REORGANIZATION OF THE IRAQI MFA AND RECALL OF COM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001159

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/20/2013
TAGS: PREL IZ YE
SUBJECT: REORGANIZATION OF THE IRAQI MFA AND RECALL OF COM

REF: STATE 126507

Classified By: DCM ALAN MISENHEIMER FOR REASON 1.5 (D)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Summary. The Foreign Minister's Office Director
confirms that Iraq's former Ambassador left Sanaa before the
war, that the remaining diplomats are keeping a low profile,
and that the ROYG continues to protect the Embassy as
inviolable diplomatic premises. In these circumstances, he
believes it impractical to make promises about Iraqi
diplomatic files or consular seals. Also, two Yemeni
diplomats remained in Iraq throughout the war: they report no
major problems to date. End Summary

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No Iraqi Ambassador in Yemen
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2. (u) On May 20, Pol/Econ chief discussed the reorganization
of the Iraqi MFA with Marwan Noman, Office Director for
Foreign Minister Qirbi. He promised to convey to the Minister
the non-paper containing reftel talking points immediately,
in preparation for his subsequent meeting with Ambassador
Hull.


3. (C) Noman confirmed that Iraq's Ambassador to Yemen, Taha

Y. Al Basri, left Sanaa before the war began. The remaining
diplomats are keeping a low profile now, and the embassy
premises are guarded, as before, by ROYG soldiers. He did
not know if they had been contacted by the Iraqi MFA steering
committee headed by Ambassador Ahmed.

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But What About the Babies?
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4. (C) Noman agreed that it would be "most inappropriate"
for the remaining diplomats to exercise any diplomatic
authority. However, as a lawyer who specializes in
diplomatic law, he personally questioned the need to suspend
consular functions, especially services to expatriate Iraqi
citizens. "If an Iraqi baby is born, or an Iraqi marries a
Yemeni, their papers must be endorsed by their Embassy. Who
else would do that? The American Embassy as the occupying
power?" He stressed again that his questions were personal
and hypothetical, but he hoped the impending United Nations
resolution on Iraq would clarify the responsibilities of the
occupying power.


5. (C) As for ensuring that the Iraqi staff do not remove
diplomatic files or consular seals, he speculated that they
had burned anything they wanted to well before the
Ambassador's departure. Since the Embassy chancery and
grounds remained inviolable diplomatic premises, the MFA can
not prevent future bonfires, or take an inventory of
sensitive diplomatic and consular material.

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The Foreign Minister Concurs
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6. (C) FM Qirbi reiterated the same line in a 5/22 meeting
with Ambassador Hull (other subjects reported septel). He
noted that an initial concern had been to protect the two
remaining Iraqi diplomats from possible attack by Iraqi
expats resident in Yemen. They remain under security
surveillance but no such attack has materialized. Qirbi
added that several Iraqi academics he knows intend to remain
in Yemen for some time, but eventually want to return to
Iraq.

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Yemeni Diplomats in Baghdad
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7. (U) Noman confirmed that two diplomats remain in Yemen's
Baghdad Embassy. The embassy is undamaged, and the diplomats
have reported by radio to Sanaa that they are well. Noman was
not aware of any contacts with ORHA.

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Comment
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8. (C) Comment: The Yemen Government is probably relieved
that the Iraqi Ambassador did not stick around to become an
embarrassment. While Noman claims "diplomatic inviolability"
cloaks the remaining Iraqi diplomats in the embassy, we
expect the ROYG is keeping a very good eye on their
activities. End Comment
HULL