TALABANI GIVES READOUT OF SYRIA VISIT, PASSES

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000229

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ IR SY
SUBJECT: TALABANI GIVES READOUT OF SYRIA VISIT, PASSES
MESSAGE FROM SULEIMANI


Classified By: Ambassador Khalilzad per 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told the
Ambassador in a meeting on January 21 that Syria had agreed
to cooperate in improving the stability and security of Iraq,
but they needed improved trade relations as well.
The Syrians told Talabani they also wanted to improve
relations with the Shia and wanted to invite SCIRI leader
Abdel Aziz al-Hakim to Damascus. Talabani said the next
steps in their relationship included implementing the
agreement between their respective Ministries of Interior on
intelligence sharing and securing the border between the two
countries. He said IRGC-Quds Force Commander Qassem
Suleimani had flown to Damascus to give Talabani a message
for the Ambassador - that Iran is not targeting Americans and
is ready to cooperate. Talabani and the Ambassador also
discussed the way forward on the security dialogue with Iran
and Syria and pressing domestic issues. END SUMMARY.

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Trade Paramount for Syria
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2. (C) Talabani said his meetings with the Syrians were very
frank, and he claimed that they have opened a new chapter in
their relations. According to Talabani, he took a different
view than the Syrians on how to approach security and trade
issues. The Chief of Syrian military intelligence Asef
Shokat told Talabani he had orders to cooperate with Iraq,
but he said Iraq and Syria need to improve trade relations
and increased security cooperation will follow. He said once
trade is increased the Syrians will be more committed to
relations with Iraq. Talabani shared with the Syrians his
view that security needed to come before cooperation on
trade, oil, and all other issues.

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Syria Wants Improved Shia Relations
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3. (C) Talabani said Syria wants to improve its relationship
with the Shia. They want to invite SCIRI leader Abdel Aziz
al-Hakim and are willing to change their Shia policy. Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad told Talabani that former Prime
Minister Jafari never visited Syria when he was in power, but
now has visited. According to Talabani, Jafari told the
Syrians that the U.S. refused to let them come, and that PM
Maliki is now using the U.S. as an excuse not to visit them.
He also said the Syrians are against the Saudis funding Iraqi
opposition figures like Salih Mutlaq, Khalaf Ulayan, and
other groups and they also want to invite Barzani.

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MOI Agreement, Border Problem, Dialogue
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4. (C) Talabani said the next steps in Iraq's relationship
with Syria await changes in Syrian media. He said the Iraqi
and Syrian Ministries of Interior signed an agreement on
exchanging information on terrorists and other criminals.
The Syrians told Talabani that he should work on fixing the
de-Ba'athification process.


5. (C) Syria agreed to fight the border problem, but they
told Talabani that there are three sources that facilitate
border crossings that they must deal with: Islamist groups
inside Syria, people on the border such as tribes taking
money, and corrupt people within the Syrian government.


6. (C) Talabani told the Ambassador that Assad asked Talabani
to relay to the U.S. that his policy was the policy of his
father, Hafez al-Assad. He said Syria is ready to have a
dialogue with Israel and they are ready to come to Washington
if they get an invitation letter. Bashar said Syria is ready
to discuss all issues of concern with the U.S. -- including
Lebanon and Iran. He emphasized that Syria was an Arab
country, signaling Talabani's willingness to downgrade
relations with Iran in exchange for improved relations with
the U.S. Talabani saw this as an opportunity. Talabani
suggested holding a bilateral meeting between Syria and Iraq
on securing the border with the U.S. present as advisor to
Iraq.

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Other Atmospherics
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7. (C) Talabani had a meeting with Syrian parliamentarians.
He said the Iraqi delegation conducted themselves
appropriately except Salaam Jumaili, a member of the Iraqi

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Islamic Party, who said at a meeting with Syrian Ba'athists
that if he was Syrian he would go to Iraq to fight the U.S.


8. (C) The Syrians told Talabani that the Syrian street was
upset about the circumstances surrounding the execution of
Saddam. They said Maliki should not have gone on television
to sign the execution order (it looked like revenge) and it
should not have occurred on the Eid holiday.

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Suleimani Message
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9. (S) According to Talabani, IRGC Quds Force Commander
Qassem Suleimani visited him in Syria to pass a message for
the Ambassador. Suleimani told Talabani the U.S. and Iran
have common interests in Iraq and are both working for
success and security and against the terrorists; he said "I
swear on the grave of Khomeini I haven't authorized a bullet
against the U.S." He admitted to having hundreds of agents
in Iraq at his disposal but denied ever using them against
U.S. forces. He told Talabani he is ready to cooperate
directly or indirectly through the Iraqi authorities. He
said he wants the new Iraq strategy to be successful. He
admitted that the Iranians captured in Erbil were members of
Pastaran but denied that they were Quds Force. He also
admitted that they were targeting the British. Talabani
admonished him to stop attacking the Brits, and Suleimani
agreed to return to Iran to discuss it with Khamenei.


10. (S) Suleimani told Talabani that Iran is ready to have a
dialogue with the U.S. on Iraq security. He said they could
assist with Baghdad security, security in the south, and the
militias. He told Talabani they would try to stop the Jaysh
al-Mahdi militia, and support Prime Minister Maliki against
them. He said the dialogue could happen in one of three
ways: messages through Talabani, a bilateral meeting
(U.S.-Iran),or an Iraq-Iran bilateral with the
U.S. present in an advisory capacity. (Note: General Casey
and the Ambassador will cable to Washington a proposed
response strategy. End note.).

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Domestic Issues
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11. (C) The Ambassador urged Talabani to help reach agreement
on the Hydrocarbons law, the de-Ba'athification law and work
on a "virtual" moderate front. The Ambassador and Talabani
then discussed what sort of reconciliation plan would reduce
the violence in Iraq. Talabani said the South African
experience provides good lessons for Iraq.
KHALILZAD