ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET TO DISCUSS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 007047 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/12/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KPAL PHUM EG IS IZ MEPN ICRC SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET TO DISCUSS IRAQ, PALESTINE, TERRORISM REF: STATE 163365 (NOTAL) Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo September 8 to discuss Iraq, Palestine, terrorism, and other key topics ahead of the UN General Assembly and a possible Arab emergency summit. Responding to forceful Iraqi criticism, ministers agreed to a Saudi proposal to create a task force to energize Arab states to support the Iraqi government. Ministers welcomed Gaza disengagement (texts of key resolutions septel) but cautioned that much more remains to be done. Iraqi FM Zebari told the Ambassador afterwards that, he had worked hard to convince the ministers that the Iraqi regime would overcome current difficulties, that it was not as weak as Arabs believed ("or hoped"),and that the GOI had no intentions of erasing its Arab identity. The ministers reportedly adopted a resolution on the Magen David Adom issue which instructs Arab permreps to attend Swiss-hosted consultations September 12-13 but to reject further movement for the time being. In the absence of the Palestinian Foreign Minister, the group avoided a decision to renew the League's financial support to the Palestinian Authority. On terrorism, ministers called for an international conference and establishment of an anti-terrorism cooperation center but retained language referencing "resistance movements." The presence of Lebanese Prime Minister Seniora overshadowed debate on the issue of Syria, while topics such as Sudan, Somalia, Mauritania, and regional reform were only briefly addressed. End summary. -------------- Annual Meeting of Foreign Ministers in Cairo -------------- ¶2. (C) On September 8, foreign ministers from most of the Arab League's 22 member states met in Cairo for their annual ministerial meeting to discuss a variety of topics. The ministers met chiefly to prepare Heads of State for the UN General Assembly High Level Event and an Arab League "emergency summit." According to Sudan's Foreign Minister, the emergency summit will take place in November after Ramadan (approximately October 4-November 4),despite Egypt's wish to hold the already-delayed gathering in Egypt in early October. -------------- Iraq: FM Zebari Presses Arabs to do More -------------- ¶3. (C) During a five-hour, ministers-only meeting, FM Zebari called his counterparts to task for their collective failure to adequately support Iraq's political transformation. Zebari complained bitterly that the Arabs had not yet established adequate diplomatic representation, sent visitors, provided aid, protected borders, nor even offered condolences after the recent stampede that killed hundreds of Shia marchers in Baghdad. Arab interference in internal Iraqi negotiations to shape a new constitution was also high on the list of Zebari's reportedly blistering denunciation. Zebari reportedly heaped particular scorn on Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa for his divisive public SIPDIS positions on the constitution and his assistance to Iraq's Sunni rejectionists. During a private meeting with the Ambassador September 9, Zebari said that he had worked hard to convince ministers that Iraq's current regime would overcome its present difficulties, that it was not as weak as Arab states "hoped," and that the current regime did not intend to erase its Arab identity. Zebari warned his counterparts that their contributions (or lack thereof) to the GOI would be remembered far into the future. Singling out Egyptian FM Aboul Gheit as "helpful, yet constrained," Zebari complained of Egypt's "invisible (negative) influence" on regional public and private attitudes toward Iraq. He indicated interest in finding ways to repair Baghdad's damaged relations with Cairo. ¶4. (C) Assessing the effectiveness of his efforts at the League, Zebari believed he had swayed opinions and built diplomatic support for the GOI. After hearing Zebari's complaints, it was the Saudi FM who proposed creation of an Arab task force to mobilize support for the GOI in key areas. In the same vein, Zebari said the Jordanian Prime Minister and other Jordanian ministers would visit Baghdad soon as a sign of solidarity, and that the Saudis had promised to open an Embassy ("security permitting") in Baghdad. Zebari told the Ambassador that he had "quarreled" with his Syrian counterpart ("as usual") on SARG control of its border. The final League resolution on Iraq (text septel),according to Zebari, largely echoed previous such resolutions with the exception of the new task force. -------------- Aid to Palestinians a Source of Dispute -------------- ¶5. (C) Ministers welcomed Israel's disengagement from Gaza and part of the northern West Bank while focusing attention on remaining steps to permit a viable Gaza and a Palestinian state. Repeating their support for the Arab peace initiative (i.e., "the Beirut Declaration"),ministers called on the USG to lead the way in realizing President Bush's vision of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel. Nevertheless, Secretary General Moussa and others questioned Israeli intentions and called for a complete cessation of settlement construction in the West Bank and Jerusalem. On the issue of assistance to the Palestinian Authority, senior Arab League and other local contacts confirmed reports that Gulf members (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar) had sparred over the issue of financial support to the Palestinians, resulting in failure to adopt a perennial resolution on direct budgetary assistance to the PA. According to Jordanian Embassy colleagues, the absence of Palestinian FM al-Kidwah due to the assasination of his uncle Moussa ARAFAT the day before, led ministers to conclude that it would be best for heads of state to decide the matter. -------------- Magen David Adom Issue: "Time Not Right" -------------- ¶6. (C) According to a senior Arab League official, ministers adopted a resolution September 8 dealing with the issue of the Magen David Adom organization and the Third Protocol. In the resolution, ministers reportedly agreed to attend the Swiss-hosted consultations to be held in Geneva September 12-13 but to resist further progress for the time being. Repeating arguments that we have heard consistently from Egyptian and Arab League sources, permreps have reportedly been instructed to adopt the joint Arab League and Organization of Islamic Conferences position that states that "the time is not right" to pursue a diplomatic conference on the Third Protocol issue. -------------- -------------- Arab Call For Anti-Terror Conference, Cooperation Center -------------- -------------- ¶7. (C) Addressing terrorism as a separate agenda item during a foreign ministerial for the first time in League history, ministers agreed to a 9-part resolution (text septel) in which they called for the convening of an international anti-terrorism conference and the establishment of an international anti-terrorism cooperation center. The resolution contains an explicit denunciation of "all forms of terrorism regardless of motives and excuses." In the draft obtained by the Embassy, the resolution calls, however, for drafting a "comprehensive UN agreement on terrorism that included a clear definition of terrorism...that takes into account the difference between terrorism and the people's right to resist occupation and aggression." This language clearly falls far short of UN SYG Annan's proposed simple definition of terrorism which was recognized as forming a "basis for consensus" by Amre Moussa. Note: Jordanian Charge urged poloff to consider the resolution in a positive light, but not to put too much weight on its significance. Arab states will pursue their own interests and views on this subject in New York, he said, regardless of the ministerial resolution. Differences clearly exist on this topic that can only be worked out by delegations in NY, he added. End note. -------------- Syria, Lebanon: PM Seniora Addresses Group -------------- ¶8. (C) According to Embassy contacts, the Egyptians worked to keep the Syria-Lebanon dispute off of the agenda, in order not to give the Syrians a platform to complain or seek sympathy. The most notable portion of the ministerial on these topics was a speech by visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Seniora who sought support for the new Lebanon. Contacts present for the speech noted that Syrian Foreign Minister barely applauded at the conclusion despite a nearly unanimous conclusion that Seniora's speech had been quite good. Syrian FM al Shara'a departed immediately after the speech, reportedly, and did not return. -------------- Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan and Other Topics -------------- ¶9. (SBU) The subjects of Sudan, Somalia, and Mauritania were discussed only briefly by ministers during this meeting. Ministers decided to continue support for peace-building and reconciliation in Sudan and Somalia, but did not offer any new assistance, we understand. The Mauritanian Foreign Minister was welcomed by the other ministers and participated in the full day of meetings. During an address to the group, he reportedly explained the current status of the new regime, stating that elections would be held in two years. Arab reform also did not feature prominently in these discussions. ¶10. (U) Tripoli minimize considered. Visit Embassy Cairo's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/cairo You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. RICCIARDONE