Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAGHDAD3310
2008-10-14 08:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

ERBIL: DEPUTY SECRETARY DISCUSSES SOFA, PKK

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM PINR IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9936
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003310 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR IZ
SUBJECT: ERBIL: DEPUTY SECRETARY DISCUSSES SOFA, PKK
ATTACK, PROVINCIAL REPRESENTATION FOR MINORITIES WITH
PRESIDENT TALIBANI

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 003310

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR IZ
SUBJECT: ERBIL: DEPUTY SECRETARY DISCUSSES SOFA, PKK
ATTACK, PROVINCIAL REPRESENTATION FOR MINORITIES WITH
PRESIDENT TALIBANI

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 an October 4 meeting in Sulaymaniyah
with Iraq's Presidency Council and Deputy Prime Minister
Barham Salih, Iraq President Jalal Talibani told visiting
Deputy Secretary Negroponte and Ambassador Crocker that the
Presidency Council would propose adding Article 50 (election
quotas for religious minorities) to the recently-passed
election law. He condemned the Kurdistan Workers, Party
(PKK) killing of fifteen Turkish soldiers, at a time when
relations between the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and
Turkey were improving. The Deputy Secretary called gaining
agreement on a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) the highest
priority for the United States in Iraq. He urged President
Talibani to make a strong pitch in support of the SOFA in the
Iraqi parliament and with the public (reported separately).
End summary.


2. (C) Deputy Secretary John Negroponte and Ambassador
Crocker met Iraqi President Jalal Talibani on October 4 at
President Talibani,s compound outside Sulaymaniyah.
President Talibani was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister
Barham Salih (Kurd, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) and Vice
President Tariq Al-Hashimi (Sunni Arab, Iraqi Islamic Party).
Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi (Shia Arab, Islamic Supreme
Council of Iraq) joined the group after lunch. Other U.S.
participants included Senior Advisor Tom Krajeski and Erbil
Regional Reconstruction Team Deputy Team Leader Tamlyn
(notetaker).


3. (C) The Deputy Secretary led off the discussion by noting
that there were important bilateral issues that needed to be
resolved before the end of the year. This was a moment of
opportunity for Iraq, he said, and it was in Iraq,s interest
that there be forward momentum as the next American
Administration came on board. Agreement on a Status of
Forces Agreement (SOFA) was the highest priority for the
United States right now. Comparing notes with President
Talibani on the Kirkuk issue, Deputy Secretary Negroponte

remarked that in his visit that morning it had been good to
see the Provincial Council meeting again, and that the
chemistry appeared good among the members. Talibani
commented that having a Turcoman Front representative head
the Municipal Council was a good example of power-sharing.
He expressed his conviction that the Kirkuk situation, while
complicated, could be solved by working on a consensus basis.

Amending the Election Law
--------------


4. (C) President Talibani informed the Deputy Secretary that
the Presidency Council had agreed that the recently-passed
provincial election law should be signed and returned to
Parliament with a proposed amendment which would reinstate
Article 50 (guaranteeing representation for religious
minorities). He claimed that this could be done without
re-opening the law. He commented that leaving out the
article in question had attracted a lot of negative
international attention. He had received many calls,
including a call from the Vatican, on the issue.

Relations with Turkey
--------------


5. (C) President Talibani called the PKK killing of fifteen
Turkish soldiers earlier that day a "very bad" development --
particularly as it came at a time when KRG relations with
Turkey were improving. He complained that "when we pressure
the PKK they say they will respect the cease-fire, but then
they do not." To illustrate the point, he reported that PKK
founding leader Abdullah Ocalan had sent him a letter (from
prison) saying that the PKK wanted peace and was ready to lay
down arms, but it was clear they were scheming otherwise.
Talibani reported that in his UNGA meeting with the Turkish
PM, Erdogan had expressed his wish to visit Iraq -- both
North and South -- and had said "kind words" about the KRG.
Talibani suggested the visit should include Basra and Kirkuk
as well as Baghdad and Erbil. (Note: Both the KRG and the
Government of Iraq condemned the killings the same day, as
reported in reftel. End comment.)

Energy Issues and Hydrocarbon Legislation
--------------


6. (C) President Talibani recalled that Iraq had agreed with
Turkey to build a gas pipeline through Turkey to supply

BAGHDAD 00003310 002 OF 002


Western Europe. There would be two new pipelines -- a new
one for oil and the gas pipeline. He also mentioned that a
four-country (Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria) Energy Summit was
to be held in Izmir with Ministers of Oil (no date given).
Deputy Prime Minister Salih voiced concern that Iraq,s oil
exports were dropping due to poor management -- to his mind,
this was a bigger problem than lack of hydrocarbons
legislation. Concerning the long-pending legislation, the
Deputy Secretary noted that he had invested considerable time
working with KRG President Barzani and KRG Prime Minister
Barzani to get them to support the law. Ambassador Crocker
urged returning to the February 2007 hydrocarbons agreement;
he noted that the Kurdistan region also needed to desist from
signing new contracts until legislation was passed.


7. (C) President Talibani said that this topic had also been
discussed the day before with President Barzani. They had
agreed that any contracts must be consistent with the
Constitution. If contracts turned out not to be consistent
with the Constitution, they would need to be changed. He
noted that according to the Constitution, any new contract
was to be done by the Central and Regional governments
"together." However, the key word, "together" had been left
out of the latest draft of the hydrocarbons legislation.

President Talibani,s UNGA Meetings
--------------


8. (C) President Talibani reported on bilateral meetings held
in with Japan and Iran in New York. The Japanese Prime
Minister had been very solicitous and had asked for a
projects "wish list" from the Iraqis. Deputy Prime Minister
Barham Salih noted that the Japanese presence was increasing:
Iraq had received a USD 5 billion soft loan from Japan of
which USD 3.5 billion was already committed. Plans were
afoot for a Japanese-Iraq Business Forum meeting in Erbil.


9. (C) President Talibani reported that Iranian President
Ahmadinejad had said "something very strange" to him, that
"if there were guarantees, we will stop enrichment."
Talibani had asked him if he had told this to the Americans
or Europeans. Ahmadinejad said "I told (IAEA head) El
Baradei." Barham Salih commented that the Iranians were
active in commerce and some joint ventures, but they were
very keen on moving into banking. Looking ahead to elections
in Iran, Talibani said frankly "they need a new President;"
Khatami might have a chance if he were able to rally all of
the reformers around him. At the same time, Talibani
acknowledged that the real power in Iran did not lie in the
Presidency. The most important institutions right now were
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Supreme Leader.

Looking Ahead: Topics for KDP/PUK Discussion; Visitors and
Events in Baghdad
-------------- --------------


10. (C) President Talibani closed the meeting by informing
the Deputy Secretary that the KDP and PUK would be meeting on
October 5. In a new tack, they would start with Iraq issues
rather than Kurdistan issues. The oil law would be one of
the first topics; they would also discuss KDP/PUK power
sharing. President Talibani informed the Deputy Secretary
that Egyptian President Mubarak had authorized the
"formalization" of the Iraq-Egyptian Cooperation Agreement.
Future visits to Baghdad included the Egyptian Prime Minister
and the Prime Ministers of Kuwait and Lebanon. (Note: The
Egyptian Foreign Minister visited Talibani the next day in
Sulaymaniyah. End note.) Talibani also noted that the
Iraq-U.S. Economic Dialogue was scheduled to be held in
Baghdad with the participation of major U.S. companies by the
end of the month.


11. (C) DepSec staff has cleared this cable.

CROCKER