US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1119

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001119 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR P, EUR, EUR/SE, NEA AND NEA/NGA; 
NSC FOR AMB. KHALILZAD; 
OSD FOR USDP LUTI 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, PREF, PHUM, TU, IZ, UNSC, Iraq 
SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: ITF COMPLAINS NOT BEING INFORMED 
ABOUT OPPOSITION CONFERENCE PLANS 
 
REF: ANKARA 1093 
 
 
Classified by Political Military Affairs Counselor Stuart 
Brown.  Reasons 1.5 b and d. 
 
 
1. (C) Operation Northern Watch POLAD received the following 
note for Amb. Khalilzad from the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) on 
Feb. 19.  It reflects information conveyed to ONW POLAD by 
Turkish MFA officers reftel and points to the KDP as the 
cause of the problem. 
 
 
2. (C) Begin text: 
 
 
Mr. Zalmai Halilzad 
 
 
We have been informed by the press that the Iraqi Observation 
and Cooperation committee will gather on February 19-20 in 
Erbil. 
 
 
Since the ITF as a major opposition group and member of the 
committee did not receive any official written invitation 
about this meeting and it's postpone, we sent a delegation to 
Selahhaddin in order to gain information about this specific 
case but the entrance of our delegation was hindered by the 
KDP officials. 
 
 
Also, our attempts to get in contact with Ghassan Attiyah and 
other committee members in Erbil was hindered by the KDP and 
means of communication were obstructed.  ITF Chairman and 
member of the committee Mr. Sanan Ahmet Aga who wanted to 
visit the committee members was restrained to enter the hotel 
by the KDP. 
 
 
We want to inform you that ITF was not invited to the Iraqi 
Observation and Cooperation committee and was opposed by the 
KDP forces who want to take the meeting under their control. 
 
 
ITF Executive Committee 
19 Feb. 2003 
 
 
End Text of Note. 
 
 
3. (C) PUK Ankara rep Bahros Galali told ONW POLAD Feb. 20 
that PUK leader Jalal Talabani had sent word to the ITF that 
he would provide them with details about the conference and 
that they should send any questions to him in Sulaymaniyah 
via a driver.  Galali also spoke with TGS liaison in Silopi 
Itaz Pasha who, according to Galali, agreed that this was a 
minor issue that should be resolved without recourse to 
formal complaints to the Turkish MFA and the USG (which the 
ITF had made). 
PEARSON