Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08USUNNEWYORK891
2008-09-30 22:08:00
SECRET
USUN New York
Cable title:  

HUMAM HAMUDI DISCUSSES SOFA PROSPECTS

Tags:  PREL PGOV IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5503
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUCNDT #0891 2742208
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 302208Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5035
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
S E C R E T USUN NEW YORK 000891 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: HUMAM HAMUDI DISCUSSES SOFA PROSPECTS

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ZALMAY KHALILZAD, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D

S E C R E T USUN NEW YORK 000891

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/29/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: HUMAM HAMUDI DISCUSSES SOFA PROSPECTS

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ZALMAY KHALILZAD, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D


1. (S) Humam Hamudi, chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee in Iraq,s Council of Representatives, told
Ambassador Khalilzad on the margins of the UN General
Assembly that even if an agreement was reached between the
Iraqi Government and the U.S. on a status of forces agreement
(SOFA),it would be difficult to pass through the Council of
Representatives. He said two issues needed to be resolved:
immunity for American soldiers and a specific timeline for
withdrawal. Iraq had discussions on the immunity issue with
other countries that welcomed a U.S. military presence, but
the political context in Iraq is very different, said Hamudi.
He noted that the presence of immunities for the U.S.
military was a tipping point in Iran in 1963 that allowed the
Ayatollah Khomeini to gain influence. Iraq,s politicians do
not want to undermine their own political future by agreeing
to a SOFA that did not meet their conditions.


2. (S) Separately, President Talabani told the Ambassador
that he was cautiously optimistic regarding a SOFA deal.
This contrasted with FM Zebari, who told the Ambassador that
he was pessimistic about a deal, and believed that PM Maliki
was telling the U.S. one thing, and proceeding in a different
manner.
Khalilzad