IRAQI CHARGE SAYS SECURITY DIALOGUE WITH SYRIANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000563 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 TAGS: PGOV PREL SY SUBJECT: IRAQI CHARGE SAYS SECURITY DIALOGUE WITH SYRIANS BLOCKED REF: DAMASCUS 0541 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael Corbin, per 1.4 b,d. ¶1. (C) Summary: The Iraqi Charge d'Affaires in Syria, Hassan Abdul Aziz, told the Charge June 10 that dialogue with the Syrians on security was completely blocked for the moment over SARG unhappiness at the detention in Iraq of two Syrian soldiers taken into custody since February. Abdul Aziz also reported that the Iraqi government was organizing an internal meeting in Amman on the refugee issue for senior Iraqi diplomats serving in the neighboring countries. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Iraqi Charge d'Affaires in Syria, Hassan Sawedi Abdul Aziz, told the Charge June 10 that dialogue with the Syrians on security was temporarily -- but completely -- blocked because of SARG anger over the detention in Iraq of two Syrian soldiers taken into custody since February (reftel). Abdul Aziz reported that Syrian DFM Faisal Mikdad had made that blockage clear in a June 7 meeting at the MFA and indicated that there would be no movement until the issue was resolved. Abdul Aziz noted that the Iraqi Minister of Interior had talked by telephone with his Syrian counterpart "about a week ago" but that no resolution to the issue of the Syrian soldiers had been found. ¶3. (C) On a separate subject, Abdul Aziz told the Charge that the Iraqi embassies in countries neighboring Iraq were sending representatives to a GOI-organized meeting in Amman June 20-21 to discuss issues relating to Iraqi refugees. Iraqi Chiefs of Mission from Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and possibly others were expected to attend. When asked what kind of assistance his government was planning to offer the Syrians, in line with the Iraqi commitments made at Geneva, Abdul Aziz answered that he had received no information from the GOI, despite his repeated inquiries to the Iraqi MFA. ¶4. (C) Abdul Aziz noted that he expected number of Iraqis in Syria to swell by some 500,000 this summer, as Iraqis fled the heat and chaos after their children got out of school in early July. He made clear that a large proportion of these Iraqis would not be intending refugees, but would presumably return to Iraq in the fall. Nonetheless, he agreed with the Charge that such numbers could further raise alarm among Syrian officials and prompt a tightening of the rules under which Iraqis in Syria must operate to stay in a legal status. ¶5. (C) Charge pushed Abdul Aziz to see Syrian Red Crescent head Abdul Rahman Attar and explore possible ways for the Iraqi Embassy to work with Attar's organization and the American Embassy to assist Iraqi refugees during the summer. CORBIN