IRAQ: ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS APRIL 12

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 002228 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS ASEC PTER EG IZ SUBJECT: IRAQ: ARAB LEAGUE FOREIGN MINISTERS APRIL 12 MEETING IN CAIRO REF: CAIRO 2202 (NOTAL) Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amre Moussa provided the Ambassador April 12 with a brief read-out of that day's Iraq "Follow-Up Committee" ministerial meeting in Cairo. Despite Iraq's decision to boycott the meeting, nine Arab foreign ministers agreed on three main points, Moussa said. The AL mission, led by Moroccan diplomat Ambassador Mokhtar Lomani, will depart for Baghdad this Sunday, April ¶16. Second, ministers agreed that the AL-sponsored national accord conference would take place in Baghdad "no matter what." While the ministers expressed their preference that a new government is in place there soon, if that process dragged on until June or July, Moussa said, the AL would meet in Baghdad in any case - "to contribute to advancing the political process." Last, Moussa said the ministers called on neighboring states to "activate the consultative process," which they agreed privately could take place "anyplace but Iran." ¶2. (C) In addition to these points of agreement, Moussa noted that the group "took note" of the U.S.-Iran dialogue on Iraq, and expressed their view that any such dialogue should include the Arabs. Despite Iraq's absence from the ministerial, Moussa told the Ambassador that the meeting was technically "left open" to a future session, at which Iraq would be represented by its foreign minister. Moussa instructed his staff to share a communique from the meeting with the Embassy, a translation of which is found below. ¶3. (U) Text of AL Iraq Follow-Up Committee Communique of April 12, 2006: Begin Embassy Translation: The Ministerial Committee on Iraq held its meeting April 12, ¶2006. Following deliberations on the different developments and recent incidents regarding the situation in Iraq, and following consultations on regional and international current communications in this regard (i.e., the situation in Iraq), the Committee concluded the following: A - Expressed profound sadness for the absence of Iraq during this meeting, which was called for by the Arab Summit to be held urgently to help the Iraqi people, research ways of providing Arab support for the current political process, achieve Iraqi national unity, and preserve the Iraqi national interests. In this context the committee decided to keep the meeting open and continue intensive consultations and communications with the Iraqi government to overcome this situation and in the hope that Iraq would participate (later). B - Committed to preserving the belonging of Iraq to the Arab perimeter, which necessitates for Arab states to be in solidarity with the sister state of Iraq with all its ethnic and religious elements, and to work to ensure the unity and sovereignty of Iraq and its complete independence and rejecting interference in its internal affairs, and to respect the will of the Iraqi people and their choices in deciding their future, which was emphasized by the statements and communiques issued by the different national Iraqi leaders. C - Warned against acts of sectarian violence and practices that aim to entice sectarian strife, and call upon the different elements, political leaders, and religious leaders of the Iraqi people to stand up to acts of violence and terrorism and exercise self-restraint and not allow such acts to harm national unity, the social fabric, or security and stability. D - The Committee is to follow up closely the current consultations to expedite forming a national unity government and expressed great confidence in the ability of the Iraqi people to carry out its responsibilities to form a government that reflects its national ambitions. E - The committee welcomed the Iraqi Islamic Detente and Reconciliation Conference Jordan will host April 22, in coordination with the Iraqi government and the Arab League. F - Welcomed the follow-up by the Arab League on the implementation of the recommendations in the communique of the preperatory meeting of the Iraqi Detente Conference held in the General Secretariat November 19-20, 2005. Likewise, the Committee supports the League's efforts to hold the Comprehensive Iraqi Detente Conference in June, 2006 in Baghdad and any other necessary preparatory meetings to provide the suitable environment for the success of that CAIRO 00002228 002 OF 002 conference. G - Welcomed the procedures carried out by the General Secretariat, in coordination with the Iraqi government, to SIPDIS open an Arab League mission office in Baghdad before the end of this April. H - Emphasized the continuation of consultations with neighboring states and communicating with the different international and regional parties, especially the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conferences, to contribute to supporting the stability of Iraq and preserving its unity, independence, and Arab belonging. End of Embassy translation. RICCIARDONE