PM MALIKI SENDS ENVOY TO REASSURE NEIGHBORS ON SOFA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 002024 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR NEA/I AND EUR/SE E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2018 TAGS: PREL MARR IZ TU SUBJECT: PM MALIKI SENDS ENVOY TO REASSURE NEIGHBORS ON SOFA Classified By: POL Counselor Daniel J. O'Grady for reasons 1.4(b,d) ¶1. (C) PM Maliki sent an envoy, STATE Minister for National Dialogue Akram al-Hakim, to deliver a personal message to PM Erdogan, and other regional leaders, regarding the Iraq-U.S. SOFA, according to MFA Department Head for Iraq Aydin Acikel. Al-Hakim, who arrived in Ankara early November 20 from Tehran, was received by Erdogan in a one-on-one meeting. Although Acikel had neither received a read-out of that one-on-one nor seen the message that al-Hakim had delivered, he was able to convey the gist of the purpose of al-Hakim's visit, which was to reassure neighboring states about the nature of SOFA signed last week by AMB Crocker and PM Maliki. ¶2. (C) Acikel said al-Hakim told FM Babacan in a separate meeting the Iraqis had three choices in determining how to address its security situation beginning in 2009. Baghdad could either do nothing and watch the situation inevitably deteriorate, seek another extension of the current UNSCR which provides the legal mandate for the presence of coalition troops inside Iraq, or pursue agreements with relevant countries to begin the long transition to eventual assumption of responsibility for all security to Iraqi forces. PM Maliki and the Iraqi Presidency Council had determined the third choice was best for Iraq. Al-Hakim reportedly said the Iraqis had gotten almost all that they sought in negotiations with the United States. Iraq had pushed back on U.S. requests to establish permanent bases in Iraq, had insisted on Iraqi jurisdiction over U.S. troops who commit crimes while off-duty and off-base, and wanted to underscore to its neighbors that the use of Iraqi territory to launch attacks against neighboring territory was expressly forbidden. ¶3. (C) Acikel expressed the view that Iraqis recognize that final withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011 may be impossible and that circumstances on the ground will dictate that timetable. He also noted al-Hakim seemed optimistic about the prospects for passage of the SOFA by Iraq's Council of Representatives next week. GOT Special Envoy Murat Ozcelik remains in Baghdad following the November 19 trilateral meeting on countering the PKK and is planning meetings with Iraqi VP Hashimi, among others, to press for political support for the SOFA, both publicly and in the COR vote. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey SILLIMAN