BAGHDAD PLO REPRESENTATIVE ON SITUATION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001325

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/IPA FOR JOHN WATERS
AMMAN FOR REFCOORDS KANESHIRO
CAIRO FOR REFCOORD CHEYNE
GENEVA FOR RMA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2016
TAGS: PREL OPDC PREF SMIG KPAL XF IS IZ
SUBJECT: BAGHDAD PLO REPRESENTATIVE ON SITUATION OF
PALESTINIANS IN IRAQ

REF: A. STATE 58655

B. BAGHDAD 1153 AND PREVIOUS

BAGHDAD 00001325 001.3 OF 002


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B)
AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: Pursuant to permission granted ref A,
Baghdad RefCoord met with PLO chief of mission Daleel
al-Qasoos on April 20 to discuss humanitarian
issues relating to Palestinians in Iraq. Qasoos said
that Palestinians in Iraq are fleeing towards the
Jordanian border because 1) they face security problems
in Iraq, 2) they do not think that MNF-I and ISF are
providing sufficient security for them, and 3) tough new
requirements for residence permits in Baghdad have been
imposed by the Baghdad Provincial Council (BPC). Septel
will address the BPC's new requirements. Qasoos
nonetheless praised the joint MNF-I and Iraqi Security
Forces (ISF) response to incidents directed against the
Palestinian community in Iraq since the bombing of the
Golden Mosque in Samarra, describing such response as
"perfect." (NOTE: Qasoos' remarks made clear that he
still considers himself to be Abu Mazen's representative.
Hamas was not mentioned at any time in the discussions.
END NOTE)

End Summary.


2. (C) Qasoos gave RefCoord a copy of a letter he had
received from the BPC which set up stringent new
requirements for residency permits for non-Iraqi Arabs
living in Baghdad (unofficial translation in para 6;
septel will address the BPC's new residency requirements.)
Qasoos said it would take "about a year"
for a Palestinian to satisfy these new requirements. He
did not know the period of validity for residence permits
issued based on completion of these requirements.


3. (C) Qasoos said he is in touch daily with the group
of Palestinians at the Iraq-Jordan border, who he said
now number approximately 180. (Note: This number tracks
with the report of the UNHCR April 17 cross-border
mission, which reported that of 181 Palestinians on the
border, 85 are children.) Qasoos said these people know
there is no chance that they will be admitted to Jordan,
but they have gone to that border anyway in hopes of
drawing international attention to their plight. He
identified three reasons why Palestinians are leaving
Baghdad:

1) They are afraid of being targeted (ref b).
2) They do not think that MNF-I and ISF are providing
sufficient security for them.
3) The new requirements for residence permits in Baghdad
are too onerous.


4. (C) When asked his opinion about where the group at
the border should be allowed to go, he said either "to
Palestine, their country" or they should return to Iraq
and be provided "full security." He said anywhere in
Palestine would be fine -- Gaza, the West Bank,
Jerusalem. He said he was prepared to go on TV and in
Abu Mazen's name call on Palestinians in Iraq to go to
Palestine. RefCoord asked him to refrain from doing so.


5. (C) Qasoos had no specific requests for actions that
MNF-I or ISF could take to improve security for
Palestinians in Iraq. He said that after the Samarra
bombing there was mass killing throughout the country and
it was not just the Palestinians who were targeted. He
had called for protection from American forces and gotten
it (ref b). He noted that since the Samarra bombing,
whenever the ISF has responded to an incident, they have been
accompanied by US forces. He characterized this joint
response as "perfect." RefCoord conveyed to Qasoos that
the Embassy is very concerned about the security and
humanitarian needs of the Palestinians in Iraq, and
encouraged him to inform the Embassy of any future
developments in these areas.

BAGHDAD 00001325 002.4 OF 002




6. (C) Begin Text BPC Letter

Begin text

The BPC held a meeting on Tuesday March 28th, 2006,
attended by the Governor, Director-General of
Immigration and Citizenship General Yaseen Al-Yaserri,
Provincial Council Chairman Mu'en Hameed, and Head of
the Central Information Office Brigadier Mahdi Al-Wa'eli.
The meeting was held to set up a mechanism of residency
to guide local councils when they are asked to issue
residence permits. Non-Iraqis should present a request
to the councils in their region showing their desire to
get residence permits. In order to get such permits, the
following documents should be presented:


1. A notarized copy of a rental contract

2. A letter approved by a police station in the presence
of two witnesses that proves the applicant is living in
this specific region, if the person was living in a
hotel or apartment or anywhere else

3. A copy of a valid passport

4. A copy of the paper showing the entrance visa to the
country

5. A copy of a letter from his/her employer approved by
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) and
notarized

6. An Iraqi citizen living in the same neighborhood as the
Palestinian should sign a guarantee approved by the
District Advisory Council (DAC) vouching for the
Palestinian

7. Two new photos.

8. The DACs can require additional documents.

9. The DACs shall prepare a file for each Palestinian
containing all of his/her documents.

10. A copy of these documents should be sent to the
Information Office.

11. The Information Office will issue an official letter
for the Palestinian and provide it to the Baghdad
Provincial Council (BPC).

12. The BPC will document this information and provide
the Palestinian a residence permit addressed to the
Residency Office and two other copies will be given to
the DAC.
KHALILZAD