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