UAE RELAYS IYAD ALLAWI'S REQUEST FOR PERSONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000072 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2018 TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS OVIP IZ AE SUBJECT: UAE RELAYS IYAD ALLAWI'S REQUEST FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION ASSETS REF: 07 ABU DHABI 1854 Classified by Ambassador Michele Sison, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) During a January 17 farewell call by the Ambassador, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed (AbZ) passed a note and long list of names which he said followed up on a discussion Ambassador Crocker had while in Abu Dhabi last November (reftel). The document stresses Dr. Iyad Allawi's request for personal protection assets at the level of a "tier one" official, as well as listing 800 names he apparently wants on his protection detail. ¶2. (C) Comment: Allawi is a favored Iraqi visitor to the UAE, the leadership of which would welcome a scenario in which he returned to power in Baghdad; nonetheless, Post does not recall the issue of Allawi's security being raised in November and cannot be sure how strongly the UAE might endorse this seemingly unreasonable request for security assets for a former Iraqi official who is often abroad. End comment. ¶3. (SBU) Rough Embassy translation of the document follows. The document has also been scanned and e-mailed to Embassy Baghdad. BEGIN TRANSLATION. Based upon conversations between the Foreign Minister and Ambassador Crocker regarding Iyad Allawi, we present the attached list with the following requests: 1 -- Provide fixed security consisting of 2 - 3 armored vehicles in the immediate area surrounding Dr. Iyad Allawi's residence as was the case previously, in addition to mobile security and transportation for him, as was determined for the group of "Tier One," until full Iraqi security is provided. (See following paragraph.) 2 -- Agreement of the Baghdad government to appoint 500-750 persons as an organized security unit for Dr. Iyad Allawi at the expense of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense (and this is much less than other security details) and have the Ministry of Defense fund the weapons, equipment, transport, residential facilities ("caravans" or "fabricated houses") and necessary licenses for the above. Attached are the names that have been sent based on prior agreement with the U.S. in October when Dr. Iyad Allawi was in Baghdad. 3 -- Stemming from the principles of democracy, justice, and the rule of law, the U.S.A. should reach a solution with the Baghdad government with regard to false charges and lies directed at Dr. Iyad Allawi surrounding the matter of events at al-Zarqa -- al-Najaf, (including) an apology from the Iraqi government, dismissal of the spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, and presentation of the issue before a neutral and fair court with the oversight of the UN and Arab League. END TRANSLATION. SISON