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