A/S WELCH DISCUSSES MIDDLE EAST PEACE, IRAQ WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 006881

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016
TAGS: PRL PGOV PTER MORS UNSC EG IL LE IQ
SUBJECT: A/S WELCH DISCUSSES MIDDLE EAST PEACE, IRAQ WITH
ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL

Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: A/S Welch met with Arab League Secretary
General Amre Moussa on November 15 to discuss the Middle East
peace process and Iraq. On the Israeli-Palestinian
situation, Moussa encouraged reinvigorated U.S. leadership
and promoted the international conference; A/S Welch
responded that the important thing is to have both sides
talking again. Moussa defended Arab League statements on
lifting the financial embargo to the Palestinian territories,
saying it did not imply violating the international
mechanism. Moussa criticized the U.S. veto of the proposed
UNSCR condemning the Israeli attack on Beit Hanun; A/S Welch
pushed back, saying that a U.S. veto was actually desired by
the Arab group, or it would have been written differently.
On Iraq, Moussa warned against an immediate American
withdrawal or partition of the country, said the major
problem is lack of functioning institutions, and added that
it would be chaos if U.S. troops were withdrawn. A/S Welch
emphasized the importance of maintaining institutions of
democracy in Iraq, and encouraged more Arab support to help
resolve the sectarian issue. END SUMMARY.

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Reinvigorating Middle East Peace
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2. (C) Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa began the
November 15 meeting with A/S Welch by saying that the "time
has come for a change in American diplomacy in the Middle
East." He lamented the "peace process is dead," but there is
an opportunity to revive it through U.S. leadership. He
criticized the Quartet for "doing nothing," rather than
playing a "useful role." Moussa thought that an
international conference would be beneficial.


3. (C) A/S Welch affirmed US readiness to revive the process
but pushed back on an international conference. He responded
that both sides must come to the table, that there be
restored on-the-ground confidence in dialog, and that the
Israelis and the Palestinians be given political cover to
take action. He expressed US willingness to work with any
Palestinian government that meets Quartet principles, and
warned of an "evil Quartet" of Iran, Syria, Hamas, and
Hizballah that does not want the peace process to succeed.

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Breaking The Financial Embargo
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4. (C) When asked by A/S Welch, Moussa said that Arab League
statements about breaking the financial embargo to the
Palestinian territories do not imply automatic violation of
the international mechanism. In a vague linkage to
humanitarian conditions, he said that the Palestinian people
are facing starvation, and that this requires immediate
action. A/S Welch responded that the international mechanism
is working, albeit after a delay, and that European
assistance to Palestinians is actually higher now than before
the Hamas government came to power.

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U.S. Veto of UNSCR Condemning Israeli "Massacre"
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5. (C) Moussa criticized the U.S. for vetoing the Arab
League-sponsored UNSCR condemning the recent Israeli
"massacre" of Palestinians at Beit Hanun, saying it was
particularly bad for the U.S. image. A/S Welch replied the
Arab group actually wanted a U.S. veto on this resolution, or
otherwise would have either drafted one from which the US
could abstain or agreed to a Presidential statement. Moussa
critized the lack of U.S. participation in the resolution
drafting process, which he thought might have made for a more
palatable resolution. A Moussa aide suggested having regular
consultations on major issues, to avoid the kind of
"miscommunication" that led to the US veto in this case. A/S
Welch responded that he is open to communication at any time,
and singled out Darfur as an issue that might benefit from
regular consultations.

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Iraq
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6. (C) On Iraq, Moussa said that it was time to leave past
disagreements in the past, since now "we are all in the same
boat." He said that the Arab League does not want to see an
immediate American withdrawl from Iraq, nor a tripartite
partitioning of the country, which he described as a "recipe
for disaster." He also emphasized that Arabs need to know

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that the U.S. does not intend to hand the country over to the
Shi'a. Moussa described the main problem in the Iraq as a
lack of any functioning institutions, such as the army,
police, and judiciary, and that democracy will not solve the
problem.


7. (C) A/S Welch agreed that cooperation is essential, though
he emphasized the importance of maintaining the institutions
of democracy in Iraq. He said that there may be changes in
US thinking, but that there will not be a major shift in
policy. He encouraged more Arab support for solving the
sectarian issue, citing lengthy visits from Iranian officials
but none from Arab leaders, excluding Moussa himself. Moussa
said that he stands ready to visit Iraq again whenever it
might prove helpful.


8. (U) A/S Welch's party cleared this message.
RICCIARDONE