LETTER FROM KRG PM BARZANI TO AMBASSADOR EDELMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000397

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM KRG PM BARZANI TO AMBASSADOR EDELMAN

REF: A. BAGHDAD 297

B. AMB. EDELMAN-PETER THOMPSON EMAIL 1/24/05 (NOTAL)

Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Embassy Ankara concurs with Embassy Baghdad's advice
(ref a) that Ambassador Edelman should not respond to KRG PM
Nechirvan Barzani's letter. Ambassador said as much in ref
b. We do, however, recommend that Embassy Baghdad or REO
Kirkuk assure Barzani and other contacts that Ambassador
Edelman never told the Turkish press anything other than that
the rights of all those who were adversely affected by
efforts to change the demography in Saddam's time should be
addressed by a transparent, law-based restitution process as
called for under Article 58 of the TAL. Indeed, as early as
last spring Embassy Ankara called for accelerating the
process of establishing the Iraqi Property Claims Commission.


2. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN