KUWAIT: Remains believed to be of Kuwaiti people are being transported from Iraq to Kuwait. - KUNA
KUWAIT: Iraq hadannounced earlier this year discovery of mass graves containing remains of whatwas believed to be of Kuwaiti people held captive or went missing during Iraq'sinvasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91. DNA tests were underway in Kuwaitto determine identities of the remains. The following are major events relatedto this issue:
June 20: Atripartite committee of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)announced discovery of human remains in the Iraqi southern city of Al-Muthanna,believed to be of Kuwaiti citizens who were rounded up by Iraqi forces duringthe 1990-91 occupation.
July 1: IraqiMinistry of Defense said it would provide samples of the remains for the Kuwaitiauthorities.
August 2: IraqiForeign Ministry said it identified what was believed to be identities of 32Kuwaiti prisoners whose remains were in a mass grave in southern Iraq. It saidthe mass grave, found in Al-Muthanna on March 6, consisted of 46 remains andinitial DNA tests showed 32 of them believed to be Kuwaitis.
August 6: UNspecial representative to Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert met with Iraqidefense minister Najah Al-Shemmeri, and said collaboration between UN missionin Iraq in collaboration, Kuwait and ICRC was successful.
August 8: Kuwaitreceives, from Iraq, remains of 48 persons believed to be of Kuwaiti prisonersand missing people killed during Iraq's 1990 invasion for DNA tests.
November 3:Kuwait's Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-HamadAl-Sabah said Kuwait recovered remains of 236 Kuwaitis who were missing duringthe Iraqi invasion. They are out of 605 missing Kuwaitis, however only fate of369 Kuwaitis were identified. The tripartite committee started operations inMarch 1992. It consisted of representatives from Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia,the US, France, Britain and ICRC. - KUNA