AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S MEETING WITH SAUDI

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 RIYADH 000289 SIPDIS SIPDIS LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA DEPT FOR NEA/ARP (WALKER, SHUKAN, JACHIM),INL, DRL, PRM E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2017 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PBTS MOPS SA IZ IR LE SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S MEETING WITH SAUDI ASSISTANT MINISTER OF INTERIOR MUHAMMAD BIN NAYEF, JANUARY 30 Classified By: Ambassador James C. Oberwetter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (S) On January 30, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) James C. Oberwetter, and the DCM met with Assistant Minister of Interior for Security Affairs HRH Prince Mohammed bin Naif to discuss recent developments in, and SAG views on, Iraq. Prince Mohammed repeatedly stressed that the SAG wants a united, stable, and peaceful Iraq. He emphasized that he does not trust Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki and that Maliki's actions have shown a lack of respect for the KSA, especially by the timing of the execution of Saddam Hussein, which could have put the Hajj at risk. In response to Prince Mohammed's concerns about Saudis held by the Iraqi government, Ambassador Khalilzad promised to provide further information. Prince Mohammed said that the KSA is under a high terrorist threat and that terrorists cross into the KSA from Iraq. END SUMMARY. -------------- Iraqi Troops and Police -------------- ¶2. (S) In response to Prince Mohammed's question about the status of Iraqi troops, Ambassador Khalilzad said that they are being carefully screened and retrained to respect human rights, including how to treat people well. Ambassador Khalilzad said that Iraqi troops are being vetted and re-vetted as individuals and units. Troops, especially officers, with questionable loyalty to the Iraqi government are being removed. Prince Mohammed and Ambassador Khalilzad agreed that it is important that Iraqi troops work for a united Iraq. Prince Mohammed acknowledged the challenge of bringing security and stability to Iraq, which in turn depends on achieving consensus agreement on big issues. He stressed the importance of gaining control of Baghdad and the loyalty of all Iraqi security forces and police. ¶3. (S) Prince Mohammed stressed that when the SAG trained its 1,000 man strong Special Security Forces to fight terrorism, it provided a lot of lectures explaining why they had to fight terrorists, especially domestic terrorists, and that they must demonstrate loyalty to the country and king above all else. He explained that this training convinced his men to fight for the country without hesitation, even if a member of his own tribe or family was a terrorist. He stressed that in this training it is important to tell the truth always and be consistent. He said that leaders must have the respect of their security forces. He emphasized that the leadership of the police must be respected, credible, and obeyed. He said he does not know the current chief of Iraqi police but that his predecessor was a problem. ¶4. (S) Prince Mohammed stressed that the current Iraqi Interior Minister is from a "good family" and has "good values." He said the interior ministers of Iraq's neighbors, even Iran, signed an agreement stating that no country should interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq, even including training. (Note: A July 2006 meeting in Jeddah between the MOI and Iraq's neighbors produced this non-interference agreement. End note.) They also agreed that if Iraq needed help, it would ask. However, no requests have been received. -------------- Effect of Saddam Hussein's Hanging on Hajj -------------- ¶5. (S) Prince Mohammed stressed that the government of Iraq had shown a lack of respect for the government of Saudi Arabia when it hanged Saddam Hussein on the first day of the Eid. He said the Iraqi government did not consult with or warn the Saudi government. He said that the effect was very negative. He said that he would never respect Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki or his government, and that he would never shake Maliki's hand. He said the way Hussein was executed gave him an ending he should not have had and did not deserve. Most importantly, the timing of the RIYADH 00000289 002 OF 003 execution could have jeopardized the Hajj. He said that fortunately there were no demonstrations because of the hanging, but that with 35,000 Iraqi Hajj pilgrims in Mecca at the time, things could have easily gotten out of control, thus endangering the lives of all 3.8 million pilgrims and the 60,000 security forces protecting them. He said that if the Maliki government acted intentionally then it was bad, but if it acted unintentionally it was even worse. -------------- 800 Kilometer Iraqi-Saudi Border -------------- ¶6. (S) Prince Mohammed stressed that the KSA shares an 800 kilometer border with Iraq. He said that the entire burden for patrolling the border falls on the SAG. He pointed out that the same tribe (Beni Shammar, i.e., sons of Sumer or Sumerians) live in both Iraq and the KSA. He said that the SAG sometimes arrests people trying to cross the border. He noted that problems along the Iraqi-Saudi border are not as bad as along the Yemeni-Saudi border. -------------- Saudi Detainees in Iraq -------------- ¶7. (S) Prince Mohammed said the SAG is not worried about Saudi detainees held by the U.S., but is worried about those held by the Iraqi government. Ambassador Khalilzad promised to provide further information on these detainees. Prince Mohammed said that it is important to the SAG to find out who financed Saudis fighting in Iraq and who brought them there. -------------- Shi'a in the KSA -------------- ¶8. (S) Prince Mohammed said that the SAG talked to all Shi'a leaders in the Eastern Province in order to ensure that they remain calm despite what happens in Iraq. He said there has been no evidence of Iraqi Shi'a, or even Iranian Shi'a, trying to stir up Saudi Shi'a. However, the SAG has not ruled out this possibility, and so it is emphasizing Saudi nationalism over religious affiliation. The Shi'a were urged not to react to any inflammatory statements made by Sunnis in the KSA. He also noted that the MOI is prepared to act in a calm, controlled manner if there are Shi'a-Sunni problems in the KSA. The SAG is carefully stressing to everyone that security and stability are more important than personal feelings about the government or its leaders. -------------- Terrorism Threat -------------- ¶9. (S) Prince Mohammed said that the KSA is under a high terrorist threat. He said that "bad" people are arrested every day. For example, ten to twelve days ago, four Saudi and two Iraqi terrorists came to the KSA from Iraq, but were captured by SAG forces. The SAG is deeply concerned with bleedback of fighters from Iraq as potentially very dangerous. He said that Lebanon is also a source of terrorism, and that Al-Qaeda is "based" there, having shifted some elements from Iraq to Lebanon. He also said that the SAG is prepared to match this threat by assisting the Lebanese Security Forces affiliated with Prime Minister Siniora and the Future Movement leader Sa'ad Hariri . -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (S) Prince Mohammed emphasized that a stable, peaceful, united Iraq is one of the KSA's vital interests. He appeared confident that Sunni-Shi'a violence in Iraq will not be replicated in the KSA. However, the fighting and instability in Iraq are making it possible for terrorists to cross the border into the KSA. END COMMENT. ¶11. (C) Ambassador Khalilzad has cleared this message. RIYADH 00000289 003 OF 003 OBERWETTER