Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAGHDAD1611
2008-05-26 16:32:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
KOUCHNER TO VISIT IRAQ MAY 31-JUNE 1
how-toVZCZCXRO3195 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #1611 1471632 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 261632Z MAY 08 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7546 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
S E C R E T BAGHDAD 001611
SIPDIS
NOFORN
PARIS FOR JROSENBLATT; WJORDAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ FR
SUBJECT: KOUCHNER TO VISIT IRAQ MAY 31-JUNE 1
REF: A. (A) PARIS 901
B. (B) PARIS CLASSIFIED NOTES - MAY 23
C. 2008
Classified By: Political Counselor Matt Tueller for Reasons 1.4d/b
S E C R E T BAGHDAD 001611
SIPDIS
NOFORN
PARIS FOR JROSENBLATT; WJORDAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ FR
SUBJECT: KOUCHNER TO VISIT IRAQ MAY 31-JUNE 1
REF: A. (A) PARIS 901
B. (B) PARIS CLASSIFIED NOTES - MAY 23
C. 2008
Classified By: Political Counselor Matt Tueller for Reasons 1.4d/b
1. (S/NF) In a May 25 meeting, French Political Counselor
Sylvain Fourriere told DepPolCouns that French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner will visit Baghdad, Nasiriyah and
Erbil May 31-June 1 (Ref A). Fourriere dismissed
speculation Kouchner would visit Iraq after attending the ICI
conference in Stockholm, noting Kouchner's busy schedule and
arguing (not entirely convincingly) that the French Foreign
Minister could not be everywhere at once. He described the
trip as a show of "political support," and said Kouchner
expects to meet President Talabani, Prime Minister Maliki,
and SRSG di Mistura in Baghdad, and KRG Prime Minister
Nechirvan Barzani and perhaps KRG President Massud Barzani in
Erbil. Although the French embassy had recommended a stop in
Basrah, Kouchner opted for Nasiriyah for "symbolic reasons."
(Note: Nasiriyah is Vice President Adel Abdel Mehdi's
hometown. The Shi'a VP, who has strong ties to France where
he owns property and has family, will be Kouchner's host for
that portion of the trip. End Note.) Fourriere also asked
for a Crocker/Kouchner meeting, which DepPolCouns explained
may not be possible because of Ambassador Crocker's
anticipated absence from Baghdad. We promised to notify the
French should a change in the Ambassador's schedule permit a
meeting with the French FM.
2. (S/NF) Fourriere volunteered that the French Embassy has
only discussed the Kouchner trip with the U.S. Embassy and a
restricted circle of high-ranking GOI and KRG officials. He
explained there would be no advance notice, and griped that
the GOI still had not formally agreed to the visit.
Fourriere welcomed our offer to work behind the scenes to
ensure the visit runs smoothly. Kouchner will use a French
military aircraft (possibly a C-130) for this trip, and
Fourriere said a French Liaison Officer (LNO) with CENTCOM
was prepared to assist with landing rights and other
military-related issues.
3. (S/NF) In a phone conversation with DepPolCouns the next
day, Fourriere reported that Kouchner plans to fly directly
to Nasiriyah early on the morning of the 31st. He will then
travel to Baghdad where he will overnight at a location still
TBD, possibly within President Talabani's Karradah compound.
On June 1 he will fly to Erbil for a ceremony to inaugurate
the new French Consulate and return to France later that day.
During the same conversation, Fourriere suprised us by
requesting USG assistance - air assets - to transport French
Ambassador Jean Francois Girault and four staff members to
meet the FM in Nasiriyah.
4. (S/NF) COMMENT. In the May 25 meeting, Fourriere would
not elaborate on the conflicts preventing Foreign Minister
Kouchner from attending the Stockholm ICI conference, and
struck us as a bit evasive on the subject. On the other
hand, he seemed genuinely pleased with our offer to be
helpful with the Foreign Minister's Baghdad visit - and
confirmed our impression with his follow-up call the next
day. The request for Mission air assets represents a notable
departure from the French embassy's previous policy of
minimizing U.S. Mission and MNF footprint on its activities
and we are exploring ways to provide the support the French
want. While Fourriere stressed that other foreign
representatives had visited Nasiriyah (also the site of a
2003 truck bombing that killed 17 Italian Carabinieri),we
suspect Kouchner's stopover may be an attempt in part to
smooth feathers ruffled by President Sarkozy's recent snub
(Ref B). MNF-I colleagues also strongly urged that we loop
in France's CENTCOM LNO as soon as possible to avoid the type
of mishap (one hour circling over Baghdad International
Airport because of uncertainty whether Kouchner's aircraft
was military or civilian) that the FM experienced during his
August 2007 Baghdad visit. END COMMENT.
CROCKER
SIPDIS
NOFORN
PARIS FOR JROSENBLATT; WJORDAN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ FR
SUBJECT: KOUCHNER TO VISIT IRAQ MAY 31-JUNE 1
REF: A. (A) PARIS 901
B. (B) PARIS CLASSIFIED NOTES - MAY 23
C. 2008
Classified By: Political Counselor Matt Tueller for Reasons 1.4d/b
1. (S/NF) In a May 25 meeting, French Political Counselor
Sylvain Fourriere told DepPolCouns that French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner will visit Baghdad, Nasiriyah and
Erbil May 31-June 1 (Ref A). Fourriere dismissed
speculation Kouchner would visit Iraq after attending the ICI
conference in Stockholm, noting Kouchner's busy schedule and
arguing (not entirely convincingly) that the French Foreign
Minister could not be everywhere at once. He described the
trip as a show of "political support," and said Kouchner
expects to meet President Talabani, Prime Minister Maliki,
and SRSG di Mistura in Baghdad, and KRG Prime Minister
Nechirvan Barzani and perhaps KRG President Massud Barzani in
Erbil. Although the French embassy had recommended a stop in
Basrah, Kouchner opted for Nasiriyah for "symbolic reasons."
(Note: Nasiriyah is Vice President Adel Abdel Mehdi's
hometown. The Shi'a VP, who has strong ties to France where
he owns property and has family, will be Kouchner's host for
that portion of the trip. End Note.) Fourriere also asked
for a Crocker/Kouchner meeting, which DepPolCouns explained
may not be possible because of Ambassador Crocker's
anticipated absence from Baghdad. We promised to notify the
French should a change in the Ambassador's schedule permit a
meeting with the French FM.
2. (S/NF) Fourriere volunteered that the French Embassy has
only discussed the Kouchner trip with the U.S. Embassy and a
restricted circle of high-ranking GOI and KRG officials. He
explained there would be no advance notice, and griped that
the GOI still had not formally agreed to the visit.
Fourriere welcomed our offer to work behind the scenes to
ensure the visit runs smoothly. Kouchner will use a French
military aircraft (possibly a C-130) for this trip, and
Fourriere said a French Liaison Officer (LNO) with CENTCOM
was prepared to assist with landing rights and other
military-related issues.
3. (S/NF) In a phone conversation with DepPolCouns the next
day, Fourriere reported that Kouchner plans to fly directly
to Nasiriyah early on the morning of the 31st. He will then
travel to Baghdad where he will overnight at a location still
TBD, possibly within President Talabani's Karradah compound.
On June 1 he will fly to Erbil for a ceremony to inaugurate
the new French Consulate and return to France later that day.
During the same conversation, Fourriere suprised us by
requesting USG assistance - air assets - to transport French
Ambassador Jean Francois Girault and four staff members to
meet the FM in Nasiriyah.
4. (S/NF) COMMENT. In the May 25 meeting, Fourriere would
not elaborate on the conflicts preventing Foreign Minister
Kouchner from attending the Stockholm ICI conference, and
struck us as a bit evasive on the subject. On the other
hand, he seemed genuinely pleased with our offer to be
helpful with the Foreign Minister's Baghdad visit - and
confirmed our impression with his follow-up call the next
day. The request for Mission air assets represents a notable
departure from the French embassy's previous policy of
minimizing U.S. Mission and MNF footprint on its activities
and we are exploring ways to provide the support the French
want. While Fourriere stressed that other foreign
representatives had visited Nasiriyah (also the site of a
2003 truck bombing that killed 17 Italian Carabinieri),we
suspect Kouchner's stopover may be an attempt in part to
smooth feathers ruffled by President Sarkozy's recent snub
(Ref B). MNF-I colleagues also strongly urged that we loop
in France's CENTCOM LNO as soon as possible to avoid the type
of mishap (one hour circling over Baghdad International
Airport because of uncertainty whether Kouchner's aircraft
was military or civilian) that the FM experienced during his
August 2007 Baghdad visit. END COMMENT.
CROCKER