IRAQ: ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL MOUSSA AWAITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 009469

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EG IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQ: ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL MOUSSA AWAITS
FINAL ELECTION RESULTS BEFORE MOVING FORWARD ON
RECONCILIATION CONFERENCE PLANS

REF: STATE 224071 (NOTAL)

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


1. (C) During a December 22 meeting with the Ambassador,
Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa sought a readout of
Iraq's recent Parliamentary election results, noting that his
information on electoral returns and efforts to form a new
government was limited. After the election results are
confirmed but even before the new GOI is formed, Moussa
envisions sending a delegation to Baghdad, led by former
Sudanese Foreign Minister Ismail, to work with Iraqis to plan
the "reconciliation conference" in late-February or
early-March. Moussa speculated that it may take until then
for a new Iraqi government to be formed. Regardless, he
added, the conference was necessary for Iraqis to overcome
instability in their country. The League will continue to
closely consult with the U.S., the UN, Iraq's neighbors, and
all Iraqi political forces, he promised.


2. (C) The Ambassador passed Moussa the Eid al-Adha
greetings of President Bush (reftel) which took positive note
of the AL's constructive role in the November Iraq
Conference. The Ambassador also called on Moussa to make
additional public statements of support once final election
results are public, if not before. It is important that
Moussa and the League publicly acknowledge Iraqi progress
toward completion of the political process spelled out in
UNSCR 1546. The more that Arab neighbors support Iraq to
stand up its security services and stabilize its government
and economy, the Ambassador noted, the quicker that Coalition
troop numbers can be drawn down. Responding, Moussa promised
continued Arab support to Iraq, and stressed the importance
of a new Iraqi government being as politically inclusive as
possible. Moussa queried USG views on Abdel Mahdi, someone
Moussa was personally impressed by and believed would make an
excellent Prime Minister. Asked about League plans to
establish a Baghdad office, Moussa said the security
situation continued to discourage his staff from volunteering
to serve there.

RICCIARDONE