Iraq renews denial of having Kuwaiti prisoners

Iraq had renewed its denial of the existence of any Kuwaiti or non-Kuwaiti prisoners in its territories. It, at the same time, announced its readiness to take part, conditionally, in the works of a committee in charge of searching of the fate of the missing of the Gulf War in 1991.

The Iraqi News Agency quoted the representative of Iraq at the Arab League, Sultan al-Shawi, as saying in press statements, "There are no Kuwaiti or non Kuwaiti prisoners in Iraq."

He added that Iraq has announced its readiness to attend the meetings of the international committee concerned with this matter, but under the conditions that this committee will be attended by representatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Red Cross.

Since last February Iraq has been boycotting the meetings held by the committee in Geneva. The committee was established in 1991 with representatives from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and other representatives from the allied forces in the Gulf War, France, Britain and the US.

Kuwait is demanding information on the fate of some 600 "missing or arrested" citizens since who have been unaccounted for since the Iraqi invasion in 1990.

Baghdad admits that its army took Kuwaitis as prisoners upon withdrawal from Kuwait but stressed that it lost connection with them following the uprising that erupted following the Iraqi defeat during the Gulf War in 1991.