GOI SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED UNSCR; LIBYA HOLD ON

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 001050 SIPDIS SIPDIS TREAS, NSC, STATE FOR IO/PSC-CROWE, IO/UNP-EGOLDRICH E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2018 TAGS: ETTC IZ PREL PTER XF SUBJECT: GOI SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED UNSCR; LIBYA HOLD ON UNSCR 1267 DESIGNATION REF: A. BAGHDAD 00987 ¶B. BAGHDAD 00994 ¶C. SECSTATE 19145 Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY EMIN CHARLES RIES FOR REASONS 1.5(b) AND 1 .5(d) ¶1. EMIN, accompanied by Acting Economic Counselor and Deputy Treasury Attach, met with Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Tuesday, April 1, to discuss GOI interest in either revising the scope of UNSCR 1518 or taking the lead to lobby for the passage of a new UNSCR that will target Iraqis and third country nationals/entities who assist the insurgency and/or threaten the peace and stability of Iraq. This meeting followed earlier meetings with the National Security Advisor and the Minister of Finance (reftels a and b). ¶2. EMIN shared with FM Zebari a letter signed jointly by Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus, urging Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to support this effort. EMIN stressed that we would want that the initiative be perceived as an Iraqi one, although the U.S. was ready to offer assistance in drafting the proposal. ¶3. The FM agreed, calling the proposition "a wonderful idea." He noted that accurate intelligence would be necessary for targeting the individuals and entities. The FM added that the evidence in support of designations had to be watertight, in order to win over the neighbor countries, which would have "sensitivities" toward actions under the new or expanded UNSCR. He planned to form a committee of colleagues both within the MFA and in other ministries (Intel, Justice, Finance) to work this issue. ¶4. EMIN pointed out that the first step was to receive the necessary legal authority through passage or amendment of an UNSCR; the designation of targets would follow. The GOI would need to reach a decision soonest on whether to propose a new UNSCR versus an expanded UNSCR 1518. EMIN asked the FM,s views on approaching the Government of Libya to bring the proposal to the Security Council. The FM responded that although the GOI and the GOL maintained cordial relations, it would not be reasonable to expect the GOL to take such a lead based on Qaddafi,s speech at the Arab Summit in Damascus over the past weekend (ref a). ¶5. On a separate issue, EMIN also requested that the GOI discuss with the GOL the hold which Tripoli has placed on Badran Turki Hishan al Mazidih and three others the USG and the GOI wish to designate under UNSCR 1267 (ref c). FM promised that the GOI would discuss the issue with the GOL via a letter (the GOL does not have an embassy in Baghdad). BUTENIS