NEA A/S WELCH AND ARAB LEAGUE SYG DISCUSS GAZA,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 008704

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV EG IZ
SUBJECT: NEA A/S WELCH AND ARAB LEAGUE SYG DISCUSS GAZA,
IRAQ CONFERENCE, SYRIA

REF: CAIRO 8618 (AND PREVIOUS)

Classified by Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone for reasons
1.4(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: In a November 17 meeting with NEA
Assistant Secretary C. David Welch and the Ambassador, Arab
League Secretary General Amre Moussa expressed his
congratulations to the USG on brokering the Agreement on
Movement and Access (the "Agreement"). Moussa also provided
an update on planning for the November 19 Iraq preparatory
conference and shared his views on the potential for progress
in the Mehlis investigation. On Gaza, Moussa said the
agreement was significant, but the core issue of settlements
must be addressed to achieve real progress. On Iraq, Moussa
said he is confident that the "national accord" process the
League is pursuing via the prepcon can coexist with Iraq's
legitimate political process. He also noted that logistics
for the conference and attendees remain up in the air. On
Syria, Moussa said that he is confident that President Asad
will cooperate with Mehlis. End summary.

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The Agreement on Movement and Access
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2. (C) Moussa praised the USG for brokering the Agreement,
noting in particular the Secretary's personal efforts to make
the deal. But, he qualified, the Agreement does not address
the heart of the problem -- stopping the settlements.
According to Moussa, giving money, supporting Abu Mazen, and
making sure Gaza is not a prison are important U.S.
contributions, but improving the demographic nature of the
conflict requires a moratorium on settlements and agreement
on the wall. NEA A/S Welch underlined the significance of
the November 15 Agreement and the Administration's attention
to the settlements and barrier issues and larger objectives.
A/S Welch noted that (1) the USG hosted Abu Mazen in
Washington D.C. twice; (2) the Secretary has visited the
region four times; and (3) U.S. financial support for the
Palestinians is second highest (per capita) in the world
(second to Israel alone). A/S Welch pressed Moussa to give
Abu Mazen greater support and the U.S. greater credit for our
efforts and results.

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Iraq National Accord Prepcon
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3. (C) Moussa stressed to NEA A/S Welch and the Ambassador
that the national accord prepcon would "put Iraq on a track"
towards reconciliation. Noting that many conference
attendees have not spoken to each other for years, Moussa
said that giving them an opportunity to vent for three days
would be healthy. The League, Moussa explained, aims to show
all factions that it is time to be serious and that "this is
not a souk." He also said the League could have a calming
influence on the groups and persuade them that Shia/Sunni and
Arab/Persian divisions are particularly destructive. Moussa
observed that he believes the pivotal question for all the
Iraqi factions, especially the Shias is: "Who is the boss?"
He hoped that the prepcon dialogue could start to persuade
the Iranians that a stable Iraq is in their interest.


4. (C) As for prepcon logistics, Moussa reconfirmed his
previous report (reftel) that the prepcon agenda includes
discussing the date, time and place for the next national
accord conference as well as the agenda and mechanism for
selecting participants. He noted, however, that he would use
the prepcon to urge greater participation in the legitimate
political process. The opening session, he said, would be
huge and televised, at least in part. Moussa said that he,
President Mubarak, President Talabani, and PM Jafari would
all speak before the cameras. There may also be other
speakers during the opening, including possibly SCIRI head
Abdel Azziz al Hakim, Dr, Ayad al Allawi, and Muslim Ulema
Council head Harith al Dhari. The list of speakers for the
opening session is not/not yet final, Moussa underlined.


5. (C) NEA A/S Welch pressed Moussa to turn the cameras off
and dismiss all observers after speeches by the elected
government officials. It would not be useful, A/S Welch and
the Ambassador underlined, to put non-elected figures on par
with the head of government or head of state. Noting that
nations in the Arab world take their cue from the League, NEA
A/S Welch urged Moussa to lead to unify, and not to alienate,
the groups. The U.S. does not want the prepcon to be a forum
for public disputes, A/S Welch added. Moussa responded that
that even if some Sunni opposition figures do speak at the
opening, the majority of speakers would be Shia or other
government officials. Moussa also stressed the importance of
hearing all views and said that even Harith al Dhari, for
example, now favors gradual MNF-I withdrawal and has pledged
to be "constructive." The Ambassador again pressed Moussa
to limit public speakers to elected officials. But Moussa
made no firm commitment, and remarked that he is "still
playing with" the decision as to "when to turn off the
cameras" during the first session.

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Mehlis
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6. (C) Moussa told NEA A/S Welch and the Ambassador that he
is confident that President Asad will cooperate with Mehlis.
But, he said, the location of Mehlis questioning of Syrian
suspects is not important. Rather, Moussa said, everyone
should focus on getting the truth. Moussa said he heard that
Jebel al Sheikh (under the UN flag) is under consideration as
a possible questioning site. NEA A/S Welch said that the USG
wants only straight cooperation with Mehlis. Whatever venue
Mehlis wants is the key, he concluded, and Moussa agreed.


7. (U) A/S Welch did not have an opportunity to clear this
cable.


RICCIARDONE