Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08AMMAN3012
2008-11-04 13:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:
IRANIANS RAISE SOFA AT IRAQ NEIGHBORS SECURITY
how-toVZCZCXRO2690 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHAM #3012 3091318 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 041318Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3779 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003012
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA-IR, NEA-I
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2013
TAGS: IR IZ JO PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: IRANIANS RAISE SOFA AT IRAQ NEIGHBORS SECURITY
CONFERENCE IN JORDAN
Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft, for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003012
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA-IR, NEA-I
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2013
TAGS: IR IZ JO PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: IRANIANS RAISE SOFA AT IRAQ NEIGHBORS SECURITY
CONFERENCE IN JORDAN
Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft, for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (U) The fifth annual rotating conference of the Interior
Ministers of Iraq's Neighboring Countries took place in
Amman, October 23-24, with participation from the Ministers
of Interior of Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria,
Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. The official closing
statement called on states to fulfill security protocols with
Iraq in an indirect reference to Turkey and Iran, which have
yet to conclude formal bilateral agreements with Iraq,
according to Jordanian Interior Ministry Secretary-General
Mukhaimar al Mukhaimar during an October 29 meeting with
EmbOffs. The statement also called on all Arab countries to
"take necessary measures to prevent terrorism and enforce
joint security cooperation" and stressed the importance of
Iraq's unity and its Arab and Islamic identity. The sixth
annual conference is set to take place in Cairo in October
2009.
2. (C) Mukhaimar and, separately, Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan
Saad Al-Hayani praised to Emboffs the level of participation
at the conference, specifically mentioning the presence of
Saudi Arabia's Interior Minister. Al-Hayani said Iran
appeared to be operating "from a position of weakness" at
this conference compared to earlier ones, mostly because of
the strong presence of the Saudis.
3. (C) When asked if there had been any softening of Iran's
position since earlier conferences, Mukhaimar responded in
the negative, and said, "They are crazy; their brains don't
work normally". During the main session, the Iranian
minister tried to insert language critical of the United
States and the proposed Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)
between Iraq and the United States, but Jordanian Interior
Minister Eid Fayez deflected the comments, Mukhaimar said.
Al-Hayani described how the Iranian delegation was later
confronted by the Iraqi Minister of Interior who told them
the Iraqi people would make their own decisions regarding
their security interests; it was not for others to become
involved. The Iranian minister brought the SOFA issue up
again in bilateral discussions with Jordan but was again
rebuffed on the matter, Mukhaimar said.
4. (SBU) Separately, other Iraqi Embassy officials mentioned
to EmbOffs that the conference had had a major success on the
exchange of prisoners, without providing substantive details.
5. (U) This cable has been cleared by Embassy Baghdad.
Visit Amman's Classified Website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/
Beecroft
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA-IR, NEA-I
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/03/2013
TAGS: IR IZ JO PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: IRANIANS RAISE SOFA AT IRAQ NEIGHBORS SECURITY
CONFERENCE IN JORDAN
Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft, for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (U) The fifth annual rotating conference of the Interior
Ministers of Iraq's Neighboring Countries took place in
Amman, October 23-24, with participation from the Ministers
of Interior of Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria,
Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, and Iran. The official closing
statement called on states to fulfill security protocols with
Iraq in an indirect reference to Turkey and Iran, which have
yet to conclude formal bilateral agreements with Iraq,
according to Jordanian Interior Ministry Secretary-General
Mukhaimar al Mukhaimar during an October 29 meeting with
EmbOffs. The statement also called on all Arab countries to
"take necessary measures to prevent terrorism and enforce
joint security cooperation" and stressed the importance of
Iraq's unity and its Arab and Islamic identity. The sixth
annual conference is set to take place in Cairo in October
2009.
2. (C) Mukhaimar and, separately, Iraqi Ambassador to Jordan
Saad Al-Hayani praised to Emboffs the level of participation
at the conference, specifically mentioning the presence of
Saudi Arabia's Interior Minister. Al-Hayani said Iran
appeared to be operating "from a position of weakness" at
this conference compared to earlier ones, mostly because of
the strong presence of the Saudis.
3. (C) When asked if there had been any softening of Iran's
position since earlier conferences, Mukhaimar responded in
the negative, and said, "They are crazy; their brains don't
work normally". During the main session, the Iranian
minister tried to insert language critical of the United
States and the proposed Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA)
between Iraq and the United States, but Jordanian Interior
Minister Eid Fayez deflected the comments, Mukhaimar said.
Al-Hayani described how the Iranian delegation was later
confronted by the Iraqi Minister of Interior who told them
the Iraqi people would make their own decisions regarding
their security interests; it was not for others to become
involved. The Iranian minister brought the SOFA issue up
again in bilateral discussions with Jordan but was again
rebuffed on the matter, Mukhaimar said.
4. (SBU) Separately, other Iraqi Embassy officials mentioned
to EmbOffs that the conference had had a major success on the
exchange of prisoners, without providing substantive details.
5. (U) This cable has been cleared by Embassy Baghdad.
Visit Amman's Classified Website at
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/
Beecroft