Contact with Iraq

Kevin Hughes made this Official Information request to Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The request was partially successful.

From: Kevin Hughes

Dear Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,

I would like to request any records concerning contact with representatives of the Saddam Hussein regime of Iraq between 1 December 1999 and 1 April 2003.

Yours faithfully,

Kevin Hughes

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From: ENQUIRIES
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Thank you for your enquiry.

 

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Kind regards,

 

 

MFAT ENQUIRIES
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

  

 

195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901
Wellington 6160

New Zealand

[7]www.mfat.govt.nz | [8]www.safetravel.govt.nz

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From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Kevin Hughes
 
Thank you for your OIA request.  This email confirms receipt and advises that your request has been sent to the appropriate division for response.
 
Kind regards
 
Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere
  
 
195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
www.mfat.govt.nz | www.safetravel.govt.nz
  
 

 

 

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From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Good afternoon Mr Hughes,

 

Thank you for your Official Information Act (OIA) request of 15 August
2018.  You asked for:

 

“…any records concerning contact with representatives of the Saddam
Hussein regime of Iraq between 1 December 1999 and 1 April 2003.”

 

We have undertaken some preliminary searches to identify and locate the
physical files (including historical information) that may contain
information relevant to your request. The numerous files that may contain
relevant information are held in archive storage offsite, and would
require physical retrieval and review.  Any information identified as
relevant would then need to be assessed for potential release, necessary
consultations undertaken, redactions made and the information collated and
copied. For these reasons, I believe it is likely that your request in its
present form would need to be refused on the basis of substantial
collation and research.

 

Section 12(2) of the OIA requires a request to be made with “due
particularity”.  Given the volume of documents that would need to be
assessed, I invite you to consider refining your request.  Are you able to
more specifically identify the information which you are seeking?  .  Is
there any specific topics/key areas that you are especially interested in,
or perhaps any keywords, persons, types of information that we could
concentrate on?

 

In order for us to progress your request, we would appreciate a response
by 31 August 2018.

 

Kind regards

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatû Aorere

 

T +64 4 439 8000   E  [1][email address]  

 

[2]www.mfat.govt.nz | [3]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

[UNCLASSIFIED]

[UNCLASSIFIED]

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From: Kevin Hughes

Dear ESD,

Thank you for your response.

Will it be sufficient to narrow the time period? I can limit the request to the period from 1 April 2001 to 1 April 2003.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Hughes

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From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]
Good afternoon Mr Hughes,
 
Thank you for your email offering to restrict the scope of your request to
the period 1 April 2001 to 1 April 2003.   However, even with a shorter
time period, this would still leave a substantial amount of material to be
reviewed, even though our embassy in Baghdad was unstaffed and closed at
that time. 
 
Could you please identify if there is a specific channel of bilateral
communication or issue that you are interested in and that was a point of
contact with Iraq at that time. 
 
Kind regards
 
Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere
 
T +64 4 439 8000   E  [1][email address]  
 
[2]www.mfat.govt.nz | [3]www.safetravel.govt.nz
 

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From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade


Attachment OIA 26203 Kevin Hughes response letter.pdf
238K Download View as HTML


[UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Mr Hughes,

 

Please see the attached letter regarding your recent Official Information
Act request.

 

Kind regards

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

 

T +64 4 439 8000   E  [1][email address]  

 

[2]www.mfat.govt.nz | [3]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

[UNCLASSIFIED]

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From: Kevin Hughes

Dear ESD,

Thank you again for your response to my request. I would like to attempt to refine it, so that it can be processed.

I am happy to limit the request, as noted to the period from 1 April 2001 to 1 April 2003. In terms of topics, I am interested in any contacts concerning:
1) Weapons of mass destruction or weapons inspections
2) Proposals/attempts to avoid the 2003 invasion. For example, proposals to accept more intrusive inspections or proposals for Saddam Hussein to go into exile.

Yours sincerely,

Kevin Hughes

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From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

[UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Kevin Hughes,
 
Thank you for your OIA request, this email confirms receipt and advises that your request has been sent to the appropriate division for response.

Please note that our response letter to you (with your personal details redacted), and any enclosed documents, may be published on the Ministry’s website.
 
Please also note that your request is formally due after the OIA summer holiday period (27 December to 15 January), which are not considered working days as set out in section 2(1) of the OIA.

Kind regards

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere
  
 
195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901
Wellington 6160
New Zealand
www.mfat.govt.nz | www.safetravel.govt.nz

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From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade


Attachment image001.jpg
4K Download

Attachment OIA 26375 Kevin Hughes extension letter.pdf
222K Download View as HTML


[UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Kevin Hughes

 

Please see the attached letter regarding your OIA request.

 

Ngā mihi

ESD

 

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

 

T +64 4 439 8000   E  [1][email address]  

 

[2]www.mfat.govt.nz | [3]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901
Wellington 6160

New Zealand

[4]www.mfat.govt.nz | [5]www.embassy.govt.nz | [6]www.aid.govt.nz |
[7]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

 

 

[8]cid:image001.jpg@01CDF8B8.6EB9E580

 

 

[UNCLASSIFIED]

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From: ESD
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade


Attachment image001.jpg
4K Download

Attachment OIA 26375 Kevin Hughes response.pdf
1.7M Download View as HTML


[UNCLASSIFIED]

Dear Kevin Hughes

 

Please see the attached letter regarding your OIA request.

 

Ngā mihi

ESD

 

 

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

 

T +64 4 439 8000   E  [1][email address]  

 

[2]www.mfat.govt.nz | [3]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901
Wellington 6160

New Zealand

[4]www.mfat.govt.nz | [5]www.embassy.govt.nz | [6]www.aid.govt.nz |
[7]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

 

 

[8]cid:image001.jpg@01CDF8B8.6EB9E580

 

 

Ngā mihi

Rebecca

 

Rebecca Woodmore

Senior Adviser

Executive Services Division
New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | Manatū Aorere

Please note that on Wed and Thur I finish at 3pm

T +64 4 439 8669   E  [9][email address]

 

 

195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18901
Wellington 6160

New Zealand

[10]www.mfat.govt.nz | [11]www.embassy.govt.nz | [12]www.aid.govt.nz
| [13]www.safetravel.govt.nz

 

 

 

[14]cid:image001.jpg@01CDF8B8.6EB9E580

 

 

[UNCLASSIFIED]

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