US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8704

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 008704 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, EG, IZ, Arab League, Iraqi, Gaza 
SUBJECT: NEA A/S WELCH AND ARAB LEAGUE SYG DISCUSS GAZA, 
IRAQ CONFERENCE, SYRIA 
 
REF: CAIRO 8618 (AND PREVIOUS) 
 
Classified by Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone for reasons 
1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C)  Summary:  In a November 17 meeting with NEA 
Assistant Secretary C. David Welch and the Ambassador, Arab 
League Secretary General Amre Moussa expressed his 
congratulations to the USG on brokering the Agreement on 
Movement and Access (the "Agreement").  Moussa also provided 
an update on planning for the November 19 Iraq preparatory 
conference and shared his views on the potential for progress 
in the Mehlis investigation.  On Gaza, Moussa said the 
agreement was significant, but the core issue of settlements 
must be addressed to achieve real progress.  On Iraq, Moussa 
said he is confident that the "national accord" process the 
League is pursuing via the prepcon can coexist with Iraq's 
legitimate political process.  He also noted that logistics 
for the conference and attendees remain up in the air. On 
Syria, Moussa said that he is confident that President Asad 
will cooperate with Mehlis.  End summary. 
 
------------------------------------ 
The Agreement on Movement and Access 
------------------------------------ 
 
2.  (C)  Moussa praised the USG for brokering the Agreement, 
noting in particular the Secretary's personal efforts to make 
the deal. But, he qualified, the Agreement does not address 
the heart of the problem -- stopping the settlements. 
According to Moussa, giving money, supporting Abu Mazen, and 
making sure Gaza is not a prison are important U.S. 
contributions, but improving the demographic nature of the 
conflict requires a moratorium on settlements and agreement 
on the wall.  NEA A/S Welch underlined the significance of 
the November 15 Agreement and the Administration's attention 
to the settlements and barrier issues and larger objectives. 
A/S Welch noted that (1) the USG hosted Abu Mazen in 
Washington D.C. twice; (2) the Secretary has visited the 
region four times; and (3) U.S. financial support for the 
Palestinians is second highest (per capita) in the world 
(second to Israel alone). A/S Welch pressed Moussa to give 
Abu Mazen greater support and the U.S. greater credit for our 
efforts and results. 
 
---------------------------- 
Iraq National Accord Prepcon 
---------------------------- 
 
3.  (C)  Moussa stressed to NEA A/S Welch and the Ambassador 
that the national accord prepcon would "put Iraq on a track" 
towards reconciliation.  Noting that many conference 
attendees have not spoken to each other for years, Moussa 
said that giving them an opportunity to vent for three days 
would be healthy.  The League, Moussa explained, aims to show 
all factions that it is time to be serious and that "this is 
not a souk."  He also said the League could have a calming 
influence on the groups and persuade them that Shia/Sunni and 
Arab/Persian divisions are particularly destructive.  Moussa 
observed that he believes the pivotal question for all the 
Iraqi factions, especially the Shias is: "Who is the boss?" 
He hoped that the prepcon dialogue could start to persuade 
the Iranians that a stable Iraq is in their interest. 
 
4.  (C)   As for prepcon logistics, Moussa reconfirmed his 
previous report (reftel) that the prepcon agenda includes 
discussing the date, time and place for the next national 
accord conference as well as the agenda and mechanism for 
selecting participants.  He noted, however, that he would use 
the prepcon to urge greater participation in the legitimate 
political process.  The opening session, he said, would be 
huge and televised, at least in part.  Moussa said that he, 
President Mubarak, President Talabani, and PM Jafari would 
all speak before the cameras.  There may also be other 
speakers during the opening, including possibly SCIRI head 
Abdel Azziz al Hakim, Dr, Ayad al Allawi, and Muslim Ulema 
Council head Harith al Dhari.  The list of speakers for the 
opening session is not/not yet final, Moussa underlined. 
 
5.  (C)  NEA A/S Welch pressed Moussa to turn the cameras off 
and dismiss all observers after speeches by the elected 
government officials.  It would not be useful, A/S Welch and 
the Ambassador underlined, to put non-elected figures on par 
with the head of government or head of state.  Noting that 
nations in the Arab world take their cue from the League, NEA 
A/S Welch urged Moussa to lead to unify, and not to alienate, 
the groups.  The U.S. does not want the prepcon to be a forum 
for public disputes, A/S Welch added.  Moussa responded that 
that even if some Sunni opposition figures do speak at the 
opening, the majority of speakers would be Shia or other 
government officials.  Moussa also stressed the importance of 
hearing all views and said that even Harith al Dhari, for 
example, now favors gradual MNF-I withdrawal and has pledged 
to be "constructive."   The Ambassador again pressed Moussa 
to limit public speakers to elected officials.  But Moussa 
made no firm commitment, and remarked that he is "still 
playing with" the decision as to "when to turn off the 
cameras" during the first session. 
 
------ 
Mehlis 
------ 
 
6.  (C)  Moussa told NEA A/S Welch and the Ambassador that he 
is confident that President Asad will cooperate with Mehlis. 
But, he said, the location of Mehlis questioning of Syrian 
suspects is not important.  Rather, Moussa said, everyone 
should focus on getting the truth.  Moussa said he heard that 
Jebel al Sheikh (under the UN flag) is under consideration as 
a possible questioning site. NEA A/S Welch said that the USG 
wants only straight cooperation with Mehlis.  Whatever venue 
Mehlis wants is the key, he concluded, and Moussa agreed. 
 
7.  (U)  A/S Welch did not have an opportunity to clear this 
cable. 
 
 
RICCIARDONE