US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3161

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003161 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PREL, PINS, TU, IZ, Iran 
SUBJECT: IRAQIS SAY THEY PLAN TO ATTEND PKK TRILATERAL 
TALKS BUT APPLY FOR VISAS TOO LATE TO MAKE AUG. 2 DATE 
 
REF: STATE 133843 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David M. Satterfield for reasons 
 
 1.4 (a), (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
Chief of Staff Fawzi Hariri confirmed that Iraq plans to send 
a three person delegation to the PKK trilateral talks in 
Washington originally scheduled for August 2.  However, the 
MFA was not able to submit the required visa applications 
until Saturday, July 30, making it impossible for their 
delegation to arrive in the U.S. by August 2.  We are hopeful 
that the visas may be issued in time to permit the Iraqis to 
depart on Tuesday, August 2. The talks could then be held on 
Thursday, August 4. The Iraqis have no objection to the 
agenda, but wish to change the timing to allow bilateral 
discussions with the U.S. side prior to the talks, rather 
than afterwards.  Hariri explained that Iraq wishes to have 
good relations with Turkey and will take whatever steps are 
required pursuant to international law to be helpful in the 
case of the PKK.  However, he maintained that the Turks have 
yet to present one shred of evidence that the PKK has ever 
launched an attack on Turkey from Iraq.  In addition, if Iraq 
agrees to Turkey's demand to move against the PKK, Iran will 
demand the same toward the Mujahideen-e-Khalq, and this is 
something Iraq is not prepared to do.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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IRAQIS CONFIRM ATTENDANCE AT PKK TRILATERAL TALKS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
2.  (C)  Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Staff 
Fawzi Hariri told Dep. PolMil Counselor and PolOff on July 28 
that Iraq is planning on sending a three-member delegation to 
Washington for the PKK trilats with Turkey and the U.S. on 
August 2.  The delegation will be led by MFA Department Head 
for Neighboring Countries Ambassador Taha Shakir Mahmoud 
al-Abbasi (who was present at our meeting with Hariri), 
Council of Ministers General Manager Faisal A. Salah, and 
Governor of Dahuk Province Tamer Koucher Ramadan Fatah. 
Al-Abbasi was a member of the delegation during the first PKK 
trilat, Salih is said to be well versed in the people and 
issues of the Kurdish regions, and Ramadan, a KDP member, 
comes from the northernmost province in Iraq. 
 
3.  (C)  Despite Hariri's declaration that Iraq will attend, 
visa timing problems have made it impossible for the Iraqi 
delegation to arrive in time to hold the talks on August 2 as 
scheduled.  When questioned regarding the status of visa 
applications for the delegates, Hariri confidently asserted 
that all the proper paperwork for the first two had been 
submitted and that there shouldn't be a problem.  As for the 
Governor, he said the Minister of Foreign Affairs had raised 
this issue with the Ambassador this morning and had been told 
we'd do whatever we could to facilitate the issuance of a 
visa in time to let him travel.  However, when notified of 
these assertions, Embassy's Consul advised that she still has 
yet to receive the applications or passports of any of the 
delegates, let alone the new one. Dep. PolMil Counselor 
telephoned Hariri and advised him of these facts.  Hariri 
replied all the necessary application materials would be 
delivered to the Consul by Friday, July 29.  In fact, the 
applications were not delivered to the Embassy until 
Saturday, July 30, and only after several calls to Hariri and 
a call from DCM Satterfield to the Foreign Minister.  We 
hope, but cannot guarantee, that the visas will be issued in 
time to permit the delegation to arrive in Washington on 
August 3 for talks the morning of August 4. 
 
4.  (C)  Hariri and al-Abassi merely glanced at the agenda as 
proposed in reftel and said they have no problem with any 
items on it, noting "we trust your judgment."  However, 
Hariri said he would show it to the Minister and if he has 
questions or additions, they will advise us quickly of this 
fact.  They also reviewed the proposed Turkish delegation and 
the list of U.S. government entities to be represented.  In 
addition, the fact that the goals of the talks are to deal 
with technical rather than policy matters was discussed. 
 
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THE "REAL" ISSUE - IRAN 
------------------------ 
 
 
5.  (C) When asked what Iraq's expectations for these talks 
are, Hariri replied that Iraq has no objection to working to 
develop the closest, most friendly relations possible with 
all of it's neighbors.  However, he said that in this part of 
the world the word "peaceful" is taken to mean "weak."  A 
country in this region is only respected if it deals with 
others forcefully and from a position of power.  He said that 
Iraq understands and respects Turkey's problem with the PKK, 
but then complained that although the Turks are constantly 
making demands about the PKK, they have never once provided 
hard evidence that the PKK launches attacks against Turkey 
from Iraqi territory.  In fact, he asserted, the PKK causes 
more violence and trouble in Iraq than it does in Turkey. 
Add to that the fact that many times when the PKK commits 
acts of terror in Turkey, they run to sanctuary in Iran while 
the Turks bomb Kurds in Iraq and innocent people are killed. 
 
6.  (C) Hariri squarely blamed the Iranians for these 
problems.  He said that Iran has an open door policy toward 
the PKK and that this is where the PKK operates from and 
flees to.  Turkey knows this.  The thing that really bothers 
the Turks about Iraq is not the PKK, but the fact that the 
Kurds are growing strong politically, have attained their own 
regional government, and that the "rights of the Kurds" are 
being discussed in Iraq's new constitution. 
 
7.  (C) Iran is also the reason why Iraq, at this time, 
cannot take the steps Turkey wishes with regard to declaring 
the PKK a terrorist organization or closing its "front" 
political organizations.  (COMMENT: Hariri at first denied 
that the PKK has any offices in Iraq, but al-Abbasi disagreed 
and informed him that there exist recently formed political 
parties that are fronts for the PKK.  END COMMENT.)  Hariri 
said that if the Iraqis give in on the PKK, the Iranians will 
insist upon the same treatment for the Mujahideen-e-Khalq 
(MeK), which is a greater threat to the Iranians than the PKK 
is to Turkey.  Iraq believes that the MeK issue is a 
humanitarian problem and that pursuant to international law 
Iraq will allow the MeK to remain in Iraq until the MeK 
situation is regularized.  This issue is so important to the 
Iranians that it was at the top of the Iranian Foreign 
Minister's list to raise during Foreign Minister Zebari's 
recent trip to Tehran.  (See Septel.) 
 
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TWO REQUESTS 
------------ 
 
8. (C)  Hariri and al-Abbasi made two requests.  First, they 
would like to know who is their main point-of-contact at the 
State Department for these talks.  Second, they would like to 
push the start time back so they can speak on a bilateral 
basis with U.S. officials before the Turks join the talks. 
"We would be able to be more open on these issues in a 
bilateral setting than in a trilat." 
 
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MNF-I NOT PLANNING TO SEND REPRESENTATIVE 
----------------------------------------- 
 
9. (C)  At this time, MNF-I does not plan to send a 
representative from Iraq to the meeting.  Instead, MNF-I is 
providing input to CENTCOM, which will be represented. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
10. (C)  The Iraqis clearly lack enthusiasm for these talks. 
We suspect that their lackadaisical approach to meeting with 
Emboffs to discuss the talks and to apply for visas is an 
artifice to pin the Iraqis' failure to show up for the talks 
on us.  It was clear from our talks during the meeting that 
travel arrangements have yet to be made.  We were eventually 
able to put enough pressure on the Iraqis to get their 
applications in, although not in time to make the scheduled 
date for the talks.  We hope that no other "complications" 
will arise.  With regard to the Iraqi request to meet with 
U.S. officials early, we believe this may be to seek 
assurances that they are not going to get "beat up" on the 
PKK issue by the Turks, and to speak more frankly to 
Washington officials about their concern with these issues. 
END COMMENT. 
 
11. (U) REO HILLAH, REO BASRAH, REO KIRKUK, REO MOSUL 
minimize considered. 
Khalilzad