US embassy cable - 04KUWAIT2217

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