EU CONSIDERS OPTIONS FOR ENGAGING IN IRAQ

C O N F I D E N T I A L USEU BRUSSELS 000446

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ XF EUN
SUBJECT: EU CONSIDERS OPTIONS FOR ENGAGING IN IRAQ


Classified By: Alyce Tidball, Deputy Minister Counselor for
Political Affairs, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) SUMMARY: European Union Council, Commission and
Parliament officials told NEA DAS for Iraq Lawrence Butler,
during meetings in Brussels on February 27 and 29, that the
EU is actively exploring options for engaging in Iraq.
Council officials confirmed EU HiRep Solana's interest in
visiting Iraq. Commission officials, who subsequently visited
Baghdad March 2-4, confirmed renewed EU interest in assisting
international efforts in capacity- and institution-building
in Iraq. Members of the European Parliament Ana Gomes and
Baroness Nicholson, in separate meetings, briefed on the
European Parliament's recently adopted report on the EU's
role in Iraq, noting the need to leave the past behind and
concentrate on the future of Iraq. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) DAS Butler briefed EU Council Political Director
Robert Cooper on the current situation in Iraq and urged the
EU to continually reiterate to Syria the need to stop the
flow of foreign fighters into Iraq through better control of
borders. He urged the EU to encourage Arab countries to
establish diplomatic representation in Iraq. Iraq desk
officer Sophie Kisling said this issue is always on the list
of topics for meetings with Arab states. Cooper asked about
the struggle for power among the Shia in Basra. Butler
explained this is a political-criminal turf battle among the
Shia, many of whom still envisage setting up a nine-province
region of their own. Maliki, however, wants a strong center,
as do the Sunni. Cooper asked if Kirkuk is off the agenda.
Butler said UN Rep DiMistura is doing a good job and that
life is gradually improving in Kirkuk. The Iraqi economy is
growing and the security situation is improving. Cooper
confirmed that EU HiRep Solana is thinking of going, but said
Afghanistan will outrank Iraq for upcoming trips.


3. (C/NF) On Afghanistan, Cooper noted that Cyprus is a great
nuisance and suggested it is time the U.S. do something about
it - after the cold war and apartheid we could certainly take
on this problem, he said. Political Minister Counselor
Wohlers said there is serious concern about Cyprus and the
spoiler role it has played on Afghanistan and Kosovo. Cooper
said the EU had pushed Turkey as far as possible, but there
was nothing to be gained from pushing further now. We
should, he said, focus on Cyprus and insist they have a
ceasefire on institutional problems with the Turks.


4. (C) Patrice Bergamini, Deputy Chief of Staff to EU HiRep
Javier Solana, told DAS Butler in a separate meeting that
Solana wants to go to Iraq to show EU support. He said a
consensus is growing in Europe on the need to engage.
Bergamini was very concerned about Syria's attitude that it
is "winning" and said we must break that attitude. He hoped
that with the help of the UK and France they would be able to
actually get authority at the General Affairs and External
Affairs Council (GAERC) to implement the mandate given to
Solana last year to be the sole EU representative to
Damascus. He said the election in Cyprus offered a great
opportunity for the U.S. to push for a resolution of EU-NATO
relations.


5. (C) Belen Martinez Carbonell, Middle East advisor on
Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner's staff, confirmed that
Iraq is currently very much on the EU's radar screens,
because of a European Parliament effort to focus attention on
expenses. Carbonell said they worked tirelessly for the last
three months to provide the necessary explanations and were
finally able to satisfy the demands of the parliament.
Middle East Director Tomas Dupla del Moral and his team would
leave for Iraq on March 2 to get a sense of what the EU can
do directly in Iraq, rather than working through other
funding institutions. Meanwhile, she said, negotiations on a
trade agreement with Iraq have a ways to go. One problem is
the constant turnover in the Iraqi administration.
Negotiating the agreement is first a pedagogic exercise in
explaining how to negotiate and explaining what they would be
committing to do. Commissioner for Development Louis Michel
had been planning to go to Iraq on February 28, but it turned
out the people he was planning to meet were not going to be
there so he canceled his trip.


6. (C) Members of the European Parliament Ana Gomes and
Baroness Emma Nicholson met separately with DAS Butler to
discuss their report on Iraq and proposal for a European
Parliament recommendation to the Council on the European
Union's role in Iraq. Gomes who drafted the report, said she
wanted to leave the past behind and concentrate on the
future. She described the Parliament's delegation for Iraq,
which has 13 MEPs from different parties along with Iraqi
members. The delegation is chaired by Baroness Nicholson and
held its first meeting on 28 February. The report took a
critical approach regarding European Commission efforts in
Iraq because of the lack of accountability for funds, but the
Commission was able to provide information that helped
resolve EP questions. Gomes said the Parliamentary
delegation will visit Iraq at the end of April to see how
they might be of assistance. Baroness Nicholson, who was
recently named by PM Maliki as an honorary health advisor to
Iraq, briefed DAS Butler on the problems faced by the marsh
Arabs, many of whom have returned to their homes, are
beginning to sustain themselves, but are not yet able to
start trading again.


7. (U) DAS Butler cleared this message.

Murray
.