PRESIDENT TALABANI DISCUSSES DISSATISFACTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000680 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV IR IZ SUBJECT: PRESIDENT TALABANI DISCUSSES DISSATISFACTION WITHIN GOI; AHMADENIJAD VISIT; ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In a March 4 meeting with the Ambassador, President Talabani said he will meet with PM Maliki on March 5 to talk about the impasse surrounding Tawafuq,s return to the government, and said he understood that many in the IIP leadership are dissatisfied with Hashimi and plan to talk to Maliki about it. Talabani related that in his private meeting with Iranian President Ahmadenijad he asked Ahmadenijad to ask Maliki to be more flexible and reasonable; not to use tough anti-American language during the visit; and to "keep JAM quiet." Talabani confirmed that he will not/not attend the upcoming Arab League summit in Damascus. End Summary. Discord Within the Executive Council -------------- ¶2. (C) Talabani said he had received VP Adel Abdul Mehdi's comments on the provincial powers law, and had told him that he should have let the law pass and then discussed his objections. Talabani commented that while Dawa and the Sadrists said today that Adel had violated the omnibus agreement reached in the Council of Representatives (whereby the provincial powers, budget, and amnesty laws were passed together) by separating out and vetoing one of the laws, VP Tariq al Hashimi claimed that Adel had the right to do so. The Ambassador encouraged Talabani to work with Adel, Hashimi, and the CoR to find a way to deal with Adel,s objections without going through the whole amendment process. ¶3. (C) The Executive Council will meet on March 6, Talabani said, and he will be meeting with PM Maliki on March 5 to talk frankly about the impasse in achieving Tawafuq,s return to the government. Talabani said that Maliki argues that he has done quite a bit in terms of meeting Hashimi,s demands: he supported the amnesty, provincial powers, and de-Baathification laws and created the Executive Council, but it,s not enough for Hashimi. "I,ll encourage him to be more patient," Talabani sighed, "and I,ll see Tariq tonight and encourage him, too -- he needs to take into consideration what the PM has already done." Leaning forward and speaking quietly, Talabani confided that he had heard from Nassir al-Ani -- "who is a moderate" -- that many in the IIP leadership are dissatisfied with Hashimi, and that they are going to speak to Maliki about it. Ahmadenijad Visit; Arab League Summit -------------- ¶4. (C) During Iranian President Ahmadenijad,s March 2-3 visit to Baghdad, Talabani said that in his private conversation with Ahmadenijad he asked him to ask Maliki to be more flexible and reasonable; not to use tough anti-American language during the visit; and to "keep JAM quiet, since otherwise it will create civil war between the sheikhs." On the last point, Ahmadenijad said he would do so. Talabani also clarified that his discussion with Ahmadenijad of the MEK was in the context of an Iranian request that the GOI use all force to expel the MEK members, and that he told them the GOI cannot use force but can only ask the MEK to leave. The Iranians did not press the point, Talabani noted. ¶5. (C) Talabani told the Ambassador that he would not/not attend the upcoming Arab League summit in Damascus, saying (with a twinkle) that he would be very busy when the summit is held, as he must go up to Kurdistan to deal with some PUK business, but that perhaps Adel might attend. He added that he understands many Arab leaders may not attend, but that his decision was made and conveyed to the Arab League independently and before the news of potential Arab leaders defections was generally known. CROCKER