BORDER INCIDENTS AND PKK PRESENCE IN DOHUK

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001040

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL PTER TU IZ
SUBJECT: BORDER INCIDENTS AND PKK PRESENCE IN DOHUK
PROVINCE, IRAQI KURDISTAN

Classified By: Regional Coordinator James Yellin for reasons reasons 1.
4 (b) and (d).

This is a Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) Cable.


1. (C) SUMMARY: Incidents along the Dohuk-Turkish border in
the Iraqi Kurdistan Region average two to three per month.
Local officials claim there are 750 Turkish forces
permanently living inside Dohuk Province just inside the
border of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. They also note there
are 700-800 PKK members along the Dohuk-Turkish border. END
SUMMARY.

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BACKGROUND
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2. (C) Dohuk Province has approximately 920,000 inhabitants.
It is controlled politically by the Kurdistan Democratic
Party. Border security is provided by a combination of Iraqi
Border Guards (all Kurds) and Peshmerga. Iraqi Kurdish
security forces (Asayish) benefit from wide-spread loyalty of
villagers who are often the first to report at any hour
incidents and the smallest sign of unusual activity. Dohuk
Province has nearly 300 Km of borders with Turkey. The
Dohuk-Turkish border is an important trade area for fuel
imports. Transactions are cash-based due to a lack of
international banking system. As in other provinces of Iraqi
Kurdistan, private taxis are known to take thousands and even
millions of dollars across the border for clients. Turkey is
Iraqi,s largest import partner.

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BORDER INCIDENTS
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3. (C) On March 7, Regional Coordinator and RRT Off met with
General Salaam Faqi, Director of the Provincial Joint Control
Center ) Provincial Joint Communications Center, at the
offices of the Governor of Dohuk. General Faqi said about
750 Turkish soldiers remain permanently on nine sites in
Dohuk Province just inside the border with the Iraqi
Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He told RRT Offs about mortar and
artillery incidents perpetrated by the Turkish forces along
the Dohuk-Turkish border since 2006. Four border incidents
have occurred to date in 2007, including either mortar or
artillery fire, though none have resulted in casualties.
Most recently, on February 28, 2007 north of Nazdur (Yezdor
and other spellings),a village was bombarded (i.e. incident)
by Turkish forces. In 2006, a total of 36 incidents occurred
along the Dohuk-Turkish border area, in which three people
were killed and eleven were injured as a result of the
bombardments.

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PKK - Kurdistan Workers Party
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4. (C) General Saleem Faqi told RRT Offs there are no PKK
offices in Dohuk Province. RRT Offs also met with Said
Shangali, Director of Security for Dohuk Province who also
claimed that there are no PKK offices operating in Dohuk
Province. More broadly, Shangali asserted noted there is no
terrorist activity in Dohuk Province from Alsar Al Sunna or
Al Qaeda clandestine cells.


5. (C) Later that day, RRT Offs met with Peshmerga Division
leader General Sheik Ali who stated that there are 700-800
PKK members along the Dohuk-Turkish border. They live
together in groups of 40-50 members. Before 2003 the PKK
smuggled weapons across the border, but the establishment of
efficient checkpoints has ended this, he claimed.

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COMMENT
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6. (C) The presence of PKK on the border reflects a lack of
will by the Kurdistan Regional Government to take military
action against the PKK.


7. (C) Local officials told RRT Offs they believe that a
terrorist threat is not originating in Dohuk Province but
coming from Mosul, 60 kilometers and four checkpoints away.
Local officials underscored that they have responded
effectively with security forces to counter the threat of
terrorists entering Dohuk from Mosul. The implied message was
that they are putting their assets where they are needed
most. Local officials emphasized the origin of the threat and
their responsiveness.
KHALILZAD