TALABANI BRIEFS AMBASSADOR ON TOUR OF ARAB STATES

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003849

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PINS PINR IZ
SUBJECT: TALABANI BRIEFS AMBASSADOR ON TOUR OF ARAB STATES


Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on November 20 briefed
the Ambassador on his recent trip to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and
Kuwait, saying he received a warm welcome in each and made
some progress towards improved diplomatic and economic
relations. Turning to other issues du jour, Talabani pledged
to mediate between opposing parties on the Turkey-PKK crisis
and negotiations over the Strategic Partnership Declaration
(SPD). End Summary.

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Recap of Talabani,s Travels
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2. (C) The Saudi and Egyptian governments accorded
Talabani a warm reception, but their distrust of Prime
Minister Maliki surprised even the Iraqi President. Saudi
King Abdallah reportedly portrayed Maliki as hopelessly
sectarian and subservient to Iran. Talabani even reported
that a senior Egyptian official asked him to verify reports
that Maliki is Commander-in-Chief of the Jaysh al-Mahdi. In
reply, Talabani said his key message to these governments was
that Riyadh and Cairo need to reengage in Iraq because
mainstream Iraqi Sunnis had stopped fighting the US, Iraqi
Shia look to Najaf and not Qom, and Iranian influence in Iraq
should come as no surprise if the Arab neighbors refuse to
provide a counterbalance.


3. (C) Talabani was most sanguine about his visit to
Kuwait. Amir Sabah pledged to send Ambassador-designate
General Ali Mumin to Baghdad as soon as Iraq sends an
ambassador to Kuwait, and to open a consulate in Basrah. The
Amir expressed support for trade between the two countries,
leading to a friendship agreement, a $60 million pledge, and
a plan to send 35 Kuwaiti businessmen to Kurdistan and
afterwards to the rest of Iraq. Talabani also noted the
Amir,s hand is constrained by Kuwait,s increasingly
assertive National Assembly and its wariness about engaging
Iraq or moving forward on debt relief. Talabani cited these
as his reasons for addressing the Assembly and meeting with
Assembly Speaker Jasim al-Khorafi.

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Turkey-PKK Crisis/SPD
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4. (C) Turning to the Turkey-PKK crisis, Talabani claimed
relations between Ankara and Iraqi Kurds are improving,
noting positive statements about Iraqi Kurds by the head of
the Turkish opposition. Talabani predicted a larger Turkish
strike against the PKK, but said this was tolerable as long
as other Iraqis are not harmed. The Iraqi President also
expressed support for the Turkish government proposal to
establish a joint operations center to monitor the PKK
situation.


5. (C) On the Strategic Partnership Declaration, Talabani
said there was no reason for any major Iraqi leader to oppose
the text. The draft contains broad principles about which
all Iraqis could agree, and more contentious details could
wait for subsequent negotiations. On this principle,
Talabani asserted he would assuage Deputy President Tariq
al-Hashemi,s remaining concerns at that evening,s
Presidency Council meeting. (Note: Talabani may have
partially succeeded, as Hashemi the following day told the
Ambassador he would delegate negotiations over remaining
details to two advisors, despite some lingering objections to
the declaration.)
CROCKER