Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD1945
2006-06-08 13:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY MOVES TO IZ FOR SECURITY
how-toVZCZCXRO2145 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #1945/01 1591306 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 081306Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4969 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001945
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG IZ
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY MOVES TO IZ FOR SECURITY
REF: BAGHDAD 1843
Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Margaret Scobey for Re
asons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001945
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG IZ
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY MOVES TO IZ FOR SECURITY
REF: BAGHDAD 1843
Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Margaret Scobey for Re
asons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Arab League (AL) Ambassador Mokhtar Lamani
moved out of his house in the MFA compound on June 6 for the
International Zone after reported security incidents. Lamani
said he continued to plan for the June 20-22 reconciliation
conference but conceded that no Arab Foreign Ministers had
yet committed to attend. He said the final announcement on
the date of the conference would be made during the visit of
AL Assistant Secretary General Ahmed Benhelli who was to
arrive in Baghdad on June 7. Lamani said he hoped to
convince three Arab Foreign Ministers to visit Baghdad soon
to show support for the new Iraqi government. End summary.
--------------
Lamani Flees to IZ for Security
--------------
2. (C) Arab League Ambassador Mokhtar Lamani told PolOff he
had moved out of his house and office on June 6 under
instructions from Cairo. Lamani met Poloff at the Rasheed
hotel where he said he intended to stay for the duration of
his assignment in Baghdad. Lamani said the abrupt move came
a day after two attempts to gain access to his compound by
armed men. The first group in two sedans arrived at 10 pm on
June 5 and claimed that they had a meeting with Lamani.
Later, a second group in two Toyota Land Cruisers sought
entrance, claiming that they had been sent by PM Maliki.
Both groups quickly left when Lamani's Peshmerga guards
refused them entry. Lamani said he had earlier been warned
by Cairo that Egyptian intelligence sources had learned he
was the number one target for Al Qaeda in Iraq. Lamani said
a large explosion near the MFA compound on June 6 convinced
the Arab League that he must immediately move to the safety
of the IZ.
--------------
Conference Plans and Date Still in Flux
--------------
3. (C) Lamani said he still hoped that the planned June 20-22
Reconciliation Conference in Baghdad would take place. He
told Poloff that the Arab League secretariat had instructed
him to change the June dates even before his May 31 visit to
Najaf (reftel) but that he was still hoping that the
conference could occur as scheduled. He conceded that no
Foreign Ministers had yet confirmed attendance and
acknowledged the scheduling conflict with the OIC ministerial
in Baku. He repeated that many Arab Foreign Ministers fear
coming to Baghdad for security reasons and would prefer
another venue for the conference. He described his June 1
visit to Erbil to visit Kurdish leaders as very successful -
KRG President Masud Barzani supported the conference but had
not committed to attending. Lamani charged that Iraqi MFA
Undersecretary for Administration Sa'ad al-Hayani, whom he
described as a Ba'thist, was causing trouble - pretending to
be supportive of the conference but hampering progress behind
the scenes.
4. (C) Lamani said an AL delegation headed by Assistant
Secretary General Ahmed Benhelli would arrive in Baghdad on
SIPDIS
June 7 and seek "guarantees" from the Iraqi Government before
making a final announcement on the dates of the
reconciliation conference. Lamani said that AL SG Amr Moussa
would contact the U.S. for similar guarantees that conference
participants will not be arrested during the conference.
5. (C) Lamani said the conference agenda and intended
outcomes are still in development. Lamani said he wanted a
conference result that included a comprehensive list of
problems and issues, a commitment from all of the parties to
work to resolve the issues, and a statement on the mechanism
for problem resolutions. He said he favored workshops rather
than general sessions as the means of focusing the work of
the delegates.
--------------
Meeting of Leaders' Sons Planned
--------------
6. (C) Lamani said his efforts to arrange a meeting between
Ayatollah SISTANI's son Mohammad Ridha and Harith al-Dhari's
son were progressing. Lamani said he was working to organize
a meeting outside of Iraq, perhaps in Cairo, and expected
that Masud Barzani's son would also participate.
--------------
Possible Visit of AL Ministers to Baghdad
BAGHDAD 00001945 002 OF 002
--------------
7. (C) Lamani said he was trying to organize a short visit to
Baghdad by three Arab Foreign Ministers to show support for
the new Iraqi government. He hoped that he could get Foreign
Ministers from North Africa, either Egypt or Jordan, and the
Gulf to visit Iraq.
KHALILZAD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM EG IZ
SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE ENVOY MOVES TO IZ FOR SECURITY
REF: BAGHDAD 1843
Classified By: Classified by Political Counselor Margaret Scobey for Re
asons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary: Arab League (AL) Ambassador Mokhtar Lamani
moved out of his house in the MFA compound on June 6 for the
International Zone after reported security incidents. Lamani
said he continued to plan for the June 20-22 reconciliation
conference but conceded that no Arab Foreign Ministers had
yet committed to attend. He said the final announcement on
the date of the conference would be made during the visit of
AL Assistant Secretary General Ahmed Benhelli who was to
arrive in Baghdad on June 7. Lamani said he hoped to
convince three Arab Foreign Ministers to visit Baghdad soon
to show support for the new Iraqi government. End summary.
--------------
Lamani Flees to IZ for Security
--------------
2. (C) Arab League Ambassador Mokhtar Lamani told PolOff he
had moved out of his house and office on June 6 under
instructions from Cairo. Lamani met Poloff at the Rasheed
hotel where he said he intended to stay for the duration of
his assignment in Baghdad. Lamani said the abrupt move came
a day after two attempts to gain access to his compound by
armed men. The first group in two sedans arrived at 10 pm on
June 5 and claimed that they had a meeting with Lamani.
Later, a second group in two Toyota Land Cruisers sought
entrance, claiming that they had been sent by PM Maliki.
Both groups quickly left when Lamani's Peshmerga guards
refused them entry. Lamani said he had earlier been warned
by Cairo that Egyptian intelligence sources had learned he
was the number one target for Al Qaeda in Iraq. Lamani said
a large explosion near the MFA compound on June 6 convinced
the Arab League that he must immediately move to the safety
of the IZ.
--------------
Conference Plans and Date Still in Flux
--------------
3. (C) Lamani said he still hoped that the planned June 20-22
Reconciliation Conference in Baghdad would take place. He
told Poloff that the Arab League secretariat had instructed
him to change the June dates even before his May 31 visit to
Najaf (reftel) but that he was still hoping that the
conference could occur as scheduled. He conceded that no
Foreign Ministers had yet confirmed attendance and
acknowledged the scheduling conflict with the OIC ministerial
in Baku. He repeated that many Arab Foreign Ministers fear
coming to Baghdad for security reasons and would prefer
another venue for the conference. He described his June 1
visit to Erbil to visit Kurdish leaders as very successful -
KRG President Masud Barzani supported the conference but had
not committed to attending. Lamani charged that Iraqi MFA
Undersecretary for Administration Sa'ad al-Hayani, whom he
described as a Ba'thist, was causing trouble - pretending to
be supportive of the conference but hampering progress behind
the scenes.
4. (C) Lamani said an AL delegation headed by Assistant
Secretary General Ahmed Benhelli would arrive in Baghdad on
SIPDIS
June 7 and seek "guarantees" from the Iraqi Government before
making a final announcement on the dates of the
reconciliation conference. Lamani said that AL SG Amr Moussa
would contact the U.S. for similar guarantees that conference
participants will not be arrested during the conference.
5. (C) Lamani said the conference agenda and intended
outcomes are still in development. Lamani said he wanted a
conference result that included a comprehensive list of
problems and issues, a commitment from all of the parties to
work to resolve the issues, and a statement on the mechanism
for problem resolutions. He said he favored workshops rather
than general sessions as the means of focusing the work of
the delegates.
--------------
Meeting of Leaders' Sons Planned
--------------
6. (C) Lamani said his efforts to arrange a meeting between
Ayatollah SISTANI's son Mohammad Ridha and Harith al-Dhari's
son were progressing. Lamani said he was working to organize
a meeting outside of Iraq, perhaps in Cairo, and expected
that Masud Barzani's son would also participate.
--------------
Possible Visit of AL Ministers to Baghdad
BAGHDAD 00001945 002 OF 002
--------------
7. (C) Lamani said he was trying to organize a short visit to
Baghdad by three Arab Foreign Ministers to show support for
the new Iraqi government. He hoped that he could get Foreign
Ministers from North Africa, either Egypt or Jordan, and the
Gulf to visit Iraq.
KHALILZAD