ROMANIA: A NEW UNSCR IS ONLY VIABLE OPTION FOR

S E C R E T BUCHAREST 000852

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CLASSIFIED BY

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/31/2023
TAGS: KTIA MARR PGOV PREL SOFA RO
SUBJECT: ROMANIA: A NEW UNSCR IS ONLY VIABLE OPTION FOR
STAYING IN IRAQ

REF: A. BUCHAREST 804

B. BUCHAREST 576

C. BUCHAREST 463

Classified By: Charge Jeri Guthrie-Corn; Reasons 1.4(b
) and (d).


1. (S) In an October 30 meeting, MFA Director General for
Bilateral Relations Anca Mantulescu told POLMILOFF that there
is no longer a window for Parliament to approve a SOFA with
Iraq. She said, "I think your plan B for a UNSCR needs to
become your plan A." She added that the demands for forming
a government and naming the Legislative Committee members
will not be completed in time for MPs to also review and
discuss an Iraqi SOFA, regardless of an advance receipt of
the U.S. SOFA template. Mantulescu underscored that the only
viable option for Romania at this stage is an extension on
UNSCR 1790, if Romania is to maintain its military forces in
Iraq. She emphasized that Romania is committed to the
mission, and that "this comes out of our experience living
under a dictatorship; I personally feel that Romania must
stick with the coalition and help the Iraqi government!" But
she added that without something that allows Romania to abide
by its own laws, it would have to withdraw.


2. (S) Members of the Romanian Joint Staff told Mission's
Army Attache on October 31 that absent a SOFA or UNSCR
extension, Romania was required by law to remove all troops
from Iraq "no later than midnight on the night of 31
December." These officers also did not believe that a
Romania SOFA had any chance of being adopted within the
current calendar year. They further stated that their plan
was to begin by November 15, coordinating the redeployment of
Romanian forces with the U.S. unless they were to receive
strong assurances that a legal mechanism could be found to
keep their forces in place.


3. (SBU) These conversations followed comments made on
October 25 by Defense Minister Melescanu who, in response to
a reporter's question about the absence of a SOFA and
Romania's options, said, "The Romanian army is not an
occupying force in Iraq. It is there following the request
of the Iraqi government and on the basis of an international
mandate. If this mandate is not renewed, or if the Iraqi
government can dispose of this support, Romanian troops will
return home. In all likelihood, the U.S. will sign an
agreement with the Iraqi government -- an agreement to which
we can be associated -- if we are officially invited and our
support is requested."


4. (S) Comment: As reported in Ref A, the window for
Romania to have its own SOFA is virtually closed; the two
week grace period has ended. MFA and MOD are clear that only
an extension of the UNSCR would salvage Romania's efforts to
keep its troops in Iraq. Even that prospect, however, is
still dependent upon Romania receiving a formal invitation
from Baghdad to stay. No letter of invitation has yet been
received. Mission believes it would be prudent for
Washington to raise more formally with coalition partners the
prospects of an extension of UNSCR 1790, or perhaps a new
UNSCR that would at least cover the needs of those coalition
partners -- like Romania -- that are in critical need of a
legal framework in order to complete the mission in Iraq.
This could conceivably be a hybrid solution: continued and
hopefully successful negotiation of the U.S. SOFA plus an
extended or new UNSCR to allow negotiating time for the other
coalition partners invited to remain. End Comment.
GUTHRIE-CORN