SRSG DISCUSSES TURKEY, ELECTIONS AND NEIGHBORS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001274

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: SRSG DISCUSSES TURKEY, ELECTIONS AND NEIGHBORS
WITH AMBASSADOR

Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker reasons 1.4(b) and (d).

US PARTICIPANTS
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Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker
S/I David Satterfield
Thomas Krajeski, Senior Advisor to the Ambassador
Brett McGurk, NSC Senior Director
Ali Khedery, Special Assistant to the Ambassador
Susan Riggs, Note taker

UNAMI PARTICIPANTS
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SRSG Staffan de Mistura
D-SRSG Andrew Gilmour


1. (C) Summary: On April 18, the Ambassador met with UNAMI
SRSG Staffan de Mistura to discuss a wide range of issues.
The SRSG briefed on his fact-finding mission to Erbil and
Ninewa provinces, and his surprise that out of the four
districts UNAMI is working on for early recommendations, the
two he thought might remain outside of the KRG actually
preferred to come under KRG control. He discussed his views
on election timing and a conversation with an emissary from
Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who wants UNAMI to clean house on the
remaining 11 GEO directors. De Mistura voiced his concern
over the lack of movement by the GOI in granting UNAMI rights
to the site chosen for the new UNAMI compound. The SRSG and
Ambassador also strategized over goals for the Neighbors
Ministerial and the International Compact for Iraq. End
Summary.


SURPRISING BOUNDARY "DISPUTES"
--------------


2. (C) On a dusty April 18, UNAMI SRSG Staffan de Mistura
met with the Ambassador and briefed him on his recent trip to
Erbil and Ninewa. He said he is determined to make an
announcement of resolution on the first four disputed
districts (Akre, Makhmour, Hamdaniya in Ninewa and
BaladRooz/Mandali in Diyala) on or about May 12. He plans to
present the results to each of the 3 plus 2 and wants the
Kurds to lobby Prime Minister Maliki, as Maliki will not want
to lose the Kurds after their support of him during the
Basrah operation. The SRSG wants to show there is momentum
to resolve these issues and plans to announce the next four
areas to be reviewed. He also wants to indicate some
confidence building measures for Kirkuk. He wants to prove
the "soft" approach is working. As for next steps, de
Mistura is looking at tackling Sinjar, Talafar, Sheikhan, and
Khanagin as well as Nukhayb and Balad in the south.


3. (C) De Mistura told the Ambassador he was surprised at
the results after he traveled to the districts in Ninewa
province and Deputy SRSG for Political Affairs Andrew Gilmour
went to BaladRooz in Diyala province. UNAMI found that
Hamdaniya and BaladRooz/Mandali districts very obviously
would prefer to be governed by the KRG. De Mistura is hoping
to use this as leverage with the Kurds to work out a deal on
Kirkuk. The Ambassador told de Mistura that Nechirvan
Barzani was pleased with the SRSG's approach and wanted to be
the soul of reason and flexibility. De Mistura said that he
hoped to have Barzani and Murat Ozcelik, the GOT special
envoy to Iraq, over for dinner on the eve of the announcement
and allow them to sit in a room together, away from prying
eyes, to discuss Kurdish-Turkish relations.

ELECTIONS
--------------


4. (C) The SRSG said UNAMI is still working towards an
October 1 election day, though privately, he believes that
date is unattainable. He stated UNAMI will not say that
publicly for fear the Iraqi politicians would be content to
let the date slip even further. He suggested December 5 as
an alternative so that AQI would not be tempted to disrupt
Iraqi provincial elections in the run up to the U.S.
presidential elections. The SRSG is concerned the
Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has still not
received the USD 100 million for voter registration promised
by the Council of Ministers. However he is encouraging IHEC
to start spending the money it does have because the GOI has
made a written promise to fund the USD 100 million.


5. (C) De Mistura informed the Ambassador he was approached
by an envoy from Ayatollah Ali Sistani who voiced his concern
that 11 of the 19 Governorate Electoral Office (GEO)
directors had not been chosen using the non-partisan UNAMI
method. The SRSG told the envoy that Sistani should
encourage the CoR leadership to move quickly to select the
seven GEO director positions UNAMI has recommended.

BAGHDAD 00001274 002 OF 002


Otherwise, it would be difficult for UNAMI to start a
selection process for the other 11. On a separate note, the
envoy also expressed Sistani's dismay at 87,000 Sahawa
members becoming part of the Iraqi Army. De Mistura
reassured him that it would only be 20,000 and the rest would
be covered by Disarmament, Demobilization and Rehabilitation
(DDR). The SRSG suggested Sistani speak with Maliki and
encourage him to be more enthusiastic about DDR and perhaps
make an announcement at the Neighbors Ministerial in Kuwait
next week.

UN COMPOUND, KUWAIT, STOCKHOLM
--------------


6. (C) The SRSG was concerned that UNAMI has still not
received a written agreement from Maliki granting the use of
the Sajid palace grounds for the new UNAMI compound. De
Mistura will be in New York in early May and believes he
cannot go without an agreement in hand. The Ambassador
promised to help with this. The SRSG then asked the
Ambassador his thoughts on the upcoming Neighbors
Ministerial. The Ambassador relayed Maliki's skepticism of
the Neighbors process and his increasing unhappiness with
Ministerials outside of Iraq discussing the problems in Iraq.
The Ambassador suggested the next Neighbors Ministerial
should focus on regional issues. De Mistura offered refugees
and economic linkages as two possible topics. He also
expressed hope for an announcement of new embassy openings in
Baghdad during the Ministerial. The Ambassador replied that
perhaps Bahrain will make that announcement. De Mistura said
he was approached by the Swedes questioning if it was really
worth it for Stockholm to host the International Compact for
Iraq. He assured them it was, and said that now he must
ensure the success of the ICI.
CROCKER