Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08GENEVA768
2008-09-10 14:48:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Mission Geneva
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHGV #0768/01 2541448 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 101448Z SEP 08 FM USMISSION GENEVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7164 INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 1026 RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0272 RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0823
C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000768
SIPDIS
AMMAN FOR REFUGEE COORDINATOR
BAGHDAD FOR REFUGEE AND IDP AFFAIRS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO PRM/ANE AND PRM/MCE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2018
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL SY IZ
SUBJECT: IOM PROTOCOL BREACH
REF: A. STATE 96044
B. DAMASCUS 630
C. DAMASCUS 496
Classified By: RMA COUNSELOR FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D.
C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000768
SIPDIS
AMMAN FOR REFUGEE COORDINATOR
BAGHDAD FOR REFUGEE AND IDP AFFAIRS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO PRM/ANE AND PRM/MCE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2018
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL SY IZ
SUBJECT: IOM PROTOCOL BREACH
REF: A. STATE 96044
B. DAMASCUS 630
C. DAMASCUS 496
Classified By: RMA COUNSELOR FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D.
1. (C) Summary: Officials at the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) expressed their assurances that IOM staff
will not travel to Syria again without prior authorization of
the Syrian authorities and were quite surprised at the tough
line taken by the Syrian Ambassador in Geneva over this
incident. RMA officers expressed USG dismay that the
unauthorized visit occurred in the first place and stressed
that any future incidents could have a tremendously negative
impact on resettlement processing in Syria. Regarding the
appointment of a new Special Envoy of the Director General to
Iraq, the selection is in the works, but IOM will wait the
arrival of the new Director General before being finalized.
End Summary.
Bureaucracy Not an Excuse
--------------
2. (C) Peter Mulrean, Counselor for Refugee and Migration
Affairs (RMA),and Nick Hilgert, RMA, met with Robert Paiva,
Director for External Relations, International Organization
for Migration (IOM),and Redhouane Saadi, Regional Advisor
for the Middle East, to deliver the talking points outlined
in Ref. A. Mulrean stressed to Paiva and Saadi that we are
very disappointed with IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Rafiq
Tschannen's decision to travel to Syria without proper
authorization from the Syrian authorities and explained that
the U.S. government and IOM could not afford to take any
actions that would allow the Syrians to call into question
our resettlement operations in Syria.
3. (C) Paiva agreed that IOM shares a common interest with
the U.S. government to build on the access obtained already
in Syria. Paiva said that IOM too had been surprised at the
incident and mentioned that the Syrian Ambassador in Geneva
had expressed in clear and strong terms his government's
disappointment with IOM to the Director General, Brunson
McKinley. Saadi told us separately that the Syrian
Ambassador told McKinley that "this incident was viewed in
Damascus as a provocation."
4. (C) Paiva recognized that the visit should not have
taken place. He said that Tschannen had explained that he
traveled to Syria under pressure of the Iraqi Minister of
Displacement and Migration (MODM) and that he traveled to
Syria as many other international organization employees do
on a regular basis from Jordan. Mulrean stressed that IOM
officials are well aware of the restrictions placed on IOM
personnel and that burdensome Syrian bureaucracy should not
be an excuse for IOM personnel to violate the existing
protocol agreement for travel to Syria. Paiva assured us
that a similar incident will not occur. The "good news,"
Paiva said was that he believes IOM and the Syrian Ambassador
reached an understanding to put the incident behind them and
that the Ambassador concluded the meeting by expressing his
government's desire to "continue the dialogue" with IOM
(Note: Syria is not an IOM Member State. End Note.)
New Special Envoy
--------------
5. (C) Mulrean also mentioned that we expect IOM to separate
its resettlement responsibilities from its interest in
planning for Iraqi refugee returns with the Government of
Iraq. We stated that we understand this can be a difficult
balancing act, and in that regard we hope that IOM will
identify a highly qualified candidate for the position of
Special Envoy of the Director General to Iraq. Paiva said
that IOM sees the Special Envoy position as one of the
organization's key priorities. He reported that the
selection process is underway and promised that incoming
Director General Bill Swing will make the decision on this
position soon after he comes on board on October 1.
Comment
--------------
6. (C) We find Tschannen's explanation of the incident weak
and this situation was certainly avoidable. We also believe
that IOM agrees a change is needed in the Special Envoy
position and that DG Bill Swing will have an early
opportunity to address this as soon as he takes over the DG
position on October 1.
TICHENOR
SIPDIS
AMMAN FOR REFUGEE COORDINATOR
BAGHDAD FOR REFUGEE AND IDP AFFAIRS
DEPARTMENT PASS TO PRM/ANE AND PRM/MCE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2018
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL SY IZ
SUBJECT: IOM PROTOCOL BREACH
REF: A. STATE 96044
B. DAMASCUS 630
C. DAMASCUS 496
Classified By: RMA COUNSELOR FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D.
1. (C) Summary: Officials at the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) expressed their assurances that IOM staff
will not travel to Syria again without prior authorization of
the Syrian authorities and were quite surprised at the tough
line taken by the Syrian Ambassador in Geneva over this
incident. RMA officers expressed USG dismay that the
unauthorized visit occurred in the first place and stressed
that any future incidents could have a tremendously negative
impact on resettlement processing in Syria. Regarding the
appointment of a new Special Envoy of the Director General to
Iraq, the selection is in the works, but IOM will wait the
arrival of the new Director General before being finalized.
End Summary.
Bureaucracy Not an Excuse
--------------
2. (C) Peter Mulrean, Counselor for Refugee and Migration
Affairs (RMA),and Nick Hilgert, RMA, met with Robert Paiva,
Director for External Relations, International Organization
for Migration (IOM),and Redhouane Saadi, Regional Advisor
for the Middle East, to deliver the talking points outlined
in Ref. A. Mulrean stressed to Paiva and Saadi that we are
very disappointed with IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Rafiq
Tschannen's decision to travel to Syria without proper
authorization from the Syrian authorities and explained that
the U.S. government and IOM could not afford to take any
actions that would allow the Syrians to call into question
our resettlement operations in Syria.
3. (C) Paiva agreed that IOM shares a common interest with
the U.S. government to build on the access obtained already
in Syria. Paiva said that IOM too had been surprised at the
incident and mentioned that the Syrian Ambassador in Geneva
had expressed in clear and strong terms his government's
disappointment with IOM to the Director General, Brunson
McKinley. Saadi told us separately that the Syrian
Ambassador told McKinley that "this incident was viewed in
Damascus as a provocation."
4. (C) Paiva recognized that the visit should not have
taken place. He said that Tschannen had explained that he
traveled to Syria under pressure of the Iraqi Minister of
Displacement and Migration (MODM) and that he traveled to
Syria as many other international organization employees do
on a regular basis from Jordan. Mulrean stressed that IOM
officials are well aware of the restrictions placed on IOM
personnel and that burdensome Syrian bureaucracy should not
be an excuse for IOM personnel to violate the existing
protocol agreement for travel to Syria. Paiva assured us
that a similar incident will not occur. The "good news,"
Paiva said was that he believes IOM and the Syrian Ambassador
reached an understanding to put the incident behind them and
that the Ambassador concluded the meeting by expressing his
government's desire to "continue the dialogue" with IOM
(Note: Syria is not an IOM Member State. End Note.)
New Special Envoy
--------------
5. (C) Mulrean also mentioned that we expect IOM to separate
its resettlement responsibilities from its interest in
planning for Iraqi refugee returns with the Government of
Iraq. We stated that we understand this can be a difficult
balancing act, and in that regard we hope that IOM will
identify a highly qualified candidate for the position of
Special Envoy of the Director General to Iraq. Paiva said
that IOM sees the Special Envoy position as one of the
organization's key priorities. He reported that the
selection process is underway and promised that incoming
Director General Bill Swing will make the decision on this
position soon after he comes on board on October 1.
Comment
--------------
6. (C) We find Tschannen's explanation of the incident weak
and this situation was certainly avoidable. We also believe
that IOM agrees a change is needed in the Special Envoy
position and that DG Bill Swing will have an early
opportunity to address this as soon as he takes over the DG
position on October 1.
TICHENOR