IRAQI REFUGEE DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO THE SARG

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000132 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA/ELA NSC FOR MARCHESE CAIRO FOR DOETSCH AMMAN FOR KANESHIRO E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/10/2016 TAGS: PHUM PREF ASEC SY IZ JO SUBJECT: IRAQI REFUGEE DEMARCHE DELIVERED TO THE SARG REF: STATE 17155 Classified By: CDA Michael H. Corbin for reasons 1.5 b/d (C) On February 11, Charge delivered reftel points to SARG MFA director of protocol, Amir Smadi (the embassy MFA-designated interlocutor),underlining to Smadi the importance of responding positively on humanitarian grounds to the plight of Iraqi refugees. Smadi acknowledged the significance of the USG approach and promised to expeditiously communicate the points to his superiors in the MFA, but he gave no substantive reply to the demarche. Smadi did query the Charge on whether the US embassy would be prepared to handle the "huge" flow of Iraqi applicants that he anticipated would descend on the US embassy once word leaked out to the resident Iraqi community that the USG was expanding its resettlement program. The Charge requested the MFA assist in coordinating a security dialogue that would allow potential concerns to be identified and appropriately addressed. CORBIN