown. The TSC took note of the bilateral agreement concerning these cases. Other Activities -------------- ¶6. Iraq submitted four cases for whom families have requested the repatriation of human remains from Saudi Arabia. ¶7. Iraq presented new information on three individual gravesites in Ramadi, Baghdad International Airport and Abu Ghraib. The Baghdad information was judged not reliable. The Ramadi site was to be further researched for its reliability. The Abu Ghraib site was assessed most promising and Iraq and Kuwait will coordinate on further investigation of the site. ¶8. There was no new information on CAPT. Speicher's case. His DNA profile remains in the Kuwaiti database and KUWAIT 00000320 002 OF 002 continues to be checked against all newly received profiles. ¶9. Kuwait explained that there were no DNA profiles for the human remains repatriated to Iraq from Kuwait on October 15, 2006 at the Safwan-Abdaly border. Next TSC Meeting -------------- ¶10. The next TSC meeting will take place on June 5, 2007 in Kuwait at the Sheraton Four Points. Activities to be undertaken before the next session are: - The U.S. will contact the NGA representative about a possible meeting with Kuwaiti technical experts concerning satellite imagery analysis assistance. - Iraq will contact the Defense and Interior Ministries about possible visits to Kerbala 3, Nasseriya, Samawa and Najaf. - Kuwait and Iraq will contact the witness in Syria. - Iraq will contact a witness in London. - Kuwait will finalize a number of DNA analyses. ¶11. Delegations: State of Iraq -------------- Mr. Ahmad M. Baker, Head of Delegation Mr. Kazem M. Kazem Mr. Ali M. Thumad Mr. Yaqoob Kh. Haider State of Kuwait -------------- H.E. Ibrahim M. Al-Shaheen, Head of Delegation Mr. Forzan Al-Forzan Mr. Rabea Al-Adsani H.E. Khaled Al-Maqamis Dr. Mohammad Al-Hadda Dr. Soltan Al-Khalaf Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -------------- Mr. Zuhair M. Al-Idrissi, Head of Delegation Dr. Abdulrahman S. Al-Shareif Mr. Ahmad M. Omar Mr. Khalid Al-Treiri Mr. Fahad Al-Juraid Republic of France -------------- Mr. Jacques Coudray, Head of Delegation International Committee for the Red Cross -------------- Mr. Jean-Michel Monod, Regional Delegate for the GCC Countries Mr. Guilhem Ravier, Protection Coordinator Mr. Micha Wedekind, Delegate for 'Missing' files in Iraq Ms. Dalia Emrazian, Protection Department United States -------------- Mr. DeWitt Conklin, Head of Delegation ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * LeBaron