US embassy cable - 05PARIS4039

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 004039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2015 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PTER, IZ, FR 
SUBJECT: CONTINUED FRENCH CONCERNS ON BAGHDAD AIRPORT ROAD 
ACCESS 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 2035 
     B. PARIS 2793 
     C. BAGHDAD 1669 
     D. PARIS 2661 
 
Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) This message contains a guidance request in para 4. 
 
2.  (C) On the margins of a June 7 discussion on deliverables 
for the U.S.-EU conference on Iraq (septel), MFA 
DAS-equivalent for Iraq/Iran/Arabian Gulf Affairs Antoine 
Sivan raised continuing GoF security concerns on access to 
the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) road, which he said 
was the subject of high-level GoF demarches being delivered 
in Washington.  Sivan described changes implemented in 
mid-May to expedite BIAP access (ref a) as a slight 
improvement, but concluded that the situation remained 
unsatisfactory to the GoF and French embassy in Baghdad. 
Sivan asserted that the new arrangements had given French 
embassy cars the ability to travel just 50 meters on the U.S. 
military "express road/DoD lane," at which point the cars had 
to veer off and go through a round of checkpoints and then 
proceed on a non-express road.  Sivan produced a diagram, 
written in English, to illustrate the situation.  He repeated 
the complaint, issued in earlier French demarches to us (refs 
b and d) of unfair treatment, and asserted that Coalition 
embassies in Baghdad, as well as private U.S. companies, had 
DoD badges which allowed them complete access to the military 
"express road," without having to get off at the 50 meters 
point and go through checkpoints. 
 
3.  (C) Without offering further detail, Sivan said the new 
French demarche had been prompted by a June 1 incident at a 
BIAP road checkpoint at which a car bomb exploded, with 
French vehicles in the vicinity and stuck in a checkpoint 
backlog.  The bottom line, said Sivan, was that the GoF did 
not consider the issue resolved, "as the Secretary had 
assured FM Barnier," and that the GoF wanted the same DoD 
badges for its embassy as those used by other Coalition 
embassies, which would allow access to the full length of the 
military "express road."  The continued problems in accessing 
the airport road made it difficult for the French embassy to 
carry out its business, especially bringing in visitors and 
supplies.  Poloff agreed to convey Sivan's concerns to 
Washington, but also stressed that checkpoint issues remained 
a sensitive and complicated issue in Iraq, with repeated 
insurgent attacks making the BIAP road one of the most 
dangerous routes in the country.  Poloff also observed that 
new access procedures implemented in May apparently had been 
initially welcomed by the French embassy in Baghdad, a view 
which Sivan said was no longer the case. 
 
4. (C) Action request: We would appreciate guidance from 
Washington which we can use to respond to French concerns on 
BIAP access.  We note that this is the third demarche we have 
received on this issue since January, and that the GoF 
maintains that it has a high-level U.S. commitment to resolve 
the BIAP access issue and correct the practice of "unequal 
treatment" between Coalition and non-Coalition embassies. 
End action request. 
WOLFF