NEA A/S WELCH DISCUSSES KOUCHNER VISIT TO IRAQ AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003577

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL FR IZ
SUBJECT: NEA A/S WELCH DISCUSSES KOUCHNER VISIT TO IRAQ AT
FRENCH MFA, AUGUST 21


Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt for reaso
ns 1.4. (b),(d)


1. (C) Summary: Visiting NEA A/S Welch used the beginning
of his August 21 meeting with the director of French FM
Kouchner's private office, Philippe Etienne, to ask about
Kouchner's then ongoing visit to Iraq (other subjects
reported separately). Etienne expressed pleasure at the
generally positive reaction in France to the visit,
notwithstanding some criticism, and believed Iraqis
understood Kouchner's basic message that France is concerned
about the situation in Iraq and prepared to reengage.
However, Etienne underscored that Kouchner's visit was
undertaken on his own initiative and in a way that made clear
it was entirely French. He noted that Kouchner had contacted
the Secretary prior to the visit to explain its objectives
and has reached out to EU counterparts to encourage them to
reassess their position on Iraq and reengage. Welch briefed
Etienne on our approach, emphasizing the need to reinforce
efforts to promote Iraqi national reconciliation with
regional efforts to secure support for the Iraqi government.
End summary


2. (C) During a meeting between visiting NEA A/S Welch and
FM Kouchner's private office director, Philippe Etienne,
Welch asked about Kouchner's then ongoing visit to Iraq.
Welch wanted to know in particular how the visit was going
and what had prompted Kouchner to undertake it. Etienne said
that the MFA was pleased with the visit, feeling that it was
generally depicted in positive terms despite some domestic
criticism in France. The harshest critic so far -- arguing
that the visit was a humiliating gesture by France to placate
the U.S. -- was Jean-Pierre Chevenement, the former defense
minister who resigned in 1991 over France's participation in
the Gulf War coalition. Most other opinion has been very
supportive of the visit. Still, the French public and media
are seeking to understand the visit, and Etienne cited as an
example Kouchner's exchange with a French radio interviewer
who had asked "has France's policy changed?" Kouchner's
response was that it was the situation in Iraq that was
changing, and the international community had to react
accordingly. Etienne confirmed that Kouchner timed his
arrival to occur exactly four years after the attack on UN
headquarters in Iraq that killed so many UN friends and
colleagues with whom he had worked in Kosovo. He had been
especially close to the UN director in Iraq at the time,
Sergio de Mello, who perished in the blast.


3. (C) According to Etienne, Kouchner believes Iraqis
understand his core message (that France cares about the
situation in Iraq, is willing to listen to all parties in the
context of the struggle to achieve national reconciliation,
and wants to turn the page in bilateral relations with
Baghdad). Kouchner wanted to emphasize that his visit was an
entirely French initiative. Partly for that reason, he
arrived on a French military plane. Equally important was
the fact that the visit was technically in response to an
invitation from Iraqi President Talabani (which Kouchner made
sure came from Talabani in his capacity as president and not
as a Kurdish leader). Etienne noted that Kouchner knew
Talabani and many other Iraqi leaders personally from
previous associations over the years. Kouchner was staying
at Talibani,s Baghdad residence.


4. (C) Etienne noted that Kouchner spoke to the Secretary
prior to his visit to let her know that it was going to
happen and would speak to her after his return to Paris.
Kouchner has already contacted a number of his EU colleagues
(notably the British foreign secretary and Javier Solana) and
encouraged them to make similar visits.


5. (C) In response to Etienne's request for U.S.
impressions of Kouchner's visit, Welch responded that we
regard it quite positively. He lauded Kouchner's desire to
enter into dialogue with all of Iraq's political factions and
lamented that they had such a hard time talking to each
other. Welch reviewed our assessment of the challenges of
promoting national reconciliation in Iraq and noted the
particular challenge we face of applying our own benchmarks
to measure progress in Iraq when Iraqis do not use or accept
similar benchmarks. He then outlined our efforts to garner
regional support for the Iraqi government in the face of
suspicions of the Maliki government by many of Iraq's
neighbors and problems posed by Iran and Syria as they relate
to Iraq. As in Lebanon, it is key to supplement internal
efforts at national reconciliation with regional assistance.
Welch explained that, in that spirit, we are working with
Gulf States, Egypt, and Jordan to coordinate efforts and
contain the prevalent anti-Maliki sentiment. These countries
now see our contribution to resolving the Iraqi situation as
irreplaceable and are worried about our withdrawing too
rapidly. Etienne asked how we regarded the larger grouping

PARIS 00003577 002 OF 002


of Iraq's neighbors, to include Syria and Iran. Welch
replied that we are exploring how to make this structure work
but it has so far not yieldedpositive results. Looking
ahead, the GCC plus 2 grouping should meet again at UNGA,
while a ministerial-level meeting of the "neighbors"
(including Iran and Syria) should convene next in Istanbul in
mid-October.


6. (C) In response to Etienne's question about the future
of the U.S./Iran dialogue on security issues conducted by
ambassadors in Baghdad, Welch said that we have not found it
terribly positive or fruitful, but we intend to continue it.
Again answering Etienne's question, Welch stated we have no
plans to raise the level or widen the scope of the
discussions. In discussing our present security concerns in
Iraq, Welch mentioned the ongoing problem of foreign fighters
using Syria to cross into Iraq. Many of those fighters seem
to be Saudis or North Africans. Etienne interjected that
France is aware of and tracking closely French citizens
mostly of North African origin who have volunteered to fight
in Iraq.


7. (U) A/S Welch has cleared this cable.

Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm


PEKALA