KKRG SECURITY CHIEF ON JULY 28 SUICIDE BOMBING AT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002380 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM PTER TU IZ SUBJECT: KKRG SECURITY CHIEF ON JULY 28 SUICIDE BOMBING AT KIRKUK DEMONSTRATION Classified By: Senior Advisor Krajeski: Reasons 1.4 (b and d). Classified by Senior Advisor Krajeski: Reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The KRG's security chief Masrour Barzani told Senior Advisor Krajeski July 29 that the investigation into the July 28 bombing in Kirkuk has uncovered evidence of Turkomen complicity. S/A Krajeski cautioned against provocative public statements until we know definitively what happened and told Masrour we are giving the same message to other parties, including the Turkish government. Masrour is not closely involved in negotiations over the Provincial Elections Law, but said the Kurds are being blamed disproportionately for the impasse. Commenting on allegations of oppression of religious minorities by Kurdish security forces, Masrour called for referenda to distinguish generally pro-KRG popular sentiment from the anti-Kurd leaders who profess to speak for minority communities. Masrour said he had not seen a July 29 BBC broadcast of an interview with PKK leader Murat Karyilan, but said KRG policy is to prevent such interviews and he would look into it. End summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kurdish Allegations of Turkomen Complicity in Kirkuk Bombing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (C) Senior Advisor (S/A) Krajeski's July 29 meeting in Baghdad with Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) security chief Masrour Barzani focused on the investigation into the July 28 explosion during the demonstration in Kirkuk organized by the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) to protest the Provincial Elections Law. Acknowledging press reports that the attack was perpetrated by a female suicide bomber, Masrour said investigators have not yet arrived at a definitive finding on the cause of explosion. He said the initial explosion appears to have killed at least eleven people, but small arms fire originating from outside the crowd killed at least that many as well. The number of wounded is at least 170, he said, overwhelmingly Kurdish. ¶3. (C) According to Masrour, one of the wounded was an ethnic Turkoman police officer, who subsequently was detained and confessed to security officials that he was one of a group who shot into the crowd following the explosion. Masrour claimed that the police officer said a senior police officer named Amad (Masrour did not provide the officer's ethnicity, but the implication was that he was Turkoman too) organized the small arms attack ahead of time. Masrour said Amad may have been wounded in the attack but has not yet been apprehended. He said the evidence of shooting "changes the scenario," and that at this "tense time," discovery of a plot is "bigger than the bomb itself." ¶4. (C) Senior Advisor Krajeski evinced skepticism, asking why the Turkomen would have an incentive to attack Kurdish demonstrators. He said we have been impressing upon the Turkish government, for example, the importance of refraining from provocative statements until we find out what really happened. PolOff reinforced towards the end of the meeting, to which Masrour responded that "bad guys are bad guys," and the KRG cannot stay silent in the face of such threats. Masrour said Turkish accusations of Kurdish provocation are to "cover up" their own activities. He did say that some of the investigators called for public broadcasting of the taped confession on Kurdish TV and radio last night, but that Masrour had not allowed it. ¶5. (C) Masrour said that demonstrations against the Provincial Elections Law today in Erbil, Sulimaniyah, and Dohuk would proceed as planned. He said that, while it is "impossible" to prevent all attacks, the KRG would augment security. Told that S/A would travel to Kirkuk July 30, Masrour said security threats remain but there is no specific elevated threat as a result of these incidents that Americans have to worry about. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kurds Feel Unfairly Blamed for Provincial Elections Impasse - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶6. (C) S/A Krajeski said we are pressing hard to try to get a new Provincial Elections Law passed, and are focusing on power-sharing proposals regarding distribution of senior level provincial positions. Masrour said Rosh Shaways is the lead Kurdish negotiator, so he does not have knowledge of the latest proposals. Nevertheless, he said the Kurds reject calls to specifically apportion council positions, "otherwise, why bother having elections?" Masrour said the Kurds were catching the blame, but that they welcome BAGHDAD 00002380 002 OF 002 provincial elections, whereas some of the Arabs do not. ¶7. (C) Masrour acknowledged there could be changes in provincial administrations in some currently Kurdish-run provinces, but cautioned against automatic assumptions that the 2005 elections were completely biased in the Kurds' favor or that new elections in places like Ninewa would automatically result in the Kurdish parties losing power. He claimed that ballot shortages in Kurdish areas in 2005 resulted in some under-counting of Kurdish vote totals. Rejecting what he called "chauvinist Sunnis" who blame the Kurds for everything, Masrour said Kurds had never claimed Mosul as a Kurdish city, but they deserve the right to live there as others do. He cited Sinjar, in particular, as historically and still strongly Kurdish. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Response to Reports of Kurdish Abuses - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (C) S/A Krajeski said that he will meet with representatives of all community groups on his Kirkuk trip and an upcoming visit to Ninewa. He told Masrour that we remain concerned with the rights of minority groups in particular. Masrour responded that we need to make distinctions between the popular attitudes of these groups and statements by self-appointed (and, in his view) anti-Kurdish leaders. He described MP Osama al-Nujaifi (Sunni Arab, Iraqiyya) as waging a "very dangerous campaign" against the Kurds, and cited his Ottoman and Ba'athi connections. Masrour called for referenda in disputed areas to ascertain people's true wishes regarding whether to join the KRG. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - KRG Policy not to Allow Press Interviews with PKK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶9. (C) S/A Krajeski asked Masrour about a BBC interview with PKK chief Murat Karyilan that aired July 29 and expressed concern that interviews like this could happen. He noted that the Turkish Government would be unhappy. Masrour said he had not heard of the report but would look into it and get back to us. He said KRG policy is to prevent such interviews if they know about them ahead of time. According to Masrour, KRG coordination with the Turkish government had improved recently: "exchanging information is paving the way for future cooperation." CROCKER