Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03DAMASCUS1684
2003-03-20 15:47:00
SECRET
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

TFIZO1:SYRIA CLOSES BORDER AND SAYS IT WILL SET UP

Tags:  KREF PGOV PHUM PREL IZ SY 
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O 201547Z MAR 03
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO AMEMBASSY AMMAN IMMEDIATE 
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5510
USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 
INFO IRAQ COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 001684 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2013
TAGS: KREF PGOV PHUM PREL IZ SY
SUBJECT: TFIZO1:SYRIA CLOSES BORDER AND SAYS IT WILL SET UP

REFUGEE CAMPS ON IRAQI SIDE OF THE BORDER

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR THEODORE H. KATTOUF FOR REASONS 1.5B/D

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 001684

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/20/2013
TAGS: KREF PGOV PHUM PREL IZ SY
SUBJECT: TFIZO1:SYRIA CLOSES BORDER AND SAYS IT WILL SET UP

REFUGEE CAMPS ON IRAQI SIDE OF THE BORDER

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR THEODORE H. KATTOUF FOR REASONS 1.5B/D


1. (S) SUMMARY. SARG MINISTER OF LOCAL AFFAIRS CONVENED UN/IO
REPS AT 23:00 ON MARCH 19 TO INFORM THEM THE BORDER WITH IRAQ
HAD CLOSED, BUT THAT THE SARG AND THE SYRIAN RED CRESCENT
WOULD SET UP THREE REFUGEE CAMPS IN IRAQI TERRITORY OR THE
"NO MAN'S LAND BETWEEN THE TWO BORDERS." HE STATED THAT THE
SARG WOULD PROVIDE SECURITY FOR THE CAMPS (DIRECTLY
CONTRADICTING STATEMENTS MADE BY DFM MU'ALLIM TO AMBASSADOR
THE MORNING OF MARCH 19, SEE PARA 3),UPON WHICH UN REPS
QUESTIONED THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF SENDING SYRIAN
MILITARY/SECURITY ELEMENTS INTO IRAQ AT THIS TIME. YASIN
ASKED FOR RELIEF MATERIALS AND HELP DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE
AT THE CAMPS. HE SAID THE SARG IS WILLING TO ALLOW TCNS IF
UNHCR WILL RECEIVE THEM AT ITS EL HOL REFUGEE CAMP. THE UN
DOUBTS THE SARG/RED CRESCENT HAS THE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO A
REFUGEE CRISIS ALONE. THE UN/IO COMMUNITY WAS TAKEN BY
SURPRISE BY THE SARG'S REVERSAL AND IS SCRAMBLING TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT'S NEXT. THERE DOES NOT YET APPEAR TO BE A LARGE
NUMBER OF REFUGEE SEEKERS AT THE BORDER. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) AT 23:00 ON MARCH 19, SARG MINISTER OF LOCAL AFFAIRS
SALAH YASIN CONVOKED REPRESENTATIVES FROM UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP,
IOM, AND ICRC TO CONVEY THE SARG'S POSITION ON REFUGEES AND
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE. HE SAID:

-- THE SARG, ALREADY BURDENED BY PALESTINIAN AND GOLAN
REFUGEES, HAD CLOSED ITS BORDERS AND WOULD KEEP THEM CLOSED
FOR THE DURATION OF HOSTILITIES.

-- SYRIA IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE.
WITH THE SYRIAN RED CRESCENT AND INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF
RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT (IFRC) THE SARG WILL ESTABLISH THREE
CAMPS 8-10 KILOMETERS INTO IRAQ NEAR THE THREE MAJOR BORDER
CROSSINGS OF AL TANF (SOUTH),ABU KAMAL (CENTRAL),AND
YAROBIAH (NORTH).

-- THE SARG WOULD ENSURE THE SECURITY OF THE CAMPS (THIS
DIRECTLY CONTRADICTED WHAT DFM MU'ALLIM TOLD AMBASSADOR THE
MORNING OF MARCH 19, SEE PARA 3).

-- THE SARG WOULD ALLOW TCNS INTO THE COUNTRY IF UNHCR WOULD
RECEIVE THEM AT ITS EL HOL REFUGEE CAMP.

-- THE SARG HOPED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WOULD PROVIDE
SUPPLIES (TENTS, SHELTER FACILITIES, FOOD) AND ASSISTANCE

DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE (WATER, ELECTRICITY, SANITATION).

-- NO GROUND HAD BEEN BROKEN ON ANY OF THE CAMPS, BUT THE
SARG THOUGHT THEY COULD BE READY IN A WEEK AND HAVE A
CAPACITY OF 100,000 IF ALL PARTIES COOPERATED.


3. (S) CONFLICTING MESSAGES FROM SARG ON CROSS-BORDER RELIEF:
CONTACTS WHO ATTENDED THE MEETING TOLD POLOFF ON MARCH 20
THEY WERE ASTONISHED BY THE SARG'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT WOULD
SET UP CAMPS IN IRAQI TERRITORY. THEY IMMEDIATELY ASKED WHO
WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SECURITY AND IF THE SARG HAD
FULLY CONSIDERED THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH AN
ACTION. YASIN REPLIED THAT SYRIAN "ELEMENTS" WOULD ENSURE
SECURITY FOR THE CAMPS. (NOTE: THIS DIRECTLY CONTRADICTED
WHAT SARG DFM WALID MU'ALLIM TOLD THE AMBASSADOR EARLIER THE
SAME DAY: THAT SYRIA COULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
SECURITY OF ANY REFUGEES, SINCE IT WOULD NOT KNOW WHO THEY
WERE; THAT SYRIAN MILITARY FORCES WOULD NOT LEAVE SYRIA AND
THEIR PURPOSE WOULD BE TO PREVENT REFUGEES FROM ENTERING
SYRIA; AND THAT ONLY HUMANITARIAN WORKERS, SYRIAN RED
CRESCENT AND AFFILIATED UN/NGO, WOULD CROSS THE BORDER TO
ASSIST THE REFUGEES AND PROVIDE SUPPLIES. END NOTE.) YASIN
REPORTEDLY SIDESTEPPED THE QUESTION OF POLITICAL
IMPLICATIONS, BUT BACKTRACKED ON THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE
CAMPS, SAYING THAT THEY MIGHT BE LOCATED IN THE "NO MAN'S
LAND" BETWEEN THE TWO BORDERS (WHICH THE UN DOES NOT BELIEVE
LEGALLY EXISTS.)


4. (C) RED CRESCENT IN CHARGE, NOT A GOOD THING: YASIN MADE
IT CLEAR THAT THE RED CRESCENT (WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE IFRC)
WOULD TAKE THE LEAD ON CROSS-BORDER REFUGEE RELIEF, A
PROSPECT THAT EMBASSY INTERLOCUTORS CONTEMPLATED WITH
SOMETHING AKIN TO DREAD. UNHCR, UNICEF, IOM, AND ICRC HAVE
LONG EXPRESSED DOUBTS ABOUT THE RED CRESCENT'S CAPACITY TO
DEAL WITH A REFUGEE CRISIS. UN STAFF AND RED CRESCENT
PRESIDENT DR. ATTAR "HAVE NOT BEEN ON SPEAKING TERMS FOR
MONTHS," SAID ONE UN REPRESENTATIVE. ANOTHER CONTACT SAID
ATTAR, A PROMINENT AND WELL-CONNECTED BUSINESSMAN, HAD AN EGO
IN INVERSE PROPORTION TO HIS EXPERIENCE OR ABILITIES. EVEN
WITH THE EXPERTISE AND MATERIAL ASSISTANCE OF THE IFRC, MOST
FELT THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THE RED CRESCENT WAS UP TO THE
TASK. AN IOM OFFICIAL SAID, ONLY HALF-JOKINGLY, THAT THE ONLY
WAY THE RED CRESCENT COULD HANDLE THE SITUATION WAS IF SYRIA
DEPLOYED ITS ENTIRE ARMY TO ASSIST.


5. (C) NO REFUGEES, BUT TCN'S POSSIBLE: YASIN CONFIRMED THAT
NO/NO REFUGEES WOULD BE ALLOWED TO CROSS THE BORDER, BUT SAID
THE SARG WOULD ALLOW TCNS TO ENTER SYRIA PROVIDED UNHCR WOULD
RECEIVE THEM AT EL HOL. UNHCR, WHO MANAGES EL HOL AND IS NOT
MANDATED TO TAKE CARE OF TCNS, AND UNICEF, WHO HAS DONE MOST
OF THE CAMP'S INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, WERE (INITIALLY, AT
LEAST) OPPOSED TO THE IDEA OF ALLOWING TCNS AT EL HOL. IOM
DOES NOT HAVE AN ALTERNATE SITE TO HOUSE THE 3,000 TCNS
EXPECTED AND IS NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH THEM WITHOUT
COOPERATION FROM UNHCR AND OTHER UN AGENCIES.


6. (C) UN IN DISARRAY/NEXT STEPS: A GENUINELY SURPRISED UN/IO
COMMUNITY, WHICH APPEARS NOT TO HAVE QUESTIONED THE SARG'S
ASSURANCES THAT IT WOULD KEEP THE BORDERS OPEN DESPITE ITS
LACK OF PREPARATION AND COMMUNICATION, IS NOW SCRAMBLING TO
CLARIFY THE SARG'S POSITION AND REORGANIZE.

-- UNHCR APPEARS TO BE HOLDING OUT HOPE THE SARG WILL REVERSE
ITS POSITION AND HAS BEEN IN NON-STOP MEETINGS WITH SARG
OFFICIALS. ON MARCH 20, THE MFA DENIED UNHCR PERMISSION TO
SEND OBSERVERS TO THE BORDER CROSSINGS TO ASSESS THE
SITUATION AND TOLD UNHCR TO WAIT UNTIL AN OFFICIAL SARG
ANNOUNCEMENT RE REFUGEE/HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE WAS RELEASED
(TO BE EXPECTED IN 2-3 DAYS). UNHCR IS OPPOSED TO, BUT STILL
CONSIDERING, THE QUESTION OF TCNS AT EL HOL.

-- ICRC HAS KICKED DECISION-MAKING UP TO GENEVA AND IS
MEETING WITH THE (NEWLY ESTABLISHED) IFRC DELEGATION WHILE
AWAITING THE RETURN OF THE SYRIAN RED CRESCENT PRESIDENT FROM
GENEVA TO COORDINATE THE MOVEMENT'S POSITION. IN ANTICIPATING
FUTURE COOPERATION WITH THE SARG, ICRC IS NOT HEARTENED BY
THE FACT THAT AFTER MONTHS OF NEGOTIATING, IT HAS STILL NOT
BEEN ABLE TO BRING NON-FOOD ITEMS FOR 20,000 INTO SYRIA FROM
AQABA.

-- IOM IS NEGOTIATING WITH UNHCR REGARDING THE TCN ISSUE AND
IS SURREPTITIOUSLY SENDING STAFF TO THE BORDERS.

-- WFP, WHICH HAD CONCENTRATED MUCH OF ITS PLANNING ON
CROSS-BORDER FOOD DISTRIBUTION IS THE LEAST AFFECTED BY THE
POLICY CHANGE AND IS SITTING TIGHT.


7. (C) NO LARGE BACK-UP AT BORDER, YET: INFORMATION IS STILL
SKETCHY ABOUT THE SITUATION AT THE BORDER, AS UN AGENCIES
HAVE BEEN DENIED OFFICIAL PERMISSION TO TRAVEL THERE. BUT
ANECDOTAL REPORTS AND A SURVEY OF THE UN/IO COMMUNITY SUGGEST
THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO MORE THAN 100-200 REFUGEE SEEKERS AT
THE OFFICIAL IRAQI/SYRIAN BORDER CROSSINGS.


8. (C) COMMENT: GIVEN LOCAL AFFAIRS MINISTER YASIN'S POSITION
OUTSIDE INNER SARG DECISION-MAKING CIRCLES, WE DOUBT THAT HIS
STATEMENT OF SARG INTENT TO PROVIDE SECURITY FOR CAMPS INSIDE
IRAQ IS ACCURATE. AMBASSADOR KATTOUF QUESTIONED DFM MU'ALLIM
CLOSELY ON THIS POINT, AND MU'ALLIM WAS VERY CLEAR. HOWEVER,
YASIN'S DISJOINTED PRESENTATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL RELIEF
COMMUNITY IS TROUBLING, AND REFLECTS SARG DISARRY AS IT
SCRAMBLES TO DEAL WITH THE US-LED ATTACK ON IRAQ. GIVEN THE
LIMITED CAPABILITIES OF THE SYRIAN RED CRESCENT (DESPITE
SIGNIFICANT ASSISTANCE FROM THE IFRC) IT IS DIFFICULT TO
IMAGINE CAMPS BEING SET UP WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT NGO
INVOLVEMENT. END COMMENT.


KATTOUF