By Aws Elsharqi, IOL Iraq correspondent

BAGHDAD, October 22 (IslamOnline) - Amid festivities across Iraq celebrating President Saddam Hussein’s general amnesty setting free all prisoners and prisoners of conscience, IslamOnline’s correspondent on Tuesday, October 22, asked Iraqi Information and Foreign Affairs officials about the fate of Kuwaiti prisoners and whether the pardon is applicable to them.

“We reaffirm to you that we do not have one single Kuwaiti prisoner in Iraq,” said the Iraqi Foreign Ministry Undersecretary.

“This matter was confirmed before by all Iraqi officials including President Saddam,” he said.

“It is unreasonable to free all Arab and Iraqi convicts and detainees and not releasing Kuwaitis if there were Kuwaiti prisoners,” stressed the Iraqi diplomat, describing the Kuwaitis as “missings”.

“Iraq has more than a thousand Iraqi prisoners and missings in Kuwait registered by the International Committee of the Red Cross,” he said.

“This issue is comprehensible in w big war such as the Gulf War. Every body should know that there were missing people in the U.S.-Vietnamese war who are not found yet,” the diplomat argued.

“We called and still do the brothers in Kuwait to discuss the fate of those missing people,” he said.

“We are ready to open prison gates and house doors in Iraq for whoever desires to verify the issue himself,” said the Iraqi Foreign Ministry Undersecretary.

“What would be the point of keeping those prisoners who are simple people? He wondered.”

He recalled that Iraq had returned some people related to the Kuwaiti ruling family, adding that some of them were occupying high-powered official posts.

“Why would not return other simple people and slam the door in the face of allegations by those who do not want Iraq to improve its ties with Arab brothers?”

“We hope the brothers in Kuwait would understand the reality of this issue and turn a new leaf of positive dialogue and bilateral meetings to work out all pending issues between the two countries,” said Salem el-Baiaty, in charge of foreign relations at the Iraqi National Council.

“We have expressed before our readiness to welcome a Kuwaiti delegation or an Arab League panel and pledged to facilitate their mission in looking for those they call ‘Kuwaiti prisoners’,” the lawmaker recalled.

He reiterated opposition, however, to American or British intervention, warning of Anglo-American attempts to widen the gap and aggravate differences.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassein Ramadan was also hopeful the brothers in Kuwait would overlook the past, reaffirming Iraq’s commitment to the spirit and essence of the Beirut Arab summit.