DFM ABBAWI ON BORDER SECURITY WORKING GROUP, THE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000806

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/17/2018
TAGS: PBTS PREL PTER EG IR IZ LE RU SY
SUBJECT: DFM ABBAWI ON BORDER SECURITY WORKING GROUP, THE
ARAB LEAGUE, SYRIA, AND IRAN

REF: BAGHDAD 744

BAGHDAD 00000806 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: POL-MIL MINISTER-COUNSELOR MARCIE B. RIES, REASONS 1.4(B
) AND (D)


1. (S) SUMMARY: In a March 16 call on Pol-Mil M/C, Iraqi DFM
Labeed Abbawi discussed preparations for the next Border
Security Working Group in Damascus and Iraqi participation in
the Arab League Summit. PM Maliki would lead Iraq's
delegation to the latter in what Abbawi attempted to portray
as "low-profile" participation. Abbawi agreed to raise
foreign terrorist infiltration with Syria during upcoming
engagements while revealing that he felt Iranian activities
were currently of more concern. He further discussed
diplomatic steps to address the PKK problem, was briefed on a
U.S. proposal to open a new border crossing with Kuwait to
supply Camp Bucca, and noted that Russian DFM Saltanov and
the chairman of Lukoil would be visiting Baghdad March 24-25.
END SUMMARY.

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BORDER SECURITY WORKING GROUP IN APRIL
--------------


2. (S) Abbawi related that Syria had offered to host the next
Border Security Working Group in Damascus in the time frame
April 10-15. He would gather his team to review the
potential agenda in a few days and requested input from the
U.S., to which Pol-Mil M/C readily agreed. She suggested
that Iraq focus on specific concrete measures which had a
realistic chance of being implemented.

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MALIKI TO ATTEND ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT
--------------


3. (S) Abbawi revealed that PM Maliki, FM Zebari, Minister of
Trade al-Sudani, and himself would represent Iraq at the Arab
League Summit in what he described as a "low-profile"
delegation. Pol-Mil M/C emphasized the very real concerns
about the signal sent by high-level attendance, considering
Syria's activities in Lebanon and questioned whether a
delegation headed by the Prime Minister could realistically
be described as "low-profile", even if he was, as Abbawi
stated, fourth in protocol order after the president and the
two vice-presidents. Abbawi admitted that it would be
problematic if Lebanon's seat was empty due to a failure to
elect a President by the time of the summit.

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APPROACHING SYRIA ON FOREIGN TERRORISTS
--------------


4. (S) Pol-Mil M/C emphasized that foreQn terrorists
continued to flow into Iraq through Syria and suggested that
the GOI again take this up with the SARG. Abbawi replied
that he had been very direct with Syria at the first Border
Security Working Group last August, eliciting displeasure
from the Syrians and Iranians. He had emphasized the need
for Syria to take action regarding foreign terrorists
transiting Damascus Airport, and it appeared that they had
taken some action in this regard. In order to ask for
further action from the Syrians, he would need to provide
specifics. Pol-Mil M/C promised to help Abbawi in this vein.
NOTE: Post will work with MNF-I to provide updated briefings
for DFM Abbawi and the Iraqi delegation to the Border
Security Working Group regarding Syria's involvement with
foreign terrorists and facilitators. END NOTE.

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IRANIAN PROVOCATIONS INCREASING
--------------


5. (S) Abbawi volunteered that he saw Iran's recent
activities as more problematic than Syria's. Citing an
upsurge in violence in al Kut and Basrah, a major discovery
of rockets in Samawa, and reports of Iranian weapons entering

BAGHDAD 00000806 002.2 OF 002


Basrah "by the truckload," Abbawi was clearly worried that
Iran was attempting to escalate violence in Iraq. He posited
that Iran might be trying to send a message to the U.S. or
the GOI, and that Iran seemed to be feeling increasingly
confident. Examples of this included Ahmadinejad's unwelcome
rhetoric during his Iraq visit, Iran's nuclear intransigence,
and its recent cross-border artillery bombardment of Qandil,
all buttressed by what Abbawi saw as the strong showing of
the hardliners in the Majles elections. Abbawi dismissed
Iran's attempt at the recent OIC Summit to insert itself into
diplomacy regarding the PKK through a proposal for trilateral
Iran-Iraq-Turkey discussions. The PKK was not an Iranian
problem, especially now that Turkey and Iraq had tacitly
agreed on a way ahead, stated Abbawi.

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DIPLOMACY WITH TURKEY
--------------


6. (S) Abbawi confirmed that he expected Turkish Iraq Advisor
Ozcelik to meet with KRG PM Nechirvan Barzani in Baghdad to
discuss the PKK problem (reftel),an initiative which he
described as "his idea." No date had been set for this
visit, which would probably not be publicized in advance.
The KRG felt that it was not receiving sufficient recognition
from Turkey, but the Ozcelik visit could begin to change this
perception. While expressing his favorable impression of
Ozcelik, Abbawi opined that there was a split at the highest
levels of the Turkish government, with the recent legal
action to ban the AKP being the latest example.

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BUCCA BORDER CROSSING
--------------


7. (C) Pol-Mil M/C took the opportunity to explain to Abbawi
that the U.S. had proposed that Kuwait open a new border
crossing near Camp Bucca to greatly shorten the distance
which logistics convoys would need to travel to support
MNF-I's largest detention facility. The opening could also
make it much easier for the ICRC to make regular visits to
the facility. Abbawi reacted positively to the proposal.

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NEIGHBORS, EMBASSIES, RUSSIANS
--------------


8. (C) Abbawi revealed that all Gulf states would be invited
to the April 22 Expanded Neighbors Ministerial in Kuwait. He
said that Egypt had promised to send a delegation to Baghdad
by the end of March to review security with a view to
reopening its embassy and requested information regarding the
Saudi proposed Baghdad embassy location so that he could
follow up with them. Abbawi noted that Russian DFM Saltanov
would be visiting March 24-25 and that he would be
accompanied by the chairman of Lukoil.
CROCKER