NEW WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ -- MAURITANIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L NOUAKCHOTT 000407 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, PM/RSAT, NEA AND AF/W ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR USAU E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR MASS MOPS PTER IZ MR SUBJECT: NEW WAY FORWARD ON IRAQ -- MAURITANIA REF: STATE 55436 Classified By: CDA Steven Koutsis for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Mauritania lacks the capability to provide military contribution to the Coalition at this time. Mauritania has a small contingent n the AMIS peacekeeping forces in Sudan (a 20-memer liaison unit). We have proposed that Mauritani join the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISM),but have yet to receeive a response. The gretest stumbling block to participation in any muli-national force is that the capabilities of the auritanian military are low. We hope to bring te African Contingency Operato*s" Praining and Asistance (ACOTA) to Mauritan*a t s"i(t w"t Q professionalizing its military. Ho*e e ,(t i( is a longer term proposal. ¶2. (C) The new democratically elected government has only now begun its work. We note that in his inaugural speech on April 19, President Abdallahi promised to strengthen Mauritania's role in multilateral fora, including the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. We should encourage Mauritania to use the moral weight of its own recent history to call for international coopertion for a peaceful, democratic solution in Iraq ¶3. (C) Post will continue to encourage Mauritaia to open a mission in Baghdad. The two countres have agreed in principle to exchange ambassadrs, and there has been progress on the Iraqi side The Iraqi mission in Nouakchott has re-opened,with two temporary duty staff preparing for the rrival of an ambassador and permanent staff. Chare d'affaires and Consul Hayder Tariq Abdul Satta and Attache Omar Saad Shakir told Charge April 2 that the nomination of an ambassador to Mauritaia is being held up because of political wranglig in Baghdad. ¶4. (C) Wh(ile we have not been tol directly, Mauritanian reticence on opening its ission in Baghdad is most likely because of the scurity environment in the Iraqi capital. However if conditions permitted and the Mauritanians did establish a presence in BQaghdad, we could then bul(d on such cooperation. Mauritania has already eeen cooperating with the U.S. in intelligence sharing on Mauritanian foreign fighters in Iraq. Wec"ould certainly look at expanding on such civilinn cooperation in the future. Koutsis