US embassy cable - 03VATICAN929

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000929 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), NEA/NGA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, PGOV, PHUM, VT, VTPREL 
SUBJECT: ROME PUK REP SEEKS VATICAN ACCESS 
 
REF: A) ROME 657 B) VATICAN 683 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON, REASON E.O. 12958 (D) 
 
1.  (C)  SUMMARY: ROME PUK REPRESENTATIVE BAKER FATTAH MET 
WITH POLOFF FEBRUARY 25 TO DISCUSS PUK EFFORTS TO GAIN 
VATICAN ATTENTION FOR THE KURDISH CAUSE.  FATTAH TOLD POLOFF 
THAT THE PUK HAD BEEN TRYING TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE HOLY SEE 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  00929  01 OF 02  061607Z 
AND HAD SOUGHT AN AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE FOR "PM" SALIH 
DURING IRAQI DPM TAREQ AZIZ' VISIT TO ITALY.  THE HOLY SEE 
INSTEAD SET UP A MEETING FOR SALIH WITH ARCHBISHOP RENATO 
MARTINO, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND 
PEACE, WHERE THE KURDISH DELEGATION RECEIVED THE STANDARD 
HOLY SEE LINE -- THAT IT COULD NEVER BE SEEN TO SUPPORT A 
WAR, EVEN TO LIBERATE THE KURDISH PEOPLE, AND ANY DECISION 
FOR MILITARY ACTION MUST BE TAKEN BY THE UN TO BE LEGITIMATE. 
 FATTAH VOLUNTEERED HIS "STRONG CONCERN" AT ANY TURKISH 
EFFORT TO DISARM THE KURDS IN EVENT OF A WAR, AND ASSURED US 
THAT HIS PEOPLE WANTED TO ENTER A POWER SHARING ARRANGEMENT 
IN BAGHDAD.  FATTAH DID NOT FORESEE THE RISE OF INTERCOMMUNAL 
CONFLICT AFTER THE "LIBERATION OF IRAQ," -- INSISTING THAT 
IRAQ DID NOT HAVE A HISTOR OF CIVIL WAR.  WE ENCOURAGED 
FATTAH TO CONTACT TE HOLY SEE MFA COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR THE 
MIDDLE EST MONS. FRANCO COPPOLA, WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FRO 
BAGHDAD WITH PAPAL S/E ETCHEGARRAY (REF B), AS  FIRST STEP 
TO GAINING A POSSIBLE PAPAL AUDIENCEFOR SALIH.  WE BELIEVE 
THAT SUCH AN AUDIENCE COUL HIGHLIGHT THE HOLY SEE'S CONCERN 
FOR HUMANITARIN CONDITIONS IN IRAQ, BUT THAT POPE WOULD NOT 
SE THE PUK WHILE HE STILL HOLDS HOPE TO AVOID WAR.  UCH A 
MEETING COULD, HOWEVER, TAKE PLACE ONCE TH UNSC TAKES A 
DECISION TO ENFORCE UNSCR 1441.  EN SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
PUK EFFORTS TO AVERT AZIZ AUDIENCE; SECURE AUDIENCE WITH POPE 
--------------------------------------------- ---------------- 
 
2.  (C)  EMBASSY VATICAN JOINED EMBASSY ROME IN FACILITATING 
VATICAN CONTACTS FOR US CITIZEN AND INDICT NGO DIRECTOR 
CHARLES FORREST (REF A) DURING IRAQI DFM TAREQ AZIZ' FEBRUARY 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        VATICA  00929  01 OF 02  061607Z 
VISIT TO ITALY. (NOTE: INDICT SEEKS INFORMATION TO PRESS 
CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST IRAQI LEADERS GUILTY OF CRIMES 
AGAINST HUMANITY; FORREST, WORKING WITH THE LOCAL PUK OFFICE, 
UNSUCCESSFULLY SOUGHT TO DEVELOP ARREST WARRANTS FOR AZIZ 
DURING HIS ITALY/VATICAN VISITS).  FORREST SUBSEQUENTLY 
ADVISED LOCAL PUK REPRESENTATIVE BAKER FATTAH TO CONTACT 
EMBASSY VATICAN TO SOLICIT ADVICE ON HOW BEST TO PRESS THE 
PUK MESSAGE WITH THE HOLY SEE.  MEETING OVER COFFEE ON 
FEBRUARY 25, FATTAH TOLD POLOFF THAT THE PUK HAD BEEN TRYING 
FOR WEEKS TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE HOLY SEE IN ORDER TO REMIND 
THE HOLY SEE OF THE IRAQI REGIME'S ATROCIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS 
RECORD AND TO CONVINCE THE POPE NOT MEET TAREQ AZIZ. 
 
3.  (C)  FATTAH AND FORREST FORMALLY REQUESTED AN AUDIENCE 
WITH THE POPE FOR PUK "FM" BARHAN SALIH (PH) DURING THE WEEK 
OF FEBRUARY 17, BUT WERE REFERRED INSTEAD TO ARCHBISHOP 
RENATO MARTINO.  MARTINO IS THE FORMER HOLY SEE UN PERMANENT 
OBSERVER, AND RECENTLY TOOK OVER AS PRESIDENT OF THE 
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE -- THE HOLY SEE 
DICASTRY (NOTE: CABINET DEPARTMENT) THAT DEALS WITH JUSTICE, 
PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES.  ACCORDING TO FATTAH, MARTINO 
REITERATED THE STANDARD HOLY SEE POSITION THAT IT COULD NEVER 
BE SEEN TO SUPPORT WAR, AND THAT ANY MILITARY ACTION IN IRAQ 
WOULD NEED TO BE APPROVED BY THE UN TO BE LEGITIMATE.  FATTAH 
MENTIONED THAT SANT'EGIDIO COMMUNITY SPIRITUAL LEADER DON 
MATTEO ZUPPI HAD ALSO COUNSELED THAT IT WAS USELESS TO TRY TO 
PERSUADE THE HOLY SEE PUBLICLY TO SUPPORT A WAR, EVEN TO 
LIBERATE IRAQIS SUFFERING FROM SADDAM'S OPPRESSION.  FATTAH 
SAID HE WAS NOT HOPEFUL THAT THE POPE WOULD EVER MEET WITH 
SALIH.  (NOTE: WE TOO HAD SHARED INTERNET BASED REPORTS OF 
SADDAM'S ATROCITIES, INCLUDING THE  HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORT 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 04        VATICA  00929  01 OF 02  061607Z 
ON THE ANFAL CAMPAIGNS, WITH THE HOLY SEE DFM SHORTLY BEFORE 
AZIZ'S VISIT.) 
 
------------------------------- 
COMMENTARY ON POST-WAR SCENARIO 
------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) FATTAH TOLD US HE THOUGHT WAR WAS CLOSER THAN EVER. 
HE VOLUNTEERED, HOWEVER, THAT THE KURDS WERE VERY CONCERNED 
THAT THE TURKS WOULD OCCUPY "KURDISTAN" TO DISARM KURDS.  IF 
THIS HAPPENED, HE OBSERVED, "THINGS WOULD GET VERY BAD."  HE 
ASSURED US THAT, FAR FROM WANTING INDEPENDENCE, THE KURDS 
WISHED TO ENTER A DEMOCRATIC POWER-SHARING ARRANGEMENT IN 
BAGHDAD.  "WE ONLY WANT FORTY PERCENT OF THE OIL REVENUES, 
FOR DEVELOPMENT," HE NOTED.  FATTAH WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT IRAQ 
COULD AVOID A CIVIL WAR AFTER SADDAM, BECAUSE "WE HAVE NO 
HISTORY OF CIVIL WAR - JUST OF STRUGGLE AGAINST CORRUPT 
REGIMES." 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ8236 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  00929  02 OF 02  061607Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AMAD-00  CIAE-00  DODE-00  DS-00    VC-00 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   NEA-00   NSAE-00  PA-00 
      PM-00    SSO-00   SS-00    PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01 
      SAS-00     /001W 
                  ------------------4033CE  061608Z /38 
O 061506Z MAR 03 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 000929 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), NEA/NGA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, VT 
SUBJECT: ROME PUK REP SEEKS VATICAN ACCESS 
 
------- 
 
5.  (C) WE TOLD BOTH FORREST AND FATTAH THAT THE HOLY SEE'S 
PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FOR A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE IRAQ CRISIS 
IS MOTIVATED BY A VARIETY OF CONCERNS. THESE INCLUDE ITS FEAR 
OF AN IRAQ WAR DESTABILIZING THE ENTIRE MIDDLE EAST AND 
PERHAPS CATALYZING A GLOBAL STRUGGLE BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND 
ISLAM, ITS STRONG DESIRE NOT TO COMPROMISE ITS ONGOING 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  00929  02 OF 02  061607Z 
DIALOGUE WITH MUSLIM LEADERS, AND ITS CONCERN FOR THE SAFETY 
OF CHRISTIAN MINORITIES IN THE MUSLIM WORLD.    HOWEVER, WE 
SUPPORTED FORREST'S EFFORTS TO HAVE AN MEETING WITH THE HOLY 
SEE TO DISCUSS INDICT'S WORK, AND REFERRED HIM TO A CONTACT 
IN THE MFA (WITH WHOM HE SUBSEQUENTLY MET).  WE ALSO 
ENCOURAGED FATTAH TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP CONTACTS WITHIN THE 
HOLY SEE.  WE UNDERSCORED WITH FATTAH THAT THE POPE COULD 
NEITHER CANCEL THE AZIZ AUDIENCE NOR MEET WITH SALIH SO LONG 
AS HE WAS HOPING FOR A SUCCESSFUL BAGHDAD VISIT BY HIS 
"TROUBLESHOOTING CARDINAL" ROGER ETCHEGARRAY (REF B).  WE 
SUGGESTED TO FATTAH THAT A MORE FRUITFUL AVENUE FOR THE PUK 
TO THE HOLY SEE MIGHT BE VIA THE IRAQI CHALDEAN PATRIARCH -- 
BUT HE WAS NOT OPEN TO THAT, SAYING THE PATRIARCH "WAS IN THE 
PAY OF SADDAM, JUST LIKE BENJAMIN" (NOTE: FRANCISCAN FATHER 
BENJAMIN -- A SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE "SINGING NO-GLOBAL ACTIVIST" 
WHO ORGANIZES RELIEF WORK IN IRAQ -- SPONSORED AZIZ'S ITALY 
VISIT).  NOTWITHSTANDING, WE ENCOURAGED FATTAH AT LEAST TO 
SEEK AN APPOINTMENT WITH VATICAN MFA COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR THE 
MIDDLE EAST MONS. FRANCO COPPOLA, WHO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM 
ACCOMPANYING ETCHEGARRAY TO BAGHDAD. 
 
6.  (C)  THE POPE HIMSELF WILL CONTINUE TO AVOID ANY SIGNAL 
THAT THE VATICAN EVEN TACITLY SUPPORTS A WAR OPTION FOR IRAQ, 
INCLUDING BY AVOIDING MEETING WITH SALIH.  THAT IS, UNTIL A 
WAR BREAKS OUT.  AT THAT POINT, THE POPE MAY BE WILLING TO 
MEET WITH THE PUK PM TO UNDERSCORE THE NEED FOR HUMANITARIAN 
RELIEF AND TO TRY TO FORESTALL INTERCOMMUNAL VIOLENCE IN 
IRAQ. 
NICHOLSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
PAGE 03        VATICA  00929  02 OF 02  061607Z 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 

 2003VATICA00929 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL