Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAGHDAD3139
2008-09-28 12:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

ERBIL: KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (KDP) POLITBURO

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003139 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: ERBIL: KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (KDP) POLITBURO
CHIEF FADHIL MERANI THINKS COMPROMISE SOLUTION ON KIRKUK
POSSIBLE

Classified By: Regional Coordinator Lucy Tamlyn for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

This is an Erbil Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) cable.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003139

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: ERBIL: KURDISTAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY (KDP) POLITBURO
CHIEF FADHIL MERANI THINKS COMPROMISE SOLUTION ON KIRKUK
POSSIBLE

Classified By: Regional Coordinator Lucy Tamlyn for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d)

This is an Erbil Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) cable.


1. (C) Summary: In a September 23 courtesy call, KDP
Politburo head Fadhil Merani expressed the view that a
political solution could be found to resolve the Article 140
impasse, and stated that in the absence of agreement, a delay
was better than resorting to violence. He made a number of
observations which indicated that he sees the best hope for
the Kurdistan Region's future as part of a unified Iraq. He
acknowledged the KDP's influence over the executive and
legislative branches and defended the party as a secular,
inclusive body. In response to a question on recent attacks
on the independent media, Merani claimed there was a
conspiracy to blame Kurds for the recent assassination of a
journalist in Kirkuk. End summary.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kurdistan Region,s Future Should Be In A Unified Iraq
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


2. (SBU) On September 23, Deputy Team Leader (DTL) and Erbil
RRTOff met with Fadhil Merani, who is the chief of the
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP),and his Information
Secretary, Amad Mayi, at the KDP office in Sary Rash,
Kurdistan. This was a cordial first visit for both DTL and
IPAO with Merani, who discussed important issues and
recounted the history of Kurdish-American relations. Merani
stressed that "democracy in the Kurdish Region cannot
survive" without "democracy in Iraq," particularly in the
face of pressure from regional neighbors - Iran, Turkey,
Syria and Jordan/Egypt - each with its own agenda
(respectively Shia dominance, support for Turkomen, resurgent
Baathism and Arab nationalism, according to Merani.) He
objected to recent statements made by Kurdish National
Assembly (KNA) Speaker Adnan Mufti in the press (restated at
a 9/11 memorial event hosted by the RRT) concerning the
GOI,s planned purchase of 36 F-16 fighter planes from the
U.S. (Mufti had asked that Washington and Baghdad promise
not to use weapons against the Kurds.) Merani supports the

arming of GOI forces, and believes it is necessary for
strategic regional defense.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kirkuk: Perhaps a "Lebanese Solution"
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3. (SBU) On Kirkuk, Merani believes that if the issue cannot
be resolved quickly, decision-makers should put the issue
aside for two to three years to allow emotions to cool.
However, he did state that a decision might be possible in
the next couple of weeks and indicated that he would be part
of a delegation going to Baghdad to discuss this following
the return of President Talabani. A solution would require
concessions. One possibility, he said, would be to have
power-sharing like in Lebanon, such as appointments based on
ethnicity (e.g., a Kurdish Governor, a Turkoman Deputy
Governor, etc.). Another option would be to have a planned
rotation of senior level positions, (e.g. this year a Kurd is
Governor; at the next opportunity, the slot would go to a
Christian governor). He said that an agreement on
power-sharing could even be struck before the elections -
just so long as elections went forward. He noted that the
Kurds had already agreed to a division of administrative
positions (something they in fact welcome, he claimed, as
Kurds are under-represented in administrative positions in
Kirkuk, such as at the Northern Oil Company). On Iraqi
elections, he stated his belief that the Dawa party does not
want the elections in Iraq to go forward because they
received a disproportionate share of influence in the last
election due to boycotts.

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Vive le KDP
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4. (SBU) On the KDP, Mr. Merani believes that the party is
inclusive and that it attracts members from all religions and
ethnic groups. He acknowledged without further comment that
the party has control over both the executive and legislative
branches of the KRG. He worked to refute claims the party is
"tribal-based," loyal only to President Barzani or the
Barzani clan. Rather, Kurds respect the Barzani name because
the Barzanis have been fighting for Kurdish rights since the
First World War, he said. He said KDP officials believe
other Kurdish political parties, including the PUK, are
splintered offshoots of the KDP. Asked to describe which

BAGHDAD 00003139 002 OF 002


political party in Western Europe he identified with, Merani
could not identify an analogy. He pointed out that the PUK
is associated with Socialist International, but the KDP is
"liberal" not "socialist." Asked to give his vision of the
KDP 5-10 years from now, Merani had no specific response.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SFA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


5. (SBU) In current negotiations over the Strategic
Framework Agreement (SFA),Merani believes the agreement is
supported by the Kurds and the Communists, but will find
opposition among both Sunni and Shia Arabs. He finds this
ironic, in that current U.S. policy appears to offer greater
support to Arabs. He believes that Iran would like to see a
stalled SFA, which would put the U.S. in an awkward
international position, and possibly promote an early U.S.
withdrawal, and allow greater Iranian influence in Iraq,s
affairs. He stated Iranian influence has gone all the way to
President Maliki,s office. He said "we agree at night, but
by day, people are getting calls on mobiles" (alluding to
Iranian/Turkish pressure in the decision-making process). He
stated that President Maliki was purposefully stalling the
SFA.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Role of the Press
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6. (SBU) Merani mused that Iraqi society is still at least a
century behind Western thinking in some respects, and that
the Iraqi people will need time to evolve. He mentioned his
son, and that he is a different generation, with more open
ideas. (Note: Merani is a dual U.S./Iraqi national with one
adult son living and working in Virginia.) However, he
repeatedly stressed interference by regional neighbors as
Iraq,s most looming problem today.


7. (SBU) As for allegations about crackdowns on a free
press, he warned that journalists "must be careful." They
they need to be guided more by "nationalism." He stated that
journalists were not always professional, and that it would
be better to slowly permit more freedom as journalistic
professionalism evolves. He said that some journalists are
funded by Turkey and Iran, and that there was a conspiracy to
link the Kurds with the assassinations of journalists in
Kirkuk.


8. (C) Comment: As head of the KDP, Merani wields great
influence and is part of the KRG inner-circle of
decision-makers, but it is unlikely that his leadership will
take the party past its current corporatist structure. His
advocacy of negotiation and compromise on larger political
issues contrasts with views of some of his harder-line
colleagues. Given that we have heard allegations (but not
definitive evidence) about possible KDP involvement in the
July murder of Livn Magazine,s Kirkuk Bureau Chief Soran
Hama (reftel),Merani's advice to journalists to "be careful"
has an ominous ring. End comment



CROCKER