UN/IRAQ: MAY 12 TRILATERAL ON UNAMI STAFF AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001007 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2016 TAGS: PREL UNSC PGOV IZ SUBJECT: UN/IRAQ: MAY 12 TRILATERAL ON UNAMI STAFF AND SECURITY REF: A) BAGHDAD 1491 B) COPENHAGEN 646 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor William J. Brencick, Reason s: 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary. In the May 12 UN-U.S.-UK trilateral meeting on UNAMI staff and security, UN interlocutors gave an update on UN staff numbers and details of constitutional and electoral assistance and the Peace Building Initiative. UN HQ has asked SRSG Qazi to flesh out plans for this initiative, and the SYG wants an updated security assessment before he would approve it. The UN expects Denmark to provide UNAMI a dedicated C-130 for six months beginning November 2006 and is also pursuing Turkish and Japanese aviation support. The guard unit has been deployed to Erbil, and the Department of Safety and Security will request the SYG approve a new total civilian ceiling 29 personnel plus 55 guards. No expansion in Basra is likely soon. DSS U/SYG Veness will be in Baghdad June 2-5. End Summary ¶2. (U) UNAMI Staffing: During the May 12 UN-U.S.-UK trilateral meeting on UNAMI staff and security, Department of Political Affairs (DPA) Iraq deskoff Darko Mocibob reported a total of 310 international UN staff in Iraq. The significant increase reflects the new guard unit to Erbil. There are 101 civilian staff, including 8 in Basra and 10 in Erbil, 188 in the Guard Unit, and 21 personal security detail (PSD) guards. ¶3. (C) Constitutional Assistance: Mocibob said the Office of Constitutional Support (OCS) is concentrating on two activities: preparing for a constitutional review process and continuing the multi-party dialogue. UNAMI gave the Iraqis and international community representatives in Baghdad non-papers on both the inherent technical problems with the current constitution and options for managing a constitutional review process. Mocibob said UNAMI expects that, assuming there is a constitutional review, a Constitutional Review Committee will not be in place before the end of the month at the earliest. UKUN expert offered his impression that Iraqis are leaning towards a constitutional review, but suggested that this effort will need to be balanced, given other competing responsibilities of the new government, and that a constitutional review process should perhaps be slower and smaller in scope than originally foreseen. ¶4. (U) Electoral Assistance: Electoral Assistance Division (EAD) Iraq desk officer Kamal Amakrame had returned from the recent "lessons learned" conference for the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI) in Cyprus. He said the conference's final report would be shared. He also noted that ten countries - but not the U.S. or UK - had attended the briefing for the Friends of Iraq during the conference. Amakrame reported that the IECI has been extended three months or until the adoption of a new electoral law, but had few details on the Council of Representatives' decision. ¶5. (C) Peace-Building Initiative: Mocibob said SRSG Qazi was in NY earlier in the week to discuss his proposed Peace-Building Initiative with UN HQ (ref A). The internal meetings concluded that additional information about the initiative and a revised security assessment would be needed before the SYG approves the initiative. Mocibob clarified that the initiative would take the South African model of a grassroots effort to tackle violence in Baghdad. Although essentially a bottom-up approach, the initiative would include approval from political leaders who would subscribe to an agreed code of conduct. The proposed structure would include local neighborhood committees, area committees, and a city-level committee, made up of prominent community leaders including Sadrists. However, Mocibob cautioned that Qazi's plan has inadequate detail, and the structure is still fluid. He emphasized that any process would be Iraqi-led, but with UN support. During his NY visit, Qazi also briefed S/I Jeffrey on his proposed initiative (septel). ¶6. (SBU) Aviation: Mocibob confirmed the likely Danish offer of a C-130 for UNAMI from November 2006 - April 2007 USUN NEW Y 00001007 002 OF 002 (ref B). He said the UN expects the Danish Parliament to approve this offer and confirmed our understanding that the offer would include a full package of personnel for ground support and up to 40 security personnel. The aircraft would be based in Amman. Mocibob said the possible Turkish provision of an aircraft remains a live option, and U/SYG Gambari met the previous week with the Turkish PR. Mocibob said the Turkish PR was relatively optimistic but without instructions. Mocibob said there was no final decision from Tokyo on an aircraft, and a decision will likely be delayed until June or July, since it will be taken in the context of comprehensive Japanese decision about the disposition of their forces in Iraq. ¶7. (C) Erbil: The SYG has approved a temporary increase in the Erbil staff ceiling from 12 to 17, and the 55-man guard unit is now in place. Vince Kennedy of the Department of Safety and Security (DSS) said U/SYG Veness would request a new ceiling of 29 plus the 55 guards. That 29 would include 9 substantive staff, 9 security and 11 admin. He specifically thanked the MNF for help with the deployment of the Guard Unit to Erbil and the simultaneous mid-year rotation of the Baghdad guard unit. ¶8. (C) Basra: Mocibob and Kennedy said the UN Liaison Detachment (UNLD) may move from the U.S/UK Compound to the Basra Palace Island site, which will be the permanent UN office in Basra. But the UN will not deploy a guard unit, establish a full UN office in Basra, or expand the staff ceiling anytime soon. ¶9. (C) Baghdad: Mocibob said UNAMI wants to move from the Rasheed to the Tamimi Compound as soon as possible, but probably will not move until October. Kennedy said the Fijian guard unit would increase and replace the contractors currently at Tamimi. ¶10. (C) Veness Travel: DSS U/SYG Veness will be in Baghdad June 2-5. His trip will include other stops in the region, and he will be out of New York May 28-June 11. USUN expects to see Veness before he departs and expects that he will request MNF and AmEmbassy Baghdad assistance and senior-level meetings, as was the case during his February trip. BOLTON