US embassy cable - 05PARIS1114

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 001114 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PGOV, PTER, ASEC, IR, IZ, FR, PREM 
SUBJECT: FRANCE RESERVED ON MEK REPATRIATION REVIEW PANEL 
 
REF: STATE 30120 
 
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Paul Mailhot for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1,  (C) We made reftel demarche February 22 to MFA 
DAS-equivalent for the Middle East Antoine Sivan, urging that 
the GOF support the formation of a panel drawn from 
Baghdad-based diplomatic mission personnel to interview 
repatriating MEK members to Iran.  We emphasized the need for 
this work to begin immediately, even though the ICRC had 
suspended operations in Iraq.  Sivan undertook to make our 
demarche known to higher authorities at the Quai and to 
consult with the French Embassy in Baghdad.  As an initial 
reaction to our proposal, however, Sivan said he had 
reservations on two counts.  First, he said, we would be 
asking diplomatic mission personnel in Baghdad to perform 
work for which they had no training or expertise.  Second, 
and more seriously, the panel would appear to supplant the 
ICRC.  Interviewing repatriating MEK members is work that the 
ICRC should rightly be charged with, since it is the foremost 
independent, impartial body for cases of this nature.  We 
seriously risked setting an unwanted precedent if we 
susbstituted a panel of diplomats to do its work, Sivan said. 
 
2.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
Leach