US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1541

S E C R E T ANKARA 001541 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
NOFORN 
 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/SE AND NEA/NGA 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2013 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, MOPS, MARR, PINR, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: RAISING THE END OF PMF WITH D/CHOD 
BASBUG 
 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 676 
     B. ANKARA 519 
     C. 03 ANKARA 7526 
     D. 03 ANKARA 6804 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman.  Reasons 1.4 b and 
d. Recommendation at para 2. 
 
 
1. (S/NF) The visit to Washington of Turkish General Staff 
Deputy Chief General Basbug presents an excellent opportunity 
to discreetly suggest to the Turks that they unilaterally 
declare the Peace Monitoring Force (PMF) in northern Iraq a 
success and close the force down, per recommendations Ref A. 
We have heard through military liaison channels that Turkish 
Special Forces officers in the field would be prepared to 
bring the PMF to a close, but will not do so without a push 
from the US.  We also note that after June 30, when Iraqis 
gain full sovereignty and the Transitional Administrative Law 
goes into effect, the Kurdistan Regional Government will be 
the legitimate local authority in northern Iraq, and may seek 
to use that status to close down the PMF itself.  It is in 
our interests, as well as those of the Turks and the PMF, to 
have the PMF disbanded before June 30. 
 
 
2. (S/NF) RECOMMENDATION: We recommend that Washington 
interlocutors discreetly ask General Basbug to get Turkey to 
declare the PMF's mission successfully completed and to 
disband the force within the next 90 days per recommendations 
Ref A.  Should this require a meeting of the Ankara Process's 
Special Political Monitoring Group, we should assure Basbug 
that we would support the immediate convening of the group 
for this purpose. 
 
 
3. (U) Baghdad Minimize Considered. 
EDELMAN