US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN2648

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002648 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN 
DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISP/EURASIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MARR, PREL, PARM, PGOV, IZ, AM 
SUBJECT: IRAQ DEPLOYMENT GETS CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OK 
 
REF:  Yerevan 2018 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (SBU) Armenia's Constitutional Court ruled December 8 
that the agreement signed between Poland and Armenia 
regarding the dispatch of Armenian non-combat troops to Iraq 
does not run counter to the Armenian Constitution.  The 
court's decision paves the way for a parliamentary hearing 
and vote on the issue.  Sources indicate that the National 
Assembly will include the issue during planned extraordinary 
sessions in mid-December or in early January.  End summary. 
 
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CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF DEPLOYMENT 
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2. (SBU) Armenia's Constitutional Court ruled December 8 
that the agreement signed between Poland and Armenia 
regarding the dispatch of Armenian non-combat troops to Iraq 
does not run counter to the Armenian Constitution.  Under 
the September 6 memorandum of understanding, Armenia 
committed to send a contingent of 50 military doctors, 
demining specialists and drivers.  Defense Minister Serzh 
Sargsyan represented the GOAM during the court hearings and 
said that the Armenian military personnel would take part in 
humanitarian and defensive activities only.  Speaking in 
front of the panel of nine judges, Sargsyan strongly 
defended the GOAM's decision to deploy troops and argued 
that Armenia should not stay isolated from regional 
developments such as those taking place in Iraq. 
 
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MID-DECEMBER OR EARLY JANUARY DEBATE DATES LIKELY 
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3. (SBU) The court ruling paved the way for parliamentary 
hearings on the issue.  Despite optimistic announcements by 
GOAM ministers regarding eventual deployment, the outcome of 
parliamentary debates still remains unclear.  Some MPs, 
including opposition figures, have raised doubts about the 
decision, citing concerns about the security of the 
estimated 25-30 thousand Iraqi-Armenians (reftel).  Although 
the current National Assembly session has technically ended, 
the legislature will likely convene two extraordinary 
sessions on other issues in mid-December and could, under 
its by-laws, include the deployment issue for discussion. 
Sources at the National Assembly told us they expected the 
GOAM to submit the issue of Iraq deployment for 
parliamentary debate before the end of year.  Ministry of 
Defense sources, however, said they expected a slightly 
different timetable that would put parliamentary discussion 
and voting in the early part of January 2005. 
 
4. (U) Minimize considered - Baghdad. 
 
EVANS