US embassy cable - 04STATE89155

S E C R E T STATE 089155 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/14 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PINS, IZ, TU, EU, SY, JO 
SUBJECT: PREVENTING TRAVEL TO POSSIBLE KONGRA-GEL 
CONFERENCE IN IRAQ 
 
CLASSIFIED BY EUR DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY B. LYNN 
PASCOE, REASONS 1.4 (B) (D). 
 
1. (S) THIS IS AN ACTION MESSAGE. ACTION ADDRESSEES ARE 
TO DRAW FROM THE POINTS IN PARA 2-4, AS APPROPRIATE, WITH 
HOST GOVERNMENTS AT THE HIGHEST APPROPRIATE LEVELS TO SEEK 
THEIR HELP IN PREVENTING A PARTY CONGRESS IN IRAQ BY 
KONGRA-GEL, THE TERRORIST SUCCESSOR TO THE PKK. THE U.S. 
WILL DO ALL IT CAN IN IRAQ TO PREVENT THE CONGRESS, 
REPORTEDLY PLANNED FOR APRIL 27, FROM TAKING PLACE. SOME 
OF THE DELEGATES TO THE REPORTED CONGRESS WILL COME FROM 
EUROPE AND NEIGHBORING STATES OR TRANSIT THESE NEIGHBORS. 
GIVEN THAT THE GREAT BULK OF KONGRA-GEL'S FUNDING COMES 
FROM EUROPE, IT IS REASONABLE TO SUSPECT THAT SOME OF 
THOSE WHO TRAVEL TO THE CONGRESS FROM EUROPE MAY BRING 
FUNDS FOR THE ORGANIZATION.   WITH THE APRIL 3 DECISION BY 
THE EU COREPER TO EXTEND THE EU'S DESIGNATION OF THE PKK 
TO KADEK AND THE CURRENT ALIAS, KONGRA-GEL, ON ITS 
TERRORIST FINANCING LIST, WE HOPE THAT THE EU WOULD FOLLOW 
THROUGH BY PREVENTING THE TRAVEL OF MEMBERS OF THIS 
TERRORIST GROUP TO THE REPORTED CONGRESS. 
 
2. (S) (FOR EU POSTS, AMMAN AND DAMASCUS) BEGIN POINTS: 
 
-- (FOR EU POSTS ONLY) WE COMMEND THE EU'S APRIL 3 
DECISION TO EXTEND ITS TERRORIST DESIGNATION OF THE PKK TO 
KADEK AND THE PKK'S CURRENT ALIAS, KONGRA-GEL. 
 
-- WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT THE TURKISH TERRORIST 
ORGANIZATION, KONGRA-GEL, MAY ATTEMPT TO HOLD A PARTY 
CONGRESS IN IRAQ IN LATE APRIL, PERHAPS ON APRIL 27. 
 
-- REGARDLESS OF THE EXACT DATE, KONGRA-GEL HAS SPOKEN 
PUBLICLY OF THE IDEA OF HOLDING A CONGRESS. 
 
-- THE U.S. WILL DO ALL IT CAN TO PREVENT KONGRA-GEL FROM 
HOLDING SUCH A CONGRESS IN IRAQ, AS PART OF OUR LARGER 
EFFORT TO END TERRORIST HAVEN IN IRAQ. WE WILL NOT ALLOW 
TERRORISTS TO THREATEN THE REGION FROM IRAQ. ALL PARTIES 
REPRESENTED IN THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL CONSIDER 
KONGRA-GEL A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, AND THE SUCCESSOR TO 
THE PKK. 
 
-- IF PAST PRACTICE IS A GUIDE, SOME OF THE ORGANIZATION'S 
DELEGATES WILL COME FROM EUROPE OR FROM NEIGHBORING 
COUNTRIES, SUCH AS SYRIA AND IRAN. OTHERS MAY TRANSIT 
THESE NEIGHBORS, AS WELL AS JORDAN. 
 
-- WE THEREFORE ASK THAT YOU NOT ALLOW MEMBERS OF KONGRA- 
GEL TO TRAVEL FROM YOUR COUNTRY/TRANSIT YOUR COUNTRY ON 
THEIR WAY TO ATTEND SUCH A CONGRESS. 
 
-- (FOR EU POSTS) GIVEN THAT THE GREAT BULK OF KONGRA- 
GEL'S FUNDING COMES FROM EUROPE, IT IS REASONABLE TO 
SUSPECT THAT SOME OF THOSE WHO TRAVEL TO THE CONGRESS FROM 
EUROPE MAY TRY TO BRING FUNDS FOR THE ORGANIZATION WITH 
THEM. WE HOPE THAT PREVENTION OF THEIR TRAVEL WOULD 
COMPLEMENT YOUR PLACING OF TERRORIST FINANCING 
RESTRICTIONS ON KONGRA-GEL. 
 
END POINTS. 
 
3. (S) (FOR ANKARA ONLY) PLEASE INFORM GOT OF OUR 
DEMARCHES AND SUGGEST THAT IT MAKE SIMILAR APPROACHES AND 
CONSIDER PROVIDING THE NAMES OF SPECIFIC KONGRA-GEL 
LEADERS KNOWN OR BELIEVED TO BE RESIDING IN EACH COUNTRY. 
DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF EVIDENCE ALREADY OBTAINED AND 
THE STATUS OF ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS, THE GOT MAY ALSO 
WISH TO MAKE SURE THAT HOST NATIONS ARE AWARE OF KONGRA- 
GEL MEMBERS FOR WHOM TURKEY HAS ISSUED INTERPOL RED 
NOTICES OR WHOM THE GOT MIGHT WANT DETAINED UNDER 
BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, IF THEY ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL. 
 
4. (S) (FOR RIYADH AND KUWAIT ONLY) POSTS, AT THEIR OWN 
DISCRETION, MAY WISH TO DRAW ON THE POINTS IN PARA 2 TO 
BRIEF HOST GOVERNMENTS, WITH THE FOLLOWING INTRODUCTORY 
POINTS: 
 
-- PAST PRECEDENCE HAS NOT SHOWN THAT KONGRA-GEL MEMBERS 
TRANSIT YOUR COUNTRY INTO IRAQ. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE 
INCREASED EMPHASIS ON ELIMINATING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS 
FROM IRAQ, TO INCLUDE KONGRA-GEL, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY 
MAY ATTEMPT TRAVEL USING NEW ROUTES. 
 
-- WE ARE THUS PASSING YOU THIS INFORMATION AS PART OF 
REGIONAL EFFORTS TO MEET OUT SHARED COMMITMENT ON THE WAR 
AGAINST TERROR. 
 
5. (U) CPA BAGHDAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. 
 
 
POWELL