US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8618

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 008618 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, IZ, AL, EG 
SUBJECT: EGYPT-DEMARCHE ON PREPARATIONS FOR ARAB LEAGUE 
IRAQ RECONCILIATION CONFERENCE 
 
REF: STATE 207928 
 
Classified by Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone 1.4(b) and 
(d). 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C)  In a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Amre 
Moussa and his Chief of Cabinet Hesham Youssef on November 
15, the Ambassador delivered the points in reftel and 
received a brief on the status of preparations for the 
proposed November 19 Iraq conference.  Moussa said:  50-60 
Iraqis received invitations; only Iraqis and certain League 
representatives will join the substantive sessions; the 
conference will not discredit or contradict the process 
outlined in UNSC 1546; rather it will aim to draw more Iraqis 
into the coming elections and subsequent constitutional 
process; Iraqis will discuss withdrawal of the MNF-I, but 
will not set a timeline and the conference will focus on 
reconciliation and promoting broad political participation. 
End summary. 
 
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The demarche and Moussa's Response 
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2.  (C) During his November 15 meeting with Arab League SYG 
Moussa, the Ambassador conveyed reftel concerns about the 
proposed November 19 preparatory conference on Iraq.  The 
Ambassador stressed, in particular, the need for the AL 
initiative to accept and endorse the Iraqi process 
established under the UNSC resolutions 1546 and 1637 and 
refrain from opening any discussions that might discredit, 
contradict, or question those resolutions or the legitimate 
political process.  The Ambassador also underlined the 
importance of urging full participation in the upcoming 
elections and avoiding attempts at setting "timelines." 
 
3.  (C)  Moussa sought emphatically to put to rest concerns 
that the November 19 conference might undermine the ongoing 
political process under the UNSCRs.  He said that the League 
will not oppose or challenge the existing process, and 
instead will press for reconciliation and to draw more Iraqis 
into participating in the December 15 elections and the 
subsequent Iraqi political process, as provided in the Iraqi 
constitution, for amending the constitution.  He maintained, 
however, that the League's initiative "has a role and will 
continue to have a role."  He envisioned that the Arab 
League's conference, though its Cairo session would last only 
three days, "would not close but rather would move to Iraq 
after the elections," as a continuing endeavor.  Moussa 
rejected the suggestion that the League risked 
"internationalizing" the conference by inviting so many 
groups to join the opening ceremonies.  He said that 
international support is important to and gives weight to the 
process.  He clarified that no one except the Iraqi delegates 
and certain League (and UN) representatives would attend 
substantive meetings, probably representatives of the Arab 
League "Committee of Eight."  He tried to recall which these 
were:  Egypt, Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Syria, Sudan, Jordan, 
Algeria.  On November 19, all outsiders would participate in 
the opening ceremonies, including a statement by himself and 
speeches by Iraqis. If Bouteflika attends, he would speak. 
In that case, Mubarak would also attend and speak.  The 
session would start by 1100 a.m., and by 1300 they will leave 
the Iraqis to their work, Moussa explained.  Moussa said the 
League does not want to "corner" the U.S. on its role in 
Iraq.  Rather, the Arab League wants to help the different 
political groups overcome the deep lack of confidence between 
them. 
 
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Participation:  inaugural vs. substantive sessions 
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4.  (C)  Moussa said that he had invited a broad group of 
guests, including many GOI officials, four Iraqi women (the 
Iraqis themselves had included not a single woman), Algerian 
President Bouteflika, many Arab Foreign Ministers, 
representatives from the Arab Committee of Eight, the Islamic 
Conference, the EU, P-5 nations, and Turkey, Syria, Algeria, 
and Iran, to the inaugural session of the Iraq conference. 
Some of the prominent Iraqis include: President Talibani, 
Prime Minister Jafari, Ayad Alawi, Sandari, Rubaie, Abdel 
Azziz al Hakim (who phoned Moussa during the Ambassador's 
meeting, and reportedly was "still thinking about 
attending."), Adnan al Pachachi, and Moqtadr Al Sadr. Moussa 
said the Iraqi Minister of Transportation will represent 
Moqtadr Al Sadr.  Moussa said he wanted the participation at 
the inaugural session to be broad in order to give the 
conference weight. 
 
5.  (C)  Participation during the substantive portion of the 
conference, Moussa underlined, would be restricted.  He said 
the League invited 56-60 Iraqis for the substantive portion 
of the conference.  Only these delegates and certain AL 
officials, including the SYG, and former Sudanese FM Ismail 
will be able to participate in the working meetings.  The 
Arab League officials would "stand back and let the Iraqis do 
all the talking," but they would aim to facilitate as 
possible.  Although some GOI officials were invited to the 
inaugural session, Moussa said that only those officials 
chosen as their political group's "delegate" would be welcome 
at working sessions.  Moussa also noted that he would not 
require that he (or his representatives) participate in all 
of the working sessions.  Moussa promised to send us a list 
of invitees.  He will also update us on participation as soon 
as he receives names of firm attendees. 
 
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Conference agenda 
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6.  (C)  Moussa said that he intentionally refrained from 
setting the agenda or drafting any language for use during 
the working sessions.  Explaining that he wants the Iraqis to 
focus on reconciliation, Moussa said that, to the extent 
possible, he will leave it to the Iraqis to direct the 
conference.  Moussa's Chief of Cabinet Hesham Youssef said 
that the objectives of the conference are to determine: when 
and where the next session will occur, who will participate 
or, at a minimum, what mechanism will determine 
participation, and the agenda.  In addition, Moussa noted, 
the participants will discuss the importance of political 
participation and Iraqi unity, and the question of "foreign 
forces".  Moussa pledged that there would be no effort to fix 
a timeline for MNF-I withdrawal.  When the Ambassador again 
flagged the danger of deviating from the language of UNSC 
1637, Moussa said that even the Sunnis now favor only gradual 
withdrawal of MNF-I.  The emphatically warned against any 
attempt to use the term "foreign forces" to even appear to 
refer to both MNF-I and foreign terrorists on even a remotely 
similar footing.  This would be a red line for us.  Moussa 
affirmed there would be no such references. 
 
 
RICCIARDONE