US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4205

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TU, IZ, Iraq 
SUBJECT: ANKARA PUK REP SAYS IRAQI KURDS WILL GIVE UP 
EVERYTHING IN CONSTITUTIONAL DEBATE IF "THEY GIVE US KIRKUK" 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 2981 
     B. ANKARA 4186 
     C. BAGHDAD 2994 
 
Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett 
s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (C) The PUK's representative in Ankara, Bahros Galali, 
told us July 19 that all the Kurds want in the constitutional 
negotiations was Kirkuk; as long as they get this prize they 
will give on everything else.  He bemoaned the slow pace of 
the Article 58 process and compensation, and blamed Barzani 
for standing in the way of consensus in forming the 
provincial government.  Galali's "right now" approach on the 
final status of Kirkuk appears to differ with what Talabani 
has recently said in Baghdad.  End summary. 
 
2. (C) PolMilOff met July 19 with the PUK's representative to 
Turkey, Bahros Galali.  Galali said he had just returned from 
both Baghdad and northern Iraq; he reported that he was with 
President Talabani in Baghdad when President Bush called to 
congratulate Talabani on getting Sunni Arab representation on 
the constitutional drafting committee.  Galali added that 
President Bush asked Talabani to pass on his congratulations 
to Masoud Barzani for his election as KRG President. 
 
Galali: Just Give Us Kirkuk and the Rest Is Easy 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
3. (C) Galali was familiar with the Kurds' recent ambitious 
submission of demands to the constitutional committee 
(outlined ref a).  Employing ref a comments, PolMilOff noted 
there were only 11 days left before the Aug. 1 deadline (by 
which date the TNA Speaker must request an extension), and to 
come in now with such extensive demands would make 
negotiations difficult.  Galali replied that the Kurdish 
document was simply the Kurds' negotiating position; they are 
ready to compromise. 
 
4. (C) PolMilOff asked Galali what it would take for the 
Kurds to support the new constitution.  Galali said is was 
very simple.  Their negotiating partners must: 
 
--Redraw district and provincial boundaries so that cities 
and towns that Saddam took from Kirkuk are returned to the 
province, and 
 
--Recognize that Kirkuk "is a Kurdish city" (he later amended 
this to mean the province) and place it under KRG control. 
 
5. (C) Galali emphasized that the U.S. must weigh in with the 
Sunnis and Shia to get them to agree.  He sought to assure us 
that the Kurds were ready to work closely with the Arabs and 
Turkmen in Kirkuk so that these communities "will be happy" 
to live in Kirkuk as a Kurdish city.  PolMilOff responded 
that the failure to stand up a consensus provincial 
government in Kirkuk was not a promising sign.  Galali blamed 
Barzani for standing in the way of consensus, and said 
Talabani is working on Barzani to be more cooperative.  He 
emphasized, however, that Arabs brought in by the Saddam 
regime must be compensated and they must leave Kirkuk.  He 
reported that a group of such Arabs recently met with 
Talabani and asked that the IPCC provide them with swift 
compensation so they could return south.  Galali bemoaned the 
slow pace of the IPCC and the Article 58 process in general. 
 
Comment: Right on Kirkuk? 
------------------------- 
 
6. (C) Galali (unlike his KDP colleague in town) has 
generally proven to be well-connected to his party leader and 
to the positions of the Iraqi Kurds in general.  We defer to 
our colleagues in Iraq on his view that all the Kurds want 
out of the constitution is Kirkuk, especially given 
Talabani's recent comments to the Deputy Secretary (ref c) 
that he favors a slower approach on solving the future of 
Kirkuk. 
 
7. (U) Iraq REOs minimize considered. 
MCELDOWNEY