Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD918
2006-03-20 18:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

89 BAGHDAD PALESTINIANS FLEE TO JORDAN BORDER

Tags:  PREF KPAL PHUM PINS KCRS IZ PA JO 
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VZCZCXRO5698
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHGB #0918/01 0791805
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 201805Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3441
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0703
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0022
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000918 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2016
TAGS: PREF KPAL PHUM PINS KCRS IZ PA JO
SUBJECT: 89 BAGHDAD PALESTINIANS FLEE TO JORDAN BORDER

REF: A. A) 06 BAGHDAD 00785

B. B) 05 BAGHDAD 04232

C. C) 05 BAGHDAD 04657

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David M. Satterfield for reasons 1.4 (
B) and (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000918

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2016
TAGS: PREF KPAL PHUM PINS KCRS IZ PA JO
SUBJECT: 89 BAGHDAD PALESTINIANS FLEE TO JORDAN BORDER

REF: A. A) 06 BAGHDAD 00785

B. B) 05 BAGHDAD 04232

C. C) 05 BAGHDAD 04657

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires David M. Satterfield for reasons 1.4 (
B) and (D)


1. (C) Summary. According to representatives from the
Palestinian Human Rights Organization, 89 Palestinians,
including 42 children, left Baghdad by bus March 18 for the
Jordanian border hoping to gain entry to Jordan. They were
accompanied by two Christian Peacekeeping Team (CPT) members
whose group claims that the Palestinians orchestrated the
move themselves. The Palestinians did not obtain entry and
remain at the frontier, held up in a no man's land between
the Iraqi and Jordanian borders. Palestinian Human Rights
president Muhammed Abid Mutlak Mowsiq told us March 19 that
additional Palestinian families are awaiting the outcome of
this pilot flight before determining whether they will leave
Baghdad themselves. The 89 Palestinians passed through the
Iraqi border with expired Iraqi travel documents, making a
re-entry into Iraq extremely difficult. Although the
Palestinians indicated March 20 their determination not to
return to Iraq, we are urging GOI officials to allow re-entry
into Iraq should they alter their decision. The
Palestinians indicate that for the time-being they have a
short-term supply of food and water, but limited shelter.
This flight is a result of longstanding security concerns
within the Baghdad Palestinian community, heightened recently
by a series of grisly attacks against seven Palestinians.
End Summary.

--------------
PALESTINIANS FEARFUL OF FURTHER TARGETINGS
--------------


2. (C) Palestinian Human Rights president Muhammed Abid
Mutlak Mowsiq told PolFSN March 18 that multiple violent
attacks against Palestinians between March 10 and 17 had
reinforced the desire by many in the Palestinian community
(largely living in one expanded compound area in Baghdad's
Baladiat neighborhood) to leave Iraq. Although unable to
provide details, he claimed that at least seven individuals

were targeted simply because they were Palestinian. He
further explained that many were easy-to-target store owners.


3. (C) Christian Peacekeeping Team (CPT) representative Anita
Davis told PolOff March 18 that her organization had tracked
these and other Palestinian-related attacks closely. She
also said that seven Palestinians had been found dead over
the previous week. In one case, she said, the head of one
victim was severed and thrown into the Baladiat compound. In
a separate case, the corpse of a Palestinian arrested in
Baghdad allegedly by Iraqi security forces in January was
found in a Najaf morgue. Because of these grisly incidents
and the attacks following the Samarra bombing February 22,
Davis said, the Palestinians' sense of security had been
shaken even further.

-------------- --------------
PALESTINIANS WANT TO LEAVE; JORDAN WILL NOT ALLOW ENTRY
-------------- --------------


4. (C) In a March 18 phone conversation, Palestinian Human
Rights Association Mowsiq told PolFSN that 89 Palestinians
had left Baghdad for the Jordanian border. He underlined
that the Palestinians themselves had arranged for the trip,
but had requested assistance from several organizations
before receiving a commitment from CPT to accompany the
group. CPT representative Anita Davis told PolOff March 18
and 19 that 2 CPT members had accompanied the 89
Palestinians, but that the 89 were not allowed entry into
Jordan.


5. (C) According to Embassy Amman, GOJ refused entry to the
Palestinians and indicated that they would stand firm on this
position. Embassy Amman has also indicated that GOJ was
displeased with the lack of coordination as well as with GOI
for allowing these Palestinians through. GOJ is reportedly
allowing UNHCR to assess the encampment and possibly provide
assistance to the 89 individuals.


6. (C) Mowsiq asserted March 19 to PolFSN that additional
Palestinian families were awaiting the outcome of the 89
individuals' plight before determining whether they
themselves would leave Baghdad. He could not give an
estimate of the numbers of those ready to leave immediately.

-------------- -

BAGHDAD 00000918 002 OF 002


PALESTINIANS SAY THEY WILL NOT GO BACK TO IRAQ
-------------- --


7. (C) In a March 20 telcon, one of the 89 Palestinians,
named Ehab (LNU),told PolFSN that the group was adamant that
they would not return to Iraq. All of the fleeing families,
he said, had received direct threats or been victims of
violence. They were, therefore, unwilling to return to Iraq.
He further noted that the travel documents of all the group,
except three women with Jordanian passports, had expired. He
asserted that, when the group crossed the Iraqi border, the
border control officials indicated that they would let the
group through, but the Iraqi authorities would not be able to
allow the group to return because of the expired status of
the documents.


8. (C) Ehab indicated that the group had enough food and
water for several days as well as blankets -- but lacked
adequate shelter. He mentioned that there were no immediate
health issues among the member of the group. He also stated
that the buses that had driven the group to the border had
already departed to Baghdad.

--------------
IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTRY: NEWS TO US
--------------


9. (C) Mission officers have spoken to MoI directors on
March 20 about this group and urged that the Palestinians be
allowed back into Iraq. The MoI officials were unaware of
the refugees' flight and indicated that they had to get
clarification. Mission is also in touch with U.S. Marine
elements in Anbar who are tracking this as well and has
alerted the Red Crescent, who are looking into providing
assistance.

--------------
COMMENT AND PROPOSED ACTION
--------------


10. (C) Although both CPT and the Palestinian Human Rights
Organization claim that this movement was orchestrated solely
by the Palestinians, we are wary of CPT's role. This
situation mirrors a similar CPT/Palestinian coordinated
effort to get to the borders of Syria(ref B). We do not yet
have a sense of the numbers of a possible mass exodus;
Palestinian Human Rights Organization president Mowsiq has
indicated the numbers could range anywhere from the hundreds
to the thousands. It would be hard, in any case, to move
hundreds or thousands quickly given the precarious security
situation in Baghdad and Anbar. We believe, and this has
been confirmed by Mowsiq, that if the 89 gain entry, many
others in Baghdad will follow. Post will urge the
Palestinian community here not to panic and create a crisis
on the Iraqi-Jordanian border. We will request that ISF aid
in the protection of the Palestinian community.


11. (C) PROPOSED ACTION: Post proposes that Consulate
Jerusalem urge the Palestinian Authority representatives to
use its good offices to stop further transport of
Palestinians to the border. Post further proposes that
Embassy Amman facilitate access of UNHCR personnel in efforts
to assist the Palestinians.
SATTERFIELD