ARAB LEAGUE VISIT TO BAGHDAD: WAIT UNTIL MARCH FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000581 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2026 TAGS: PREL EG IZ SUBJECT: ARAB LEAGUE VISIT TO BAGHDAD: WAIT UNTIL MARCH FOR CONFERENCE DETAILS Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) Following three days of meetings with senior Iraqi officials, the Arab League (AL) delegation left with no set details for the AL-sponsored conference on Iraq. During a February 22 meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed al-Abbawi told PolOff that AL meetings with President Talabani, PM Jafari, SRSG Qazi, FM Zebari, KDP's Masrur Barzani and SCIRI's Abdul Aziz al-Hakim produced nothing. Al-Abbawi said that the conference is tentatively scheduled for some time in June but that all details will be finalized at the upcoming AL Summit in Khartoum in March. ¶2. (C) Control Officer for the visit, MFA Third Secretary Qusay al-Kubaysi told PolOff February 21, that for the most part, the purpose of the AL visit was to remind GOI officials of its determination to still hold a conference and to report back to SYG Amre Mousa about government formation progress. Al-Kubaysi said that PM Jafari insisted that the conference should not include outsiders and President Talabani reminded the delegation that the conference must be held after the formation of the new government. KHALILZAD