ARMENIAN IRAQ DEPLOYMENT ON TRACK

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 002662 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CACEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV PARM MARR IZ AM SUBJECT: ARMENIAN IRAQ DEPLOYMENT ON TRACK REF: A) YEREVAN 2517 B) YEREVAN 2648 Classified By: Amb. John M. Evans for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Minister of Defense Serzh Sargsian requested a one-on-one meeting with Ambassador Evans in order to discuss the next steps as the GOAM prepares to deploy a non-combat unit to Iraq. After the Ambassador emphasized the importance of approving the deployment without delay, the Minister assured the Ambassador that the National Assembly (NA) would consider the question during the second of two upcoming extraordinary sessions planned before the end of 2004, most likely on December 27. Noting that the Constitutional Court decision (ref b) had opened the way for NA authorization of the deployment, Sargsian said that although the agenda for the December 13 extraordinary session was already full, he would see to it that the issue was on the agenda for the remaining extraordinary session this year. Sargsian acknowledged that the Dashnaks (Armenian Revolutionary Faction),one of the governing coalition partners, would likely vote against deployment when the issue was presented to the NA, but assured the Ambassador that the governing coalition had sufficient votes to approve the deployment even without ARF support. ¶2. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. EVANS