GOI SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED UNSCR

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000987 SIPDIS SIPDIS TREASURY; NSC; STATE FOR IO/PSC-ECROWE, IO/UNP-EGOLDRICH E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018 TAGS: ETTC IZ PREL PTER XF SUBJECT: GOI SUPPORT FOR PROPOSED UNSCR REF: SECSTATE 22941 Classified By: Classified by EMIN Charles Ries for reasons 1.5 (b) and 1.5(d) ¶1. EMIN, accompanied by Acting Economics Counselor and Deputy Treasury Attach, met with National Security Advisor Mowaffak al-Roubaie on Sunday, March 30, to discuss GOI interest to either revise the scope of UNSCR 1518 or to take the lead in lobbying for the passage of a new UNSCR that will target Iraqis and third country nationals/entities who assist the insurgency and/or threaten the peace and stability of Iraq. ¶2. EMIN also shared with NSA Roubaie a letter signed jointly by Ambassador Crocker and General Petraeus, urging Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to support this effort. ¶3. In reply, NSA Roubaie explained that the Prime Minister is "aware" of this new UNSCR idea and "happy about it." He said that "on behalf of the PM" he would reply shortly to General Petraeus' and Ambassador Crocker's letter. The reply would announce designation of a committee (led by Minister of State Dr. Safa al Safi and including as members Hamza Sharif, General Radwan, as well as representatives of the MFA and Ministry of Finance) to work with the U.S. on the proposal. ¶4. Roubaie commented, however, that it would be "very difficult" to envisage Libya agreeing to advocate for such a UNSCR following Qaddafi's comments at the recent Arab League Summit. According to Roubaie, Qaddafi made an impassioned speech against the U.S. presence in Iraq, stating to the participants that "All of you will go the same way as Saddam. The Americans will depose you as they did Saddam." Roubaie considered that, under the circumstances, the Libyans would not be sympathetic to a plea from Iraq and hence would not be an appropriate mechanism to propose the UNSCR to the UNSC. ¶5. Roubaie suggested that EMIN and Treasury Attach continue to "socialize" the new or amended UNSCR with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance. (We are seeing Minister of Finance Jabr on March 31 and Minister of Foreign Affairs Zebari on April 1.) ¶6. EMIN noted it would be important to obtain a definitive Iraqi decision to proceed prior to the spring bank-fund meetings so that the event could be used to build support. ¶7. Finally, Roubaie commented unprompted, "It will be important for this to be seen as an Iraqi initiative, with U.S. support only in the background." CROCKER