IRAQ: FIRST TWO DAYS OF AL MEETING MOSTLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 CAIRO 008785

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL IZ EG PROG
SUBJECT: IRAQ: FIRST TWO DAYS OF AL MEETING MOSTLY
POSITIVE; "TIMELINE" ON DRAFT AGENDA

REF: A. CAIRO 8704

B. CAIRO 8618

Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly.


1. (SBU) Summary and Introduction: The first two days of the
Arab League (AL) Iraq National Accord Preparatory Meeting has
gone as expected and mostly well. Speakers at the opening
plenary were generally supportive of a democratic, pluralist,
federal, united Iraq, with the exception of Muslim Ulema
Council,s (MUC) Harith al-Dari. A later closed session was
marred by a temporary walkout by the United Iraqi Alliance
(UIA) and Kurdish Alliance representatives. Working groups on
preparations for the Baghdad Conference, "confidence building
measures," and a meeting statement have or will report to a
plenary session November 21. While some Sunni and Sadrist
attendees have predictably advocated unhelpful language
("timeline," and "occupation") in the documents being
prepared, Kurdish contacts assure us that they and delegates
from the United Iraqi Alliance will prevent its adoption; UN
observers are confident that no unhelpful language will be
adopted. Moussa and the GOE have done all they promised.
The Egyptians have welcomed the Iraqi Government officials
warmly and Mubarak's remarks set the right tone. Moussa has
also used his position to push his ventures forward with due
respect for our redlines. End Summary.

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Opening Session
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2. (U) AL SYG Moussa, President Mubarak, President Talabani,
PM Ja,afari, Abdel Aziz Belkhadem (representing the
President of Algeria -- current AL Chair, Special
Representative of the UN Secretary General Ashraf Qazi,
SCIRI's Hammoudi and Harith al-Dari spoke during the opening
session on November 19, making predictable points to an
audience, which included members of the diplomatic community
and press. The session was choreographed so the ITG
representatives had all departed before Hammoudi and Al-Dari
spoke. Moussa set out the goals of a free, strong,
sovereign, peaceful, democratic, modernized and prosperous
Iraq, highlighting that inclusiveness and compromise are key.
He condemned acts of terrorism against mosques,
infrastructure, people of Iraq, and civilians. He emphasized
that the Arab and Islamic world must help Iraq, including
through economic assistance, as an Iraqi civil war would hurt
all Arabs and Muslims. Arab League members must work to help
Iraqis regain full control of their country and their
sovereignty.


3. (SBU) Mubarak emphasized that Iraq is a cornerstone of the
Arab world, and thus that Egypt, the AL and the international
community must continue to work to help Iraq. Iraq's
neighbors need to contribute to unity, accord, and
rebuilding. National accord would be a continuing process;
and the participation of all Iraqi communities is key to
solving Iraq's problems and to Iraq's sovereignty. Foreign
forces should be gradually withdrawn, he said. Iraqi leaders
must transcend community divisions. Mubarak left immediately
after his speech, (which miffed some Iraqis).


4. (U) Talabani highlighted that the meeting was intended not
for dialogue, but to entrench rules for dialogue. He said
the best way forward is to broaden political participation.
Iraq needs to build a multiparty democracy, and Iraq's
leaders need to take into account the interests of all parts
of Iraq. Violence and the destruction of infrastructure had
left the UN Security Council with no choice but to put Iraq
"under the military" (Note: We assume this is a reference to
UNSCR 1483. End note.),but this has caused confusion and
inhibited reconstruction. Thus, national accord is
necessary. Accord is not inevitable; it will take work to
overcome divisions, and Iraq's neighbors must refrain from
interfering. Accord needs to be based on democracy. The
process of reaching accord does not include those with blood
on their hands from the previous regime or terrorists, but
all other Iraqis. The aim is to end "foreign forces'"
presence in Iraq, but they are needed now. The Iraqi
government is concentrating on building up its security
forces. Iraq is a key part of the Arab community, he added,
and seeks peace with all nations, except those who are
hostile to it.


5. (U) Ja,afari drew heavily from the Quran to describe what
Iraqi unity should mean; it did not mean that all must agree
("unity of the minds"),but that all must have "unity of the
heart" and consult, compromise, and show respect for one
another. Ethnic and religious minorities must be respected
and included in the political process. All Arabs have
resisted actual occupations, and were right to do it; but the
situation in Iraq now is not an occupation. The current
government includes members of from all communities. The Arab
League initiative should have begun much earlier. Iraqis are
determined to maintain their unity, and everyone, including
the AL, should help Iraq, condemn terrorism, and respect
Iraq,s sovereignty, he said. Belkhadem spoke of the key
place Iraq had in the Arab world, the importance of
tolerance, and the need for the UN to take a larger role.


6. (U) Qazi, speaking in Arabic, read a statement by SYG
Annan which pledged continued UN support for Iraq after the
December election. Qazi went on to emphasize that human
rights is the foundation for national accord, and that Annan
had made clear that helping the political process is the
UN,s priority in Iraq.


7. (U) Hammoudi, introduced as representing Hakim, focused on
Iraq's constitution, and particularly the rights it laid out,
as a solid basis for Iraq,s future. Iraq's Islamic majority
must be respected, but so must religious minorities. Iraq,s
people, not thugs, now rule Iraq. "Full independence" is a
top priority for all Iraqis. Federalism will be protection
against return of the dictatorships of Iraq's past.
Terrorism is prolonging the difficulties of the Iraqi people,
and prolonging MNF-I,s presence. Bad policies by MNF-I have
contributed to insurgency, he said, but terrorists are trying
to kill all descendants of the Prophet and declare war on
Shia. All parties need to respect human rights. Iraqis have
been astonished by Arabs' silence on terrorist acts.

8 (U) Al-Dari said the time is ripe for Iraq to regain its
natural place as a leader in the Arab world. The AL
initiative is very important, and participants need to be
candid and transparent. It is useless to ignore that the
occupation continues, and the continued presence of the
"occupier" precludes reaching a resolution (a national
accord). The claim that the "occupiers" cannot leave until
Iraqi security forces (ISF) are more capable is a pretext.
One should not equate terrorism with Iraq's resistance. The
MUC condemns terrorism, including the terrorism of
occupation. The previous Iraqi army must be reconstituted,
and the UN should investigate human rights abuses by MNF-I
and ISF. Al-Dari called upon the people and Congress of the
U.S. to pressure the administration to withdraw MNF-I, but he
noted the withdrawal does not have to be immediate. The
Syrian FM crossed the room to embrace al-Dari immediately
after his speech.

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Second Session
--------------


9. (SBU) Delegates of the Iraqi political groups returned,
after a lunch hosted by Mubarak for most principals, to a
closed plenary session, which the AL secretariat, the AL
"contact group" and the UN observed. Contacts reported that
the discussion was lively and mostly civil. Al-Dari and
SCIRI's Sheik Jalal El-Din Ali Al-Sagheer reportedly had an
impassioned debate on the political process. UIA and Kurdish
alliance delegates walked out temporarily in response to a
statement by Minas Ibrahim al-Yousef of the Democratic
Christian Party (Note: Contacts tell us he was a member or
sympathizer of the Ba'ath party and is in an electoral
coalition in Ninewa province with National Dialogue Council's
Saleh Mutlak. End note.) Al-Yousef, claiming to speak for
the Chaldean patriarch, said the U.S. wrote the Iraqi
constitution and insulted the governing coalition. Saudi FM
Prince Saud al-Faisal brokered a deal to bring the UIA and
Kurds back into the proceedings which involved an Amre Moussa
promise to strike the remarks from the record and Christian
TNA member Unadim Kana denouncing al-Yosef's statement and
noting that al-Yosef spoke for no one but himself.

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Day Two
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10. (SBU) Working groups on the "confidence building
measures" and preparations for the Baghdad conference met and
reported to the plenary session on November 20. Contacts
report that the "confidence building measures" consist mostly
of statements of principles, but may also include initiatives
such as a broad-based group to investigate claims of
detainees/prisoners in Ministry of Interior custody. With an
eye to ensuring that government formation has concluded after
the December 15 election, delegates have reportedly agreed
that the Baghdad conference will take place in late February
or early March. Attendance will be open to all those who
support Iraqi democracy and unity, and reject terrorism. Some
Kurdish delegates advocated that attendees must also support
the Iraqi constitution; but after a two-hour debate, the
group rejected that proposal.


11. (SBU) UN and Iraqi contacts informed S/I and NEA/I TDY
officers that some participants want to include unhelpful
language, such as a "timeline for the presence of
multinational forces," references to an ongoing "occupation"
and language distinguishing between "terrorism" and
"resistance" that could be used to legitimize the Iraqi
violence against MNF-I forces. However, Kurdish contacts
assured officers that Kurdish and UIA delegates will not
allow such language to be adopted. UN officials, including
SRSG Qazi, also said they believe the document will not
contain unhelpful language and may refer to the "MNF-I
timeline as discussed in UNSCR 1637" (Note: We presume this
refers to the timeline for review. End note.). UN officials
also said the document may include a statement that
"terrorism cannot be justified in the name of 'resistance.'"
End note.)

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Day Three
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12. (SBU) A working group for drafting a meeting statement
and plenary will meet on November 21. Contacts expect the
proceedings to conclude in the early evening. Protocol for
the Arab League told Emboffs that the closing session is not
open to the public or diplomats.


13. (SBU) Comment: Several of our contacts have noted that
this setting has presented an opportunity for a dialogue
among representatives of Iraqi society who do not frequently
interact and has allowed them to express differing
perspectives calmly. SRSG Qazi also suggested that it has
been an opportunity to educate the Arab League Foreign
Ministers on the complexity of Iraq's diversity. To the
extent that it sets the stage for continued direct dialogue
among Iraqis of different persuasions and represents a step
towards greater Arab engagement with the Iraqi government and
society, it represents progress. It seems unclear to some
attendees how the Baghdad conference will relate to the Iraqi
government and future Council of Representatives. End
Comment.


RICCIARDONE