UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES DISCUSSES IRAQ,

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000995 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ PHUM KREF SUBJECT: UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES DISCUSSES IRAQ, PROBLEMS WITH PM MALIKI ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On November 7, Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),discussed the subject of Iraq's internally displaced persons and refugees with Ambassador Khalilzad. Later in the day, Guterres met with members of the UN,s Humanitarian Liaison Working Group (HLWG),which includes approximately 30 states, primarily western donors. In both meetings, Guterres pointedly criticized Iraqi PM Maliki for failure to address the plight of Iraqi refugees in Syria and Lebanon. During the HLWG meeting, Guterres noted that President Talabani and FM Zebari have been helpful, but said that PM Maliki has refused to provide Iraqi government assistance because the refugees are Sunni. Guterres told these envoys that PM Maliki,s refusal to "accept Iraqi government responsibilities" with regard to its refugees is "very serious" and "dramatic," and blamed Maliki's "strong sectarian agenda." End summary. REFUGEES ¶2. (SBU) Guterres said UNHCR is active in Syria and Jordan, and described the Iraqi refugees in both countries as the largest urban refugee population in UNHCR,s history (more than two million). He added that UNHCR has overcome its "semantic" issue with Syria and Jordan. UNHCR will continue calling the Iraqis "refugees," while Syria and Jordan will refer to them as "guests," but both sides accept the other,s designation. During the HLWG, he urged members to acknowledge the burden Iraqi refugees place on the Syrian and Jordanian governments. Despite political problems countries may have with Syria and Jordan, said Guterres, "solidarity and appreciation" for the two countries, efforts was important. In both meetings, Guterres also noted recent progress on obtaining Syrian visas for Department of Homeland Security officers, who will shortly begin conducting asylum interviews in UNHCR offices in Damascus. He also called the resettlement of Palestinians who had been living in Iraq to Brazil and Chile a "breakthrough," but expressed continuing concern for the Palestinian community in Baghdad. ¶3. (SBU) "The key element missing" in the Iraqi refugee issue is the Iraqi government, said Guterres. He shared his view that President Talabani and FM Zebari have been fully cooperative, and blamed PM Maliki for the Iraqi government,s refusal to address the refugee issue. One example was the refusal by the Iraqi government to disburse its 25 million dollar pledge to aid the refugees. Guterres blamed PM Maliki personally for this refusal. In follow-up questions during the HLWG meeting, Guterres said PM Maliki and his advisers believe that the Iraqi refugees in Syria and Jordan are Sunni, and therefore they would not assist them. This was problematic on two levels, said Guterres. First, a significant number of refugees are Shia. Second, even if many refugees are Sunni, they are still Iraqi. The Iraqi government,s abdication of its responsibility towards the refugees was "very serious" and "dramatic," said Guterres. He concluded, "It is inconceivable that we create a new Palestinian problem." The problem, said Guterres, is PM Maliki,s "strong sectarian agenda." INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS ¶4. (SBU) According to UNHCR, approximately 2.3 million Iraqi citizens are internally displaced, with over a million Iraqis displaced since February 2006. Guterres said the Iraqi government is assisting IDPs, in stark contrast to their noninvolvement with refugees. Lack of capacity was a pressing issue, as well as the inability of the Iraqi bureaucracy to handle these internal population transfers. ¶5. (SBU) In his meeting with Amb Khalilzad, Guterres admitted that the effort of the UN,s humanitarian and reconstruction agencies to address the IDP problem has been inadequate, attributing its anemic performance to security limitations (both the UN's ability to move around Iraq and ceilings on staffing). He expressed strong support, however, for newly appointed UNAMI deputy SRSG for economic and humanitarian affairs, David Shearer, who is also serving as the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator. Guterres said UNHCR ispressing to expand its presence in Baghdad, and noted that it was difficult to move the UN family from a risk-averse to risk-management posture. Khalilzad