Tracking Number: 219295
Title: "Kuwaiti Official Cites Iraq's Broken Pledges, Defiance." Kuwait's permanent representative to the United Nation, Mohammad Abdullah Abu Al-Hassan, described Iraq's
non-compliance with UN Security Council resolutions in remarks before the Security Council March 11. (920312)
Date: 19920312
Text:
*NXE409
03/12/92 *
KUWAITI OFFICIAL CITES IRAQ'S BROKEN PLEDGES, DEFIANCE (Excerpts: U.N. Representative's remarks, 2/11/92) (1840) United Nations -- Kuwait's permanent representative to the United Nations, Mohammad Abdullah Abu Al-Hassan, described Iraq's non-compliance with U.S. Security Council resolutions in remarks before the Security Council March 11.
The following are excerpts of his remarks: (BEGIN EXCERPTS) ...The following remarks are meant to reflect the general background which govern the full implementation by Iraq of the provisions of Resolution 687. To support with evidence what I have just said above regarding the issues which exclusively concern Kuwait in Resolution 687, the following topics in particular should be tackled:
Firstly: POWs and Missing of Kuwaiti and Third Country Nationals: 1. Paragraphs 2 (c) and 3 (c) of Resolution 686 (1991) and paragraph 30 of Resolution 687 (1991) provide for the immediate release of all POWs and detainees belonging to Kuwait and third country nationals and demand the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in this regard.
2. Immediately following the cease-fire immediately and with the assistance of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Iraqi regime released 6,909 prisoners and detainees belonging to Kuwait and third country nationals.
3. A large number of prisoners and detainees belonging to Kuwait and third country nationals are still remaining in Iraq's prisons and dungeons. Complete lists of their names have been presented to the Red Cross (ICRC) last September. Iraq, however, has not responded to the persistent demands of the Red Cross (ICRC) to have access to them and register their names.... 4. Throughout that period, the ICRC has not yet received any information as to the whereabouts of the persons reported missing. Nor has it received any detailed and documented information on the search operations launched by the Iraqi authorities. The ICRC is also still awaiting for information on the persons who died in custody....
Mr. President, Those innocent people and their families in Kuwait and third countries are closely following your meeting and look up to you for a role commensurate with the magnitude of the responsibility placed upon you and the suffering they have been experiencing since their detention. We ask the Council to put the Iraqi regime before its responsibilities with the same vigor that the regime ask the world community to understand the human suffering of the Iraqi people, a suffering caused in the first place by the policies of the regime itself. We, in Kuwait and in the states that still have nationals in Iraq's prisons and detentions, demand that the world community understand their human suffering and to exercise pressure on that regime to facilitate the mission entrusted to ICRC in accordance with its standard procedures to search for them, release them, insure their repatriation or determine their fate.
Kuwait should like to take this opportunity to express to ICRC its thanks and gratitude for its humanitarian role and to comment its fruitless efforts due to the Iraqi regime's obduracy. We ask your Council to extend the help to ICRC so that it may be able to accomplish its lofty mission.
Secondly: Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation: In his report of 2 May 1991 by which he established the Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission, in accordance with paragraph 33 of Security Council Resolution 687 (1991), the secretary general of the United Nations specified the commission's tasks and course of action and determined that its decisions regarding the demarcation of the boundary will be final.
Consequently, the substantive work conducted by the Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission represents a legal demarcation of international boundary which is mandatory on both parties. Moreover, Security Council Resolution 687 (1991), legally mandatory on Iraq, decided in its fourth executive paragraph to guarantee the inviolability of the boundary in the way it will be demarcated.
Mr. President, Kuwait notes that Iraq's representative in the commission has participated in the majority of its works and contributed to formulating the commission's internal rules of procedure and shared in preparing the records and reports of its meetings. This is another evidence of Iraq's acceptance of the binding commitment of the commission's decisions. Kuwait views that the work of the boundary demarcation commission progresses in a constructive fashion, however, some statements and comments which appear to have come on instructions from his government, made by Iraq's representative during the meetings, do raise our astoundment and skepticism about Iraq's serious commitment toward the results of the commission and its real intents about those results; especially in view of the fact that the main objective of the commission is to promote security and stability along the border. In this connection, I should like to draw the Council's attention to an official note in which the Iraqi representative utterly rebuffed the composition of the Iraq-Kuwait Boundary Demarcation Commission during a meeting held in Geneva in August 1991.
Positions as such and others do not serve or conform with Iraq's obligations under Resolution 687....
Therefore, the demand to clarify Iraq's position as regards this question is of extreme magnitude to security and stability of the entire region. From our part, we reiterate our full respect for and compliance with all the decisions to be taken by the boundary demarcation commission....
Thirdly: The Return of Stolen Kuwaiti Property: Since the secretary general of the United Nations appointed on 26 March 1991 a Special Coordinator for the return of Kuwaiti property stolen by the Iraqi regime, Kuwait has submitted detailed lists of properties stolen from 25 ministries, institutions and governmental establishments.
Some of the properties were included in lists of inventory prepared by the Iraqi occupying authorities and found after the expulsion of the Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
The Special Coordinator appointed by the secretary general, together with his staff, are to be commended for their appreciable efforts to return the properties which Iraq declared it was willing to return. Properties belonging to the following institutions have been returned: Central Bank of Kuwait, Central Library of Kuwait, National Museum of Kuwait, Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait Airways Corporation and some aircraft and military helicopters.
Some other properties belonging to Ministries of Defense and Health are being returned and mechanism of the return is being set up,
Kuwait has some points to make in this regard as follows: 1. The Iraqi authorities have not responded up to this moment as to the future of properties of other ministries and governmental institutions.
2. The Iraqi authorities have not officially rejected its liability for returning properties stolen from the private sector. The value of such properties exceed hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars....
Mr. President, Iraq, until it completes the return of properties stolen from both public and private sectors, is considered in breach of the provisions of Resolutions 686 (1991) and 687 (1991). It is also liable for compensation for properties that have been destroyed during the process of stealing and the return.
Mr. President, Having reviewed the extent of Iraq's compliance with the provisions relevant to Kuwait in Resolutions 686 (1991) and 687 (1991), I should like to add the following points, also related to Iraq's lack of seriousness as to adhering to Resolution 687 (1991) in letter and spirit:
1. In his report on the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM) (S/23106), the secretary general said, and I quote: "The continued presence of Iraqi police posts on the Kuwaiti side of the line shown on UNIKOM's map remains a matter of concern. I have instructed the Chief Military Observer of UNIKOM to persevere in his efforts to have these police posts pulled back behind the line."
Despite the efforts exerted by the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission, Iraq remained adamant to keeping the posts and informed Major General Greindl that it would not pull back the posts because of the political implications resulting therefrom (S/23106/Add.2).
No doubt, the continued presence of the seven Iraqi police posts inside Kuwaiti territory primarily represents a violation by Iraq of Kuwait sovereignty and territorial integrity. In addition to this, Iraq's stubborn refusal to remove the posts contravenes its proclaimed commitment to cooperate with the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM). An Iraqi position as such cannot be labeled as full compliance with Security Council Resolution 687 (1991).
2. Iraq still ardently and vehemently refuses to accept Security Council Resolution 706 (1991) and 712 (1991) that authorized the sale of $1.6 billion of Iraqi oil to finance the purchase of its needs of foodstuffs and medicines and to pay its contribution to the compensation fund as set out in a main paragraph in Resolution 687 (1991).
Such intransigence and rejectionism by Iraq of both resolutions mentioned above, in addition to causing harm to the Iraqi people and being exploitative of their pains and suffering, are considered a denial of the rights of large sections of people who have been affected by the Iraqi invasion and aggression against Kuwait and would benefit from the compensation fund....
The nationals of many countries have been affected by Iraq's refusal to accept Resolutions 706 (1991) and 712 (1991). These continued practices by Iraq represent a major violation of its commitments under Resolution 687 (1991) which gave rise to reparations and the establishment of a compensation fund had outlined its financing mechanism.
Mr. President, The most blatant and lurid forms of Iraq's defiance of Security Council resolutions are substantiated in its declining to reveal, destroy and accept monitoring of its military machine and industry with all stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction in all its forms.
The United Nations Secretary General spared us the effort of elaborating on this point. The concluding paragraphs of his valued report before you provide lucid details of the aspects in which Iraq failed so far to meet its obligations.
The gravity of this matter reflects in two facts: a. The continued aggressive intentions of that regime toward its neighbors and toward security and peace in the region.
b. The bent endeavors to make use of such capabilities, if they escaped destruction, when the Iraqi regime decides to uncover its premeditated intent of rejecting the remaining provisions of Resolutions 687 (1991) and recants its former approvals. The record of the Iraqi regime is replete with broken pledges. The best testimony to judge this regime and its pledges and respect for its obligations offers itself in the unilateral abrogation of Algiers Agreement and engaging in an internecine war which lasted for eight years with Iran.
Mr. President, Your Council is invited in this meeting in the presence of the Iraqi delegation with such stature to guarantee that the process of security and peace in the region will not be impeded by any whims or fierce aggressive expansionist inclinations of that regime.
The guarantees that deter this regime's capability of aggression are considered a victory for peace, security and stability in the region and will render a service to humans in Iraq and promote security and prosperity for all the peoples in the region....
(END EXCERPTS) NNNN
File Identification: 03/12/92, NX-409; 03/12/92, NA-406
Product Name: Wireless File
Product Code: WF
Keywords: IRAQ/Politics & Government; IRAQ/Defense & Military;
KUWAIT/Politics & Government; UNITED NATIONS-SECURITY COUNCIL; PERSIAN GULF WAR; ARMISTICE; HUSSEIN, SADDAM; IRAQ-US RELATIONS; BORDER DISPUTES; FORCE & TROOP LEVELS
Document Type: EXC
Thematic Codes: 1NE; 1ME;
2FP
Target Areas: NE
PDQ Text Link: 219295
USIA Notes: *92031209.NXE unsc/iraq/kuwaiti rep yb kf
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