PREVENTING TRAVEL TO POSSIBLE KONGRA-GEL

S E C R E T STATE 089155 E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/21/14 TAGS: PTER PREL PINS IZ TU EU SY JO SUBJECT: PREVENTING TRAVEL TO POSSIBLE KONGRA-GEL CONFERENCE IN IRAQ CLASSIFIED BY EUR DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY B. LYNN PASCOE, REASONS 1.4 (B) (D). ¶1. (S) THIS IS AN ACTION MESSAGE. ACTION ADDRESSEES ARE TO DRAW FROM THE POINTS IN PARA 2-4, AS APPROPRIATE, WITH HOST GOVERNMENTS AT THE HIGHEST APPROPRIATE LEVELS TO SEEK THEIR HELP IN PREVENTING A PARTY CONGRESS IN IRAQ BY KONGRA-GEL, THE TERRORIST SUCCESSOR TO THE PKK. THE U.S. WILL DO ALL IT CAN IN IRAQ TO PREVENT THE CONGRESS, REPORTEDLY PLANNED FOR APRIL 27, FROM TAKING PLACE. SOME OF THE DELEGATES TO THE REPORTED CONGRESS WILL COME FROM EUROPE AND NEIGHBORING STATES OR TRANSIT THESE NEIGHBORS. GIVEN THAT THE GREAT BULK OF KONGRA-GEL'S FUNDING COMES FROM EUROPE, IT IS REASONABLE TO SUSPECT THAT SOME OF THOSE WHO TRAVEL TO THE CONGRESS FROM EUROPE MAY BRING FUNDS FOR THE ORGANIZATION. WITH THE APRIL 3 DECISION BY THE EU COREPER TO EXTEND THE EU'S DESIGNATION OF THE PKK TO KADEK AND THE CURRENT ALIAS, KONGRA-GEL, ON ITS TERRORIST FINANCING LIST, WE HOPE THAT THE EU WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH BY PREVENTING THE TRAVEL OF MEMBERS OF THIS TERRORIST GROUP TO THE REPORTED CONGRESS. ¶2. (S) (FOR EU POSTS, AMMAN AND DAMASCUS) BEGIN POINTS: -- (FOR EU POSTS ONLY) WE COMMEND THE EU'S APRIL 3 DECISION TO EXTEND ITS TERRORIST DESIGNATION OF THE PKK TO KADEK AND THE PKK'S CURRENT ALIAS, KONGRA-GEL. -- WE HAVE INFORMATION THAT THE TURKISH TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, KONGRA-GEL, MAY ATTEMPT TO HOLD A PARTY CONGRESS IN IRAQ IN LATE APRIL, PERHAPS ON APRIL 27. -- REGARDLESS OF THE EXACT DATE, KONGRA-GEL HAS SPOKEN PUBLICLY OF THE IDEA OF HOLDING A CONGRESS. -- THE U.S. WILL DO ALL IT CAN TO PREVENT KONGRA-GEL FROM HOLDING SUCH A CONGRESS IN IRAQ, AS PART OF OUR LARGER EFFORT TO END TERRORIST HAVEN IN IRAQ. WE WILL NOT ALLOW TERRORISTS TO THREATEN THE REGION FROM IRAQ. ALL PARTIES REPRESENTED IN THE IRAQI GOVERNING COUNCIL CONSIDER KONGRA-GEL A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, AND THE SUCCESSOR TO THE PKK. -- IF PAST PRACTICE IS A GUIDE, SOME OF THE ORGANIZATION'S DELEGATES WILL COME FROM EUROPE OR FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, SUCH AS SYRIA AND IRAN. OTHERS MAY TRANSIT THESE NEIGHBORS, AS WELL AS JORDAN. -- WE THEREFORE ASK THAT YOU NOT ALLOW MEMBERS OF KONGRA- GEL TO TRAVEL FROM YOUR COUNTRY/TRANSIT YOUR COUNTRY ON THEIR WAY TO ATTEND SUCH A CONGRESS. -- (FOR EU POSTS) GIVEN THAT THE GREAT BULK OF KONGRA- GEL'S FUNDING COMES FROM EUROPE, IT IS REASONABLE TO SUSPECT THAT SOME OF THOSE WHO TRAVEL TO THE CONGRESS FROM EUROPE MAY TRY TO BRING FUNDS FOR THE ORGANIZATION WITH THEM. WE HOPE THAT PREVENTION OF THEIR TRAVEL WOULD COMPLEMENT YOUR PLACING OF TERRORIST FINANCING RESTRICTIONS ON KONGRA-GEL. END POINTS. ¶3. (S) (FOR ANKARA ONLY) PLEASE INFORM GOT OF OUR DEMARCHES AND SUGGEST THAT IT MAKE SIMILAR APPROACHES AND CONSIDER PROVIDING THE NAMES OF SPECIFIC KONGRA-GEL LEADERS KNOWN OR BELIEVED TO BE RESIDING IN EACH COUNTRY. DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF EVIDENCE ALREADY OBTAINED AND THE STATUS OF ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS, THE GOT MAY ALSO WISH TO MAKE SURE THAT HOST NATIONS ARE AWARE OF KONGRA- GEL MEMBERS FOR WHOM TURKEY HAS ISSUED INTERPOL RED NOTICES OR WHOM THE GOT MIGHT WANT DETAINED UNDER BILATERAL AGREEMENTS, IF THEY ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL. ¶4. (S) (FOR RIYADH AND KUWAIT ONLY) POSTS, AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION, MAY WISH TO DRAW ON THE POINTS IN PARA 2 TO BRIEF HOST GOVERNMENTS, WITH THE FOLLOWING INTRODUCTORY POINTS: -- PAST PRECEDENCE HAS NOT SHOWN THAT KONGRA-GEL MEMBERS TRANSIT YOUR COUNTRY INTO IRAQ. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE INCREASED EMPHASIS ON ELIMINATING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS FROM IRAQ, TO INCLUDE KONGRA-GEL, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY MAY ATTEMPT TRAVEL USING NEW ROUTES. -- WE ARE THUS PASSING YOU THIS INFORMATION AS PART OF REGIONAL EFFORTS TO MEET OUT SHARED COMMITMENT ON THE WAR AGAINST TERROR. ¶5. (U) CPA BAGHDAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. POWELL