US embassy cable - 05CAIRO8812

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 008812 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, IZ, EG 
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE IRAQ NATIONAL ACCORD CONFERENCE 
STATEMENT 
 
REF: A. CAIRO 8704 
     B. CAIRO 8618 
     C. CAIRO 8785 
 
Classified by ECPO John Desrocher for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U) The text below represents an unofficial translation 
of the "Agreed Statement" produced following the three day 
Conference for Iraqi National Accord, held in Cairo November 
19-21. 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
"The Preparatory Meeting of the Conference for Iraqi National 
Accord convened at the Headquarters of the Arab League during 
the period of November 19-21, 2005 with the participation of 
the Iraqi political parties from the different entities of 
the Iraqi people at the invitation Mr. Amre Moussa, 
Secretary-General of the Arab League. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
His Excellency President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, 
President Jalal Talabani, Dr. Irahim al-Ja'ffari, Prime 
Minister of Iraq, Mr. Abdel-Aziz Belkhadem, personal 
representative of President Boutaflika of Algeria, and 
Special Representative of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Mr. 
Ashraf Qazi opened the meeting. 
 
The inaugural session was attended by Arab Foreign Ministers, 
members of the special ministerial committee on Iraq, the 
Foreign Minister of Lebanon, Mustapha Osman Ismai'il, Advisor 
to the President of Sudan, President of the African Union 
Commission, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation 
Council, Representative of the Union of North African States, 
Representative of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Foreign 
Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Representative of 
the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, representatives of 
the Permanent Members of the Security Council, Permanent 
Representatives of the Arab Countries to the Arab League, 
foreign ambassadors of countries which have Memoranda of 
Understanding with the Arab League, a representative of the 
European Union, representatives of the Islamic Conference, a 
representative of the Islamic Bank for Development and the 
International Commission of the Red Cross. 
 
The participants discussed the preparations for the 
Conference for the Iraqi National Accord and mechanisms for 
the next stage of building the Iraq of the future.  After the 
end of the practices and policies of the condemned previous 
regime, the deliberations demonstrated agreement on the 
following: 
 
1.  Welcoming of the initiative of the Arab League to convene 
the Iraqi National Accord Conference (INAC) and emphasis on 
the interest of all to provide the best environment for the 
convening and success of the conference. 
 
2.  Commitment to the unity, independence, sovereignty and 
freedom of Iraq and not to allow intervention in its internal 
affairs.  Respect for the will of the Iraqi people and their 
democratic  in the framework of pluralism and a federal 
system and their right to decide Iraq's future on their own. 
 
3.  The Iraqi people are looking forward to the day in which 
foreign forces would leave Iraq and to build their military 
and security forces in order to enjoy peace and stability, 
and get rid of the terrorism that targets Iraqis and Iraqi 
infrastructure and destroys the national wealth and the 
State's apparatus. 
 
4.  Although resistance is a legitimate right for all people, 
terrorism does not represent legitimate resistance. 
Accordingly we condemn terrorism and acts of violence, 
killing, and kidnapping that target Iraqi citizens, civilian, 
humanitarian, governmental institutions, national wealth, and 
places of worship and we call for confronting terrorism 
immediately. 
 
5.  Condemn "Takfir" or the accusation of being infidels as 
it contradicts the noble traditions of Islam which prohibit 
the accusation of being an infidel of a Muslim by his Muslim 
brothers and work to spread the Islamic values that call for 
brotherhood, tolerance,a nd enhancement of national unity. 
 
6.  Call for release of innocent detainees who were not 
indicted before the law and the investigation of the claims 
of torture; holding accountable the negligent and the 
perpetrators of such acts, and the immediate halt of 
arbitrary raids and arrests without documented judicial 
warrants. 
 
7.  Taking into account the resolutions of the Security 
Council 1546 (2004) and 1637 (2005), the withdrawal of 
foreign troops is called for according to a timetable through 
the establishment of an immediate national program for 
rebuilding the security forces to train, prepare and arm them 
properly, that would enable them to protect the borders, 
control the security situation, guarantee the security of 
citizens and country, and end the terrorist operations. 
8.  Respect the position of all Iraqi peoples, entities and 
the political process should not be impeded, and respect for 
wide-scale participation in the forthcoming elections, and 
respect for the ballot boxes and respect for the opinion of 
the Iraqi people in choosing their representatives. 
 
The participants called the Arab countries to support Iraq in 
different areas; at the top of which include the following: 
 
1.  Accelerate canceling the debt of Iraq or reduce it in 
accordance with Paris Club and the Arab League resolutions. 
 
2.  Contribute in training and rehabilitating the Iraqi 
cadres in the different sectors of the State. 
 
3.  Enhance the Arab diplomatic presence in Iraq and provide 
the necessary security for the Arab diplomatic missions. 
 
4.  Provide humanitarian assistance and play an active role 
in reconstructing Iraq. 
 
5.  Assist in controlling the borders to prevent infiltration. 
 
In light of the discussions and contributions, the first 
working group headed by Abdel Aziz Belkhadem was established 
to prepare for the Iraqi National Accord Conference.  The 
second working group was headed by Mustapha Ismai'il to 
prepare confidence building measures. 
 
Based on their work, the following has been agreed for the 
Conference: 
 
1.  The Iraqi National Accord Conference would be held during 
the last week of February or the first week in March in 
Baghdad. 
 
2.  The Agenda for the Conference includes the following 
elements: 
 
a.  Expansion of the political process to include all parties 
based on a democratic approach 
 
b.  The unity, independence and sovereignty of Iraq and 
establishing a program for ending the mission of the MNF-I 
 
c.  The security situation 
 
d.  Equal citizenship (rights and duties) 
 
e.  Forms of required support for the National Accord process 
to succeed 
 
f.  Debts and reconstruction of Iraq 
 
3.  Standards for participation in the Conference are as 
follows: 
 
a.  Ensuring a balanced and inclusive representation of the 
Iraqi political parties and forces representing all the 
entities of the Iraqi people, including the tribes, civil 
society organizations and women. 
 
b.  Commitment to dialogue, democratic approach, denouncement 
of violence and willingness to participate in the political 
process. 
 
c.  Commitment to seek the achievement of the goals of the 
political process through peaceful means and respect of 
different points of view. 
 
4.  Establishment of a standing committee to prepare for the 
INAC to be called the Follow-up and Preparation Committee, to 
be comprised of the political parties in Iraq with the 
participation of the Arab League and the cooperation of the 
United Nations. 
 
5.  Approval of several practical confidence building 
measures during the coming phase as follows: 
 
a.  Avoid the exchange of accusations and call the Iraqi and 
Arab media to work to bridge the gaps between Iraqi 
communities. 
 
b.  Restriction on the use of religious, political and media 
fora for incitement of hatred and division. 
 
c.  Work on providing the appropriate environment for the 
forthcoming elections in a free and transparent manner. 
 
d.  Provide the practical formula for regular meetings among 
the political forces and Iraqi entities or communities to 
create the environment for achieving Iraqi National Accord. 
e.  Underline the necessity to review the situation of 
detainees as soon as possible and release those who were not 
convicted and stop the raids unless they have documented 
judicial warrants and provide an atmosphere of security and 
peace. 
 
The participants supported the struggle of the Palestinian's 
people and their just and legitimate right to establish a 
Palestinian state with Holy Jerusalem as its capital. 
 
In conclusion, the participants expressed their gratitude and 
appreciation for the Arab Republic of Egypt, the President, 
government and the people for the warm reception and kind 
hospitality.  They also appreciated the speech of His 
Excellency President Muhammed Hosni Mubarak and President 
Abdelaziz Bouteflika.  They also expressed their appreciation 
for the role played by the Special Ministerial Committee of 
the Arab League on Iraq and the efforts of the Secretary 
General of the Arab League for convening this meeting, and 
the results of this meeting and his important speech at the 
inaugural session.  They also expressed their appreciation 
for the role played by the United Nations in supporting this 
effort. 
 
The Arab League expressed its gratitude for the efforts of 
Hoshyar Zebari, the Foreign Minister of Iraq, and his 
assistance at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the 
cooperation they provided in preparing this meeting. 
 
END TEXT 
 
2.  (C)  Arab League reaction:  Department TDY officers and 
poloff met with Arab League Chief of Cabinet Hesham Youssef 
immediately following the release of the agreed statement. 
Youssef said the USG would likely be happy with some parts of 
the document and unhappy with others.  He said the League's 
Secretary General Amre Moussa pressed participants to keep 
 
SIPDIS 
the language in the "Agreed Statement" on the level of 
"principles" because the detailed discussions touched 
sensitive areas, such as withdrawal of the MNF-I.  Offering 
an example, Youssef said that when all participants agreed to 
describe the presence of foreign forces as an "occupation," 
Moussa pushed back.  Likewise, when some participants 
resisted including a reference to respect for the political 
process in the statement, the League pressed to include the 
reference.  Confirming the pledge Moussa made to the 
Ambassador in prior meetings, Youssef said the League "did 
not and will not work at cross purposes" with the USG.  But 
because of Iraq's complexity, he explained, the national 
accord process is also key. 
 
3.  (C) UN reaction:  A visiting UN representative who 
attended the conference told poloff that the UN believes the 
conference dialogue was positive and that the agenda for the 
proposed follow on conference is reasonable.  When poloff 
asked about the reference to the resistance as a "legitimate 
right" (paragraph 4 of the first subsection of statement), he 
said the participants did not indicate they wanted language 
that could be interpreted as legitimizing attacks on foreign 
forces.  Rather, he noted, their intent was to condemn 
terrorism.  He noted that discussions at the proposed Baghdad 
conference would most likely be more sensitive for the U.S. 
 
 
RICCIARDONE