USEB 34: FM ZEBARI HERALDS NEW ERA FOR IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000057

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/14
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: USEB 34: FM ZEBARI HERALDS NEW ERA FOR IRAQ

CLASSIFIED BY AMB. JOHN D. NEGROPONTE FOR 1.4 (B) AND (D).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) IRAQI FOREIGN MINISTER ZEBARI TOLD THE AMBASSADOR JULY 4
THAT THE NEW INTERIM IRAQI GOVERNMENT (IIG) MUST DEMONSTRATE ITS
INDEPENDENCE AND SHOW THE IRAQI PEOPLE THAT THE TRANSFER OF
POWER WAS GENUINE. HE HOPED DISBURSEMENT OF U.S. SUPPLEMENTAL
FUNDS WOULD BE ACCELERATED AND SAID THAT STABILITY AND SECURITY
HAD IMPROVED IN AREAS WHERE SUPPLEMENTAL MONEY HAD ALREADY BEEN
SPENT. ZEBARI WAS PLEASED WITH HIS TRIP TO THE NATO SUMMIT IN
ISTANBUL AND WELCOMED THE FINAL OUTCOME. HE TOLD THE AMBASSADOR
THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAQ AND ITS NEIGHBORS WERE DIFFICULT,
AND SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED THE RELATIONSHIP WITH SYRIA AS
PROBLEMATIC. REGARDING ELECTIONS, ZEBARI ARGUED PROPORTIONAL
REPRESENTATION WOULD BE QTHE SAVIORQ FOR IRAQ WHILE A WINNER-
TAKE-ALL SYSTEM WOULD SOW THE SEEDS FOR CIVIL WAR. END SUMMARY.

TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY
--------------


2. (C) AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE MET JULY 4 WITH FOREIGN MINISTER
ZEBARI AS AN INITIAL COURTESY CALL. ZEBARI WAS POSITIVE ABOUT
THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND AND JOKED WITH THE AMBASSADOR THAT
IF HE BELIEVED ONLY THE MEDIAQS INTERPRETATION OF THE STATE OF
AFFAIRS, HE WOULD TRY TO QSEEK POLITICAL ASYLUMQ ABROAD. THE
MINISTER UNDERLINED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVING TO THE IRAQI
PEOPLE THAT THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY WAS GENUINE AND
CREDIBLE. HE ASSURED THE AMBASSADOR THAT IRAQ AND THE UNITED
STATES WERE QON THE SAME TEAMQ BUT SAID THE IIG WOULD NEED TO
SHOW ITS INDEPENDENCE.


3. (C) SADDAM HUSSEINQS ARRAIGNMENT WAS A SUCCESSFUL
DEMONSTRATION OF LEADERSHIP BY THE IIG, ACCORDING TO ZEBARI. HE
SAID THAT ALTHOUGH SOME COLLEAGUES HAD RESERVATIONS THAT SADDAM
WOULD USE THE OCCASION TO HIS ADVANTAGE, ZEBARI WAS CONVINCED
THE HEARING HUMILIATED SADDAM AND "SENT THE RIGHT MESSAGE" TO
THE IRAQI PUBLIC.


4. (C) REGARDING THE MEDIA, THE MINISTER SAID THE IIG WOULD
NEED TO MANAGE "ITS MESSAGE" AND PUSH MORE OFFICIALS FORWARD TO
SPEAK WITH THE PRESS. ZEBARI SAID THAT IT WAS PREDOMINANTLY CPA
OFFICIALS WHO INTERFACED WITH THE MEDIA FOR THE PAST YEAR. THE
AMBASSADOR AGREED WITH ZEBARI AND NOTED THAT HE HAD NOT ONCE
SPOKEN TO THE PRESS IN THE PAST FIVE DAYS. THE AMBASSADOR
EMPHASIZED THAT THE USG WANTED TO TAKE A LOWER PROFILE AND
SUPPORT THE NEW IRAQI GOVERNMENT HOWEVER POSSIBLE. THE
AMBASSADOR OFFERED TRAINING FOR IRAQI PRESS OFFICERS. ZEBARI
WELCOMED THE OFFER.


5. (C) ZEBARI TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HE WAS "PUTTING THE
FINAL TOUCHES" ON HIS LIST OF 47 CHIEFS OF MISSION TO BE SENT
ABROAD, INCLUDING TO WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK. HE SAID THE LIST
WOULD BE FINALIZED WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS.


U.S. ASSISTANCE
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6. (C) ZEBARI EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE SLOW PACE OF U.S.
SUPPLEMENTAL FUND DISBURSEMENTS. HE URGED THE AMBASSADOR TO
QUICKEN THE PACE AND NOTED THAT IN AREAS WHERE THE USG HAD BEGUN
PROJECTS, LIKE IN TIKRIT, THE SECURITY SITUATION HAD SHOWN
MARKED IMPROVEMENT. THE AMBASSADOR TOLD ZEBARI THAT A LARGER
PERCENTAGE OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL HAD ACTUALLY BEEN COMMITTED THAN
THE MEDIA PORTRAYED, BUT HE AGREED WITH ZEBARI THAT FUNDS NEEDED
TO FLOW AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.


INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE
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7. (C) ZEBARI TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT HIS TRIP TO ISTANBUL FOR
THE NATO SUMMIT WAS A SUCCESS. HE WAS PLEASED WITH HIS
OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET OTHER FOREIGN AND DEFENSE MINISTERS TO
CONVEY THE MESSAGE THAT IRAQ NEEDED SUPPORT, SPECIFICALLY
TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT. THE FRENCH DELEGATION HAD QUESTIONED
ZEBARI AS TO HOW GENUINE AND REPRESENTATIONAL THE POLITICAL
PROCESS IN IRAQ WAS. THE MINISTER TOLD THE AMBASSADOR HE
WELCOMED THE FRENCH QUESTIONS AS IT GAVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO
EXPLAIN THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE COUNTRY. [NOTE: THE FRENCH
CHARGE IN BAGHDAD HAS YET TO SUBMIT HIS CREDENTIALS. HOWEVER,
THE CHARGE ENCOURAGED ZEBARI TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE FRENCH
FOREIGN MINISTER REQUESTING THAT DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS BE RE-
ESTABLISHED. HE SAID THE FRENCH SIDE WOULD RESPOND QUICKLY IN
THE AFFIRMATIVE. END NOTE.]


8. (C) ZEBARI HAD TRAVELED TO ISTANBUL ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE
NATO SUMMIT FOR AN ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCES (OIC)
MEETING. HE ALSO VIEWED THIS MEETING AS A SUCCESS AND WAS
PLEASED WITH THE OIC FINAL RESOLUTION, WHICH SUPPORTED THE IIG
AND UNSCR 1546. DURING THE OIC MINISTERIAL, SRSG BRAHIMI SAID
THE MEETING WAS GOOD AND HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE NEXT SUCH
GATHERING, WHICH EGYPT PLANNED TO HOST IN LATE JULY.


9. (C) THE MINISTER CHARACTERIZED RELATIONS BETWEEN IRAQ AND
ITS NEIGHBORS AS DIFFICULT. ZEBARI SPECIFICALLY RAISED THE
ISSUE OF FOREIGN FIGHTERS ENTERING IRAQ FROM SYRIA AND IRAN. HE
WOULD NOT ACCUSE EITHER GOVERNMENT OF AN OFFICIAL POLICY TO SEND
FOREIGN FIGHTERS, BUT ZEBARI TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT BOTH
DAMASCUS AND TEHRAN COULD CERTAINLY DO MORE TO STOP IT.


10. (C) WHENEVER ZEBARI RAISED THE ISSUE WITH HIS SYRIAN
INTERLOCUTORS, THEY WOULD ASK ZEBARI FOR EVIDENCE OF SYRIAN
INVOLVEMENT. THE MINISTER TOLD THE AMBASSADOR THAT EVIDENCE
EXISTED; SYRIAN MEDIA "AGITATED" THE SITUATION AND FOREIGN
FIGHTERS WITH SYRIAN IDENTIFICATION PAPERS HAD BEEN CAUGHT IN
IRAQ. FURTHERMORE, ZEBARI REPORTED THAT FORMER IRAQ BAQATH
PARTY MEMBERS AND INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS WERE IN SYRIA ORGANIZING
ACTIVITIES TO UNDERMINE THE IIG. ZEBARI SAID THE IIG WAS
EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF CLOSING THE BORDER WITH SYRIA, BUT
NOTED THE SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON IRAQ.


11. (C) ACCORDING TO ZEBARI, SAUDI ARABIA AND TO A LESSER
EXTENT EGYPT WERE SYMPATHETIC TO THE SYRIAN POSITION. ANOTHER
ARAB FOREIGN MINISTER HAD TOLD ZEBARI THAT IRAQI FREEDOM
QTERRIFIEDQ SYRIA, IRAN, AND OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION.

ELECTIONS
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12. (C) THE AMBASSADOR TOLD ZEBARI THAT UN OFFICIALS PLANNED TO
RETURN TO IRAQ SHORTLY, BOTH TO HELP WITH THE NATIONAL
CONFERENCE AND TO WORK ON ELECTION PREPARATIONS. REGARDING
ELECTIONS, ZEBARI ARGUED THAT PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION WAS
QTHE ONLY SAVIORQ FOR IRAQ. PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION WOULD
LEAD TO NATIONAL RECONCILIATION AND QVERY LIVELYQ ALLIANCES
BETWEEN ETHNIC AND SECTARIAN GROUPS. ZEBARI CONTINUED THAT A
WINNER-TAKE-ALL SYSTEM WOULD LEAD TO LARGE POLITICAL BLOCS
FORMING AND POSSIBLE CIVIL WAR. HE SAID THAT IF THE SHIQA WON
AN OUTRIGHT MAJORITY THROUGH PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Q "SO
BE IT." THE AMBASSADOR SAID THAT SOME PEOPLE HAD EXPRESSED
FEARS THAT PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION WOULD LEAD TO ISLAMIC
EXTREMIST DOMINATION. ZEBARI DISCOUNTED THOSE FEARS.


13. (C) THE AMBASSADOR THANKED ZEBARI FOR SHARING HIS THOUGHTS
ON ELECTIONS, AND AGREED THAT WHEN IRAQ DRAFTED ITS
CONSTITUTION, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR THE ALL VOICES, EVEN
THOSE OF SMALL MINORITIES, TO BE HEARD. A SYSTEM OF
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION SHOULD ALLOW FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.


NEGROPONTE