As can be seen from the above, as a result
of Kuwait's ceaseless overtures
the Iraqi -international authorities consistently
reiterated that prisoner
repatriation was not a negotiation issue, as
per UN resolution 686 and 687.
At this junctures in every negotiation,
the Iraqis have always contradicted their
implicit admissions, and again denied
the existence of any prisoners.
Iraqi deviousness and insincerity was
further evidenced in following
actions and statements;-
IIn February of 1993, Kuwait gave its
files on the 609 POWs to the international
Red Cross. A week later, the Red Cross
passed them on to Mr. Riyad Al Qaizi,
Undersecretary to the Iraqi Foreign Minister,
who had been appointed by Iraq to
follow up on the POW questions. Although
he said Iraq would carefully examine
the files, Mr. Riyad later stated unequivocally
that Iraq held no prisoners, despite
the fact that a good deal of evidence
in the files consisted of Iraq's own documents
attesting to theimprisonment in question.
Is it not also strange, that Iraq would
appoint a high official to address Kuwaiti
POW affairs whilst at the same time
claiming it held no POWs ?
League. This universally respected body,
of which Iraq is supposedly a member,
agreed to take up the POW cause in Iraq.
On September 26,1991, the Secretary
General first appointed Assistant
Secretary General, Abdullah Adam to handle the
Kuwaiti POW issue. Mr. Abdullah traveled
to Iraq and met incumbent Foreign
Minister Ahmed Hussein Khodair. Although
the Iraqis had agreed to a meeting,
knowing in advance that the issue to be
negotiated was the release of the POWs,
they simply denied their existence.
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