Mass Graves Reveal Grim Truth About Missing Kuwaitis

News Scotsman ^ | December 17 2003 | PA

[knighthawk]

Fresh evidence suggests that most, if not all, Kuwaitis who disappeared after Iraq invaded its oil-rich neighbour in August 1990 were killed, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said.

“After many years of manoeuvring and denial by the previous government of Iraq, a grim truth is unveiling itself,” he said in a report yesterday. “The discovery of mass graves in Iraq containing the mortal remains of Kuwaitis is a gruesome and devastating development.”

The Kuwaiti government has stepped up efforts to identify about 605 of its citizens who disappeared after the Iraqi invasion.

Saddam Hussein’s regime had insisted it had released all prisoners taken from Kuwait during the occupation and the 1991 Gulf War that liberated the country. It refused to co-operate with Kuwait and international efforts to find the missing prisoners.

No prisoners have been found alive since the US-led war in Iraq earlier this year and Kuwaiti hopes that any will be discovered have diminished.

While holding out hope that some of the missing Kuwaitis could be found alive, Annan said prospects were dim.

His report included evidence of atrocities committed by Saddam’s regime including photographs of mass graves and human remains.

Annan called for justice for the victims.

“The removal from Kuwait of civilians – men and women – their execution in cold blood in remote sites in Iraq, and a decade-long cover-up of the truth constitute a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law,” he said.

“Those responsible for these horrendous crimes, particularly those who ordered the executions, must be brought to justice.”

[knighthawk]

Ping

[HarleyD]

I'm glad to see the UN get right on this after 13 years. This is an excellent example of the worthlessness of the UN.

[Keith]

...this does not speak well, unfortunately, about the search for Scott Speicher...

[railsplitter]

Absolutely ZERO credit goes to Kofi and the UN for bringing about the end of the reign of terror perpetuated by the butcher of Baghdad.

[Cicero]

a grim truth is unveiling itself

Duckspeak for "We obstructed and delayed all we could, and we bugged out of Iraq the minute things got hot, but the United States has revealed these crimes of our old friend and partner in corruption, Saddam Hussein, only I'd rather not say that."

[keri]

Could get a comment about this from that Cardinal (forgot his name) and the others that felt so much "compassion" for Hussein right after his capture?

Probably not, since they've already chosen their sympathy goes to the guilty, not the innocent.

[McGavin999]

ROTFLMCO! Seems like little Kofi has suddenly noticed the handwriting on the wall. Does this poor excuse for a man expect us to believe that he didn't know what happened to those Kuwaitis long ago? He didn't suspect?

[Reagan is King]

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said. “After many years of manoeuvring and denial by the previous government of Iraq, a grim truth is unveiling itself,”

HA! The U.N. is always the last to know, or admit they know. You've got blood on your hands Kofi by letting Saddam stay in power for so long.

[blackdog]

Many forget though that the major reason Iraq had invaded Kuwait was because Iraq had gotten no action out of the United Nations over Kuwait's slant drilling it's oil fields inside the Iraq border. After five years of protest inside the UN, Saddam acted.

Not that that's justification to murder people, but had the UN acted then there would have never been a Gulf war in 1991.

[Hat-Trick]

“Those responsible for these horrendous crimes, particularly those who ordered the executions, must be brought to justice.”

And, Kofi, that is exactly why you and your United Nations will have no part of the "brought to justice" part of this. If it was up to you, Saddam would still be filling his many mass graves. Fortunately, you were relegated to the pine for this one. Watch & learn.

Hat-Trick

[lepton]

Wasn't there at least one Kuwaiti child who was taken in 1990 found in one of the Iraqi jails we captured?

[sonofatpatcher2]

Re: “After many years of manoeuvring and denial by the previous government of Iraq, a grim truth is unveiling itself,” he said in a report yesterday. “The discovery of mass graves in Iraq containing the mortal remains of Kuwaitis is a gruesome and devastating development.”

Kofi said this? Naw, no way...

[UCANSEE2]

Yes. It is so amazing that, after the capture of Saddam, so many people around the world are starting to have a 'new attitude', and suddenly becoming 'aware' of things they missed before.

So far, the French and German leaders, and Kofi Annan, have publicly shown adoption of this 'new attitude'.

(In otherwords, Bush has the 'goods' on what the French, the Germans, and the UN have/and have not been doing, and they are willing to do just about anything if he will just keep it 'under his COWBOY hat').