RRT ERBIL: KNA DEPUTY SPEAKER UPSET WITH SRSG DI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002150

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PTER IZ
SUBJECT: RRT ERBIL: KNA DEPUTY SPEAKER UPSET WITH SRSG DI
MISTURA

REF: A. (A) BAGHDAD 1831

B. (B) 07 BAGHDAD 4107

Classified By: PRT Leader Jess Bailey; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

This is an Erbil Regional Reconstruction Team message.


1. (C) Summary and comment: Dr. Kemal Kerkuki, Deputy
Speaker of the Kurdistan National Assembly (KNA) and head of
the KNA Article 140 Committee, told RRTOff July 6 that UN
SRSG Staffan di Mistura has tried to reach him by telephone,
but he refused the calls. Kerkuki claimed di Mistura had
"lied8 to him and is no longer viewed as an honest broker in
resolving Disputed Internal Boundaries (DIBs). RRTOff
stressed the importance of maintaining an open dialogue,
particularly in view of di Mistura,s July 10-11 visit to
Erbil. Despite the heated rhetoric, Kerkuki will likely
remain a key figure in discussions with the UN, since KRG
President Barzani has affirmed publicly several times that
the KNA must approve any decisions on DIBs. Comment: Kerkuki
did meet di Mistura in Erbil July 10 (septel). His pique
should be taken as symptomatic of the highly charged DIBs
issue. While Kerkuki may continue to play the bad cop, he
ultimately takes his marching orders from president Barzani.
End Summary and comment.


2. (C) Dr. Kemal Kerkuki, Deputy Speaker of the Kurdistan
National Assembly (KNA) and head of the KNA Article 140
Committee, told RRTOff July 6 that UN SRSG di Mistura has
tried to reach him by telephone, but he has refused the
calls. Kerkuki said that di Mistura had "lied to him" and
that he no longer viewed di Mistura as an honest broker in
resolving Disputed Internal Boundaries (DIBs). Kerkuki
outlined four "mistakes" di Mistura made in preparing the
Phase I report on DIBs, which echo the complaints previously
made by KRG senior leadership (Ref A). Kerkuki complained
that di Mistura told the KNA in a special session that the
results of the 2005 election would be considered in making
recommendations (Ref B),but then only used them selectively
to favor non-Kurd positions. For example, he alleged, UNAMI
reports cited the 2005 election results to justify the
decision to recommend that the Government of Iraq consider
Mandali, where the Kurdistan Alliance did not receive a
majority, as belonging to Diyala Governorate, but labeled the
2005 elections &fraudulent8 in al-Hamdaniya and Qaraj
sub-district of Makhmour, in which the majority of the
population voted in favor of the Kurdistan Alliance. &Why
did di Mistura use the election results when Arabs benefit,
yet call them fraudulent when the Kurds could benefit from
the results,8 Kerkuki asked.


3. (C) Kerkuki also took offense at the report's negative
reference to fuel truck deliveries that pass through Erbil
from Bayji refinery to Mosul. He said that trucks cross
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) territory because of the
security offered, and the KRG would be much happier if the
trucks did not pass through Erbil, given the massive security
threat posed. However, to facilitate fuel delivery to Mosul,
the KRG took on the risk. (KRG Minister of State for
Interior Karim Sinjari also expressed these sentiments in a
meeting with Senior Advisor Krajeski in early June.)


4. (C) Third, Kerkuki expressed disbelief that di Mistura
could have miscalculated so seriously as to encourage Kurdish
forces to withdraw from Hamdaniya, where they have been
protecting minority communities. The Kurdish Peshmerga took
great risks and stepped forward to protect the Yazidi
community after the devastating Al Qaida attack in 2007, he
said. The Kurdish forces have also protected Christians from
persecution and intimidation, he added, which di Mistura
failed to acknowledge. Kerkuki concluded that if Kurdish
forces were withdrawn, minority communities would again be
attacked by terrorists from Mosul. Kerkuki,s final point
was that di Mistura should not have included Akre district as
part of the proposal. Akre belongs to the KRG, he noted, as
outlined in the Iraqi Constitution, approved by over 80
percent of Iraqi voters. He said the Akre discussion in the
report demonstrated UNAMI and di Mistura's failure to
understand Iraq's history and agreements previously reached.
Finally he noted that di Mistura did not appropriately
acknowledge the great suffering of the Kurds during Saddam
Hussein's regime.


5. (C) RRTOff reminded Kerkuki of the importance of
continuing dialogue, and the unique opportunity provided by
UNAMI and USG engagement in support of resolving DIBs at this
time. Kerkuki responded by saying that he has been waiting
for KRG President Barzani's return to discuss next steps on
Article 140. (Kerkuki received a call from Massoud
Barzani's office about scheduling a meeting during RRTOffs

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visit.) When probed by RRTOff to describe what di Mistura
had "lied about" Kerkuki responded that di Mistura had made
it clear when he met the KNA in December 2007 that the UN's
role would be to provide technical advice only. However, he
said, it was becoming increasingly clear that di Mistura has
positioned himself to negotiate a political agreement to
resolve the DIBs. Kerkuki ended the discussion by noting
that a referendum must be held to resolve DIBs, and that no
political agreement would be acceptable.


6. (C) Comment: Although Kerkuki told us he would shut off
communication with di Mistura, his threat was never very
realistic. Whatever his personal feelings of pique, Kerkuki
gets marching orders from President Barzani (and found
himself in a July 10 meeting with di Mistura in Erbil).
Kerkuki has assumed the bad cop role in representing KRG
interests on DIBs, and his long recitations of Kurdish
suffering don't facilitate compromise, but his views
substantively reflect those of many senior KRG officials. In
addition, as KNA's deputy speaker, Kerkuki does maintain a
position of authority; President Barzani has made clear his
decision that any decision on DIBs must be approved by the
KNA. End Comment.

CROCKER