TALABANI ON SOFA, IRAQI FOREIGN RELATIONS, KEY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002153

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS PINR IZ
SUBJECT: TALABANI ON SOFA, IRAQI FOREIGN RELATIONS, KEY
LEGISLATION

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


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met on July 7 with President
Jalal Talabani and Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih.
Talabani called for a specific USG-GOI plan for countering
Iranian opposition to the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA)
and Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA),but praised recent
statements by diverse Iraqi leaders in support of the pacts.
The President summarized his recent trip to the U.S. and
Greece. On the hydrocarbon and election laws, Talabani
acknowledged U.S. frustration with seemingly hardline recent
Kurdish positions, but claimed the Kurds will compromise on
both as negotiations continue. Finally, Talabani and Salih
suggested isolating National Council for Dialogue (NCD)
leader Khalaf Ulayan due to Ulayan,s obstruction of
negotiations for Tawafuq's return. End summary.

SFA/SOFA: Iran Hostile But Iraqis Will Come Around
-------------- --------------


2. (C) Talabani suggested the U.S. and GOI work out a
specific plan for overcoming opposition to the SFA and SOFA
-- driven largely by Iranian pressure -- in the Political
Council for National Security (PCNS) and Council of
Representatives (COR). Salih assessed that many in the GOI
wonder why they would risk provoking Tehran for a document
they fear will not outlive the current U.S. administration,
and Talabani added that many Iraqi politicians merely are
parroting Tehran's position on the agreements. Talabani
wondered what had changed since Qods Force commander Qasim
Soleimani told him in late March that Tehran did not object
to the SOFA, and said he had asked ISCI leader Abd al-Aziz
al-Hakim (who he said is in Iran right now) to investigate
this seeming contradiction. He commented also that Tehran
increasingly fears a Democratic U.S. president because of
pro-Israel statements by the Democratic candidate.


3. (C) Talabani praised statements in support of the SOFA by
Defense Minister Mufriji, Interior Minister Bulani, and even
Tawafuq head Adnan Dulaymi, and added that Ayatollah Sistani
is playing a helpful role by condemning Iranian interference
in what should be an Iraqi matter. The Ambassador added
praise for Talabani's own statement of support, arguing that
most Iraqis are irritated at Iranian involvement in the
SFA/SOFA issue.


4. (C) The Ambassador stressed the necessity of Iraqi
decisions on an agreed negotiating approach. We were close
to finalizing a Strategic Framework. We should conclude that
and then concentrate on a short bridging protocol to provide
our forces with the necessary authorities and immunities
after December 31 until a SOFA could be concluded. The
Ambassador urged Talabani to convene the Executive Council to
assist PM Maliki in coming to a decision. Talabani said he
agreed with our approach, would convene the Presidency
Council first and then the executive Council.

Talabani's Personal Diplomacy in Mideast, Europe
-------------- ---


5. (C) Talabani enumerated his recent diplomatic maneuvers
to bring world leaders to Iraq. He invited leaders from
Greece, Hungary, and Pakistan to Iraq at last week's
Socialist International Conference in Athens, in both his and
Prime Minister Maliki's name, and said UAE Foreign Minister
Abdallah bin Zayid on his recent visit to Baghdad invited
Talabani, Maliki, and COR Speaker Mashhadani to Abu Dhabi.
Talabani also expressed high hopes for the planned visits of
Jordanian King Abdallah and Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan,
stressing the value in particular of strengthening ties to
Jordan and publicizing the recent bilateral oil agreement.

Kurds Will Compromise on Kirkuk Election, Hydrocarbons
-------------- --------------


6. (C) The Ambassador pressed Talabani for a moderate
Kurdish stance on the Kirkuk election impasse. Many Kurdish
leaders, the Ambassador noted, insist on delaying the
provincial election pending difficult preconditions like the
total implementation of Article 140; Talabani laughed and
said the USG should not listen to such voices, seemingly
indicating they represent a mere negotiating ploy. Barham
Salih commended Mashhadani,s efforts to resolve the
deadlock, prompting Talabani to observe with amusement that
Mashhadani is becoming a wise man.


7. (C) Talabani acknowledged that U.S. policymakers are
unhappy at the latest Kurdish proposal on the hydrocarbon
legislation, but said the USG must make its exact position
clearer. The President said he could encourage KRG President
Barzani to moderate, and that the U.S. position strongly
influences how Barzani views the issue, but that all parties

BAGHDAD 00002153 002 OF 002


are looking (so far in vain) to the U.S. to endorse a
particular compromise on an oil law.

Isolate Ulayan to Bring Tawafuq Back
--------------


8. (C) Salih said negotiations for Tawafuq's return had
taken a turn for the worse the night before -- Khalaf Ulayan
demanded the Ministry of Higher Education for his NCD, which
both Prime Minister Maliki and Vice President Hashemi oppose.
Talabani welcomed in principle the idea of Ulayan leaving
Tawafuq, calling such a departure consistent with his
longtime belief in forming a core of Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish
moderates to isolate extremists like Ulayan. Separately,
Talabani praised the nomination as Minister of Justice of
Dara Noor al-Din, a Kurd, and said both Maliki and Hashemi
think highly of him.
CROCKER