KURDISH REACTION TO RAID ON IRANINA OFFICE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 000169

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2008
TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL PTER KPAO KMDR US IZ IR
SUBJECT: KURDISH REACTION TO RAID ON IRANINA OFFICE
OVERSHADOWS BUSH SPEECH

Classified By: REGIONAL COORDINATOR JAMES YELLIN
FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d).


1. (U) This is an Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Reconstruction
Team (RRT) cable.


2. (U) Summary: Kurdish press and government officials
reacted on January 12 to an early-morning security
operation by Coalition Forces in Erbil the previous day in
which five Iranians were taken for questioning.
Incorrectly describing the building at which the security
operation took place as an Iranian Consulate, Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani and
other KRG officials condemned the operation as a violation
of Kurdish sovereignty and called for the release of the
Iranians. Commentaries in Kurdish news and blog websites
accused the U.S. of bringing its conflict with Iran to the
Kurdistan Region, and expressed fear of an increase in
terrorist acts in the region.


3. (C) Privately officials of the Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP),the party of KRG President Massoud Barzani,
and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK),the party of
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, differed in their
assessment of the operation. KDP officials were more
concerned with what they said was a lack of coordination
between Coalition and Kurdish security forces, with some
officials saying if they had been told about the operation
they would have assisted in its execution. PUK officials,
on the other hand, have been actively cultivating a
relationship with Iran, and fear this operation signals a
broader U.S. effort against Iran in the Kurdistan Region
in light of the speech by President Bush on January 10.
End Summary.

Media Reaction: KRG Officials Condemn the Operation
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4. (U) At a time when President Bush's speech on the new
Iraq strategy was expected to make headlines, the press was
dominated on January 12 by news of an early morning
security operation by Coalition Forces in Erbil in which
five Iranians suspected of activities against Coalition
Forces and Iraqi citizens were taken for questioning.


5. (SBU) Kurdish newspapers and television carried an
official statement from the office of the KRG President,
Massoud Barzani, on January 12 that condemned "the American
action against the official consulate" of Iran as a
violation of Kurdish sovereignty. It said, "No military
action should be taken in the Kurdistan Region without
consultations with security authorities here." (Note: The
Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the office was
an Iranian "liaison office" that does not have full
consular status. End note.)


6. (U) The KRG Presidential Chief-of-Staff, Dr. Fouad
Hussain, described the work of the liaison office on
Kurdistan TV, saying it provides consular services and
helps Iranians in the region. He said that Iranian
officials had been "kidnapped" and called for their
release.

Media Reaction: U.S. Conflict with Iran Comes to
Kurdistan
-------------- --------------


7. (U) The newspapers "Khabat" (Kurdish) and "Attaakhi"
(Arabic),both run by the KDP, carried an editorial echoing
these statements and saying the U.S. should not bring its
conflict with Iran to Kurdistan: "The Kurdish people don't
accept any political issue to be resolved on our land. The
issue is between Iran and America."


8. (U) Commentaries on independent Kurdish news and blog
web sites characterized the operation as an opening salvo
in Bush's new Iraq strategy which aims to limit the
influence of Iran in Iraq. The website "Kurdistan Press"
posted a commentary that defended the humanitarian nature
of the Iranian "consulate" in Erbil. The commentary
predicted that if the U.S. brings its conflict with Iran
to Kurdish soil it will also bring more terrorists to
Kurdistan.


9. (U) The Kurdish-nationalist website "Kurdistan Post"
carried a piece saying the U.S. was not only delivering a
message to Iran with this operation, but also to Kurdish
leaders. It said, "By raiding the consulate, America is
giving a very clear statement to Barzani and Talabani, You
are either with us or with the terrorists."

Private Reaction: KDP Disturbed by Lack of Coordination

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10. (S) KDP Officials publicly condemned the operation,
but in private were less concerned about the nature and
targets of the operation. No friends of the Iranians,
their chief complaint was the lack of coordination between
Coalition and local security forces, which they say
produced confusion that could have been avoided. KDP
Minister of Interior Karim Sinjari described to Regional
Coordinator a brief but tense standoff between Coalition
Forces and the Zerivan, an elite group of Kurdish special
security forces, just prior to the departure of Coalition
Forces from the area.


11. (S) Commenting on both the security operation and the
subsequent standoff, Sinjari said the situation was "very
bad." He continued, "We are your friends" and we could
have helped you if we knew what you were doing." KRG head
of Foreign Relations Falah Bakir said, "Such incidents can
inadvertently lead to bloodshed. If we had been asked to
help we would have provided help." He said the situation
was an embarrassment and an insult to the KRG.

Private Reaction: PUK Fears Damage to Relations with Iran
-------------- --------------


12. (C) Head of PUK Foreign Relations Hewa Jaff told RRT
PAO on January 11 that PUK officials are speculating this
operation signals the start of a broader U. S. effort
against Iran that could have negative consequences for PUK
relations with their Iranian neighbors. (Note: PUK
officials have been actively cultivating a relationship
with Iran. On January 10, for example, Iraqi President
Talabani--who as noted above is also the head of the PUK--
met with an Iranian delegation and among other things
concluded a deal to import from Iran to Sulaimaniyah
Province 1.2 million liters of critically needed fuel each
month this winter.)


13. (C) Jaff said PUK officials fear the U. S. wants to
"start the fight with Iran from here (Kurdistan)." He said
the PUK will need to protect their fuel deal with Iran by
distancing themselves from the operations.

Private Reaction: Proof That ISG Report "Is Dead"
-------------- --------------


14. (SBU) A number of local contacts say that Kurds are
shocked by this incident which disrupts the relative quiet
and sense of security enjoyed in the Kurdistan Region. In
their discussions over the operation, they echo sentiments
expressed by KRG officials in the media. Ordinary Kurds
are speculating that there could be a series of similar
operations that will place Kurdistan at the unwelcome
center of the U.S.-Iran conflict. They are calling for a
release of the Iranian "detainees" and an apology for
damage done to Kurdish pride.


15. (SBU) Some Kurds are expressing the view that this
operation, taken together with the speech by President Bush
on January 10, is a more positive signal that Bush will not
be held to the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group
Report in his new Iraq strategy. These Kurds say the
security operation carries out his promise to limit Iranian
destabilizing influence in Iraq and rejecting the call in
the report to enter into a dialog with the Iranians. These
Kurds welcome the action and hope Bush will reject other
elements of the report, such as the call for a delay in
implementing the referendum on the status of Kirkuk. One
Kurd commented, "This action shows that the Baker-Hamilton
Report is dead."

Full Text of Official KRG Statement on January 11
-------------- --------------


16. (U) Begin Text: The Presidency and the Kurdistan
Regional Government express their dismay and condemnation
of the American action against the official consulate of
the Islamic Republic of Iran in Erbil, capital of the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The consulate was opened by
agreement between the governments of Iraq and the Islamic
Republic of Iran, and enjoys immunity and protection
under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Unlike other parts of Iraq, the Kurdistan Region enjoys
safety, security, stability and the rule of law. The U.S.
action does not conform to the policy of attempting to
spread security and stability throughout all of Iraq. No
military action should be taken in the Kurdistan Region
without consultations with security authorities here.

The people of the Kurdistan Region protest against and

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reject this action which violates our internal sovereignty.
We do not accept that disputes with our neighboring
countries should be brought onto our soil. We call for the
immediate release of those arrested. End Text.
KHALILZAD