NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEMANDS U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L CARACAS 000655 SIPDIS SIPDIS HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV VE IZ SUBJECT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY DEMANDS U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ REF: CARACAS 000424 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT DOWNES, REASON 1.4 (D) ¶1. (C) Summary. The National Assembly passed a March 20 resolution calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. and coalition troops from Iraq. This latest resolution comes on the heels of a February 22 resolution condemning U.S. "war preparations" against Iran (reftel). Having conceded to Chavez in January the power to legislate by decree over the next 18 months, the National Assembly appears to be rolling out anti-American foreign policy declarations with increasing frequency as one means of staying relevant. Moreover, as Chavez' proposal to forge a single pro-government United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) continues to expose internal divisions among Chavez' supporters, such resolutions provide convenient vehicles for exhibiting greater political cohesion. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The National Assembly (NA) unanimously passed a March 20 resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of the "invaders and assassins" from Iraq. The resolution was sponsored by NA Deputy Adel El Zabayar, a Ukrainian-trained economist and former communist and a founding member of Chavez' Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) party in the Amazonian state of Bolivar. El Zabayar is also the Executive Vice President of the National Federation of Venezuelan Arab Entities. During discussion of the resolution, the MVR Deputy proposed a minute of silence for the "650,000 murder victims" of (U.S.) imperial interventions in Afghanistan, Haiti, and Iraq (sic). He accused the USG of hiding the "real" statistics of American casualties and of engaging in an "extermination" bombing campaign in the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom (sic). ¶3. (U) The National Assembly subsequently sent the text of the National Assembly resolution to all the diplomatic missions in Caracas and posted it on its website. An informal translation of the text follows: Begin Text Considering: --- that four years have passed since the imperial and terrorist occupation of Iraqi territory; --- that in commemoration of this date, the peoples of the world have reacted with diverse forms of protest to express repudiation and indignation to reject this occupation; --- that the American empire with hegemonic goals maintains a policy of terror and threatens to world peace, converting the White House into a house of worldwide terror; --- unfortunately the reigning silence at the United Nations is a source of concern that demonstrates the accurate perspective of our President Hugo Chavez Frias in proposing reform of the United Nations; --- that the Bolviarian Republic of Venezuela and its glorious revolution makes its position of repudiation and rejection clear with respect to this and other occupations and violations of international law. Resolves to: --- join the nations of the world on this day that express solidarity with the heroic people of Iraq; --- demand the immediate withdrawal of the invaders and assassins from Iraqi territory; --- exhort the secretary-general of the United Nations to provide more support to the victims of this invasion, especially the refugees that now alarmingly totaling four million; --- propose the celebration of a global meeting to study and support the recuperation of peace in Iraq, and in other countries victimized by imperialist, terrorist interventions... End Text BROWNFIELD