KDP REPRESENTATIVE ROWSCH SHAWAYS IN BAGHDAD TO DO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001549

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET IZ
SUBJECT: KDP REPRESENTATIVE ROWSCH SHAWAYS IN BAGHDAD TO DO
BARZANI'S BIDDING

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. After a seven month hiatus from Baghdad,
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Representative and former
Deputy Prime Minister Rowsch Shaways met the Ambassador on
June 11 and discussed current issues. Shaways affirmed that
the Kurds oppose a referendum on the US-Iraq Security
Agreement (SA) and stand ready to help. Regarding the UNAMI
Disputed Internal Boundaries (DIBs) reports, he stated that
the Kurds would have preferred that the reports reflect some
sort of determination, providing the process with a baseline
for negotiations. Possibly owing to Rowsch's arrival in
Baghdad, President Talabani has scheduled a Presidency
Council on National Security (PCNS) meeting, the first in
seven months. In addition, Shaways said he will call to
reconvene the Executive Council to discuss the Ninewa
Provincial Council impasse, hydrocarbons legislation, and
amendments to the 2005 national election law. Shaways'
arrival in Baghdad signifies that Kurdistan Regional
President (KRG) Masoud Barzani is serious about finally
re-engaging with the central government. End Summary.

SECURITY AGREEMENT - KURDS READY TO HELP


2. (C) Shaways reiterated that the Kurds have always opposed
a US-Iraq Security Agreement (SA) referendum and stand ready
to help thwart efforts to move forward with a referendum. He
intimated that the Sadrists and Iraqi Islamist Party (IIP)
leader Osama al-Tikriti are against a delay in the
referendum. Shaways reported that Talabani had scheduled a
PCNS for that evening (June 11). (Note: The PCNS had not met
since November 2008 when it discussed the SA itself. End Note)

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UNAMI DIBs PROCESS - US ROLE?
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3. (C) Shaways explained that the two Kurdish delegates for
the UNAMI's High Level Task Force (HLTF),KRG Minister of
Extra Regional Affairs Mohammed Ihsan and PUK MP Khalid Salam
Sa'id al-Shwany received late notification and were unable to
secure transport to Baghdad in time to attend SRSG De
Mistura's June 10 luncheon. Instead, they arrived at
mid-afternoon and met separately with De Mistura. Shaways
made clear that their absence from the luncheon was not
intentional and expressed confidence that the delegates plan
on attending UNAMI's upcoming meeting June 16 meeting.
Shaways said he that he not directly involved with the DIBs
process and has not read the UNAMI reports.


4. (C) He did acknowledge that the reports represent UNAMI's
diligence, but criticized them for not prescribing
recommendations. He added that without UNAMI's judgments on
these territories, there is no baseline for negotiation. He
chuckled when he recalled that the Kurds vehemently condemned
the four initial UNAMI reports that included more
prescriptive language. Shaways said he believes that nothing
will come of the Council of Representatives (CoR) Article 23
Committee (established to make recommendations for the
holding of provincial elections in Kirkuk). He said he would
try to meet with Prime Minister Maliki to discuss convening
the Executive Council (Presidency Council, PM plus KRG - PUK,
KDP, ISCI, IIP, Dawa). He reiterated that the Kurds are
serious about discussing these reports and possibly coming to
a resolution in the future.

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ARAB-KURD RECONCILIATION - EXPECT MORE DIALOGUE
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Q -------------- ---


5. (C) Regarding Arab-Kurd tensions in Ninewa, Shaways was
surprised and irritated that the Ninewa's Kurdish leaders did
not accept the Ambassador's invitation to attend his May 31
reception at the Mosul Cultural Museum. He suggested that KRG
President Masoud Barzani would be informed and stated that it
is the goal of the KRG to start a dialogue in Baghdad with
the leaders of the parties involved. He reported that he has
spoken with IIP's Ayad Sammaraie and Osama Tikriti, who have
agreed that the Executive Council must be convened to discuss
the
political impasse in Ninewa.

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MIXED PARTY COALITION FOR NATIONALS?
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6. (C) Shaways stated that it will be difficult to pass a
hydrocarbons law this summer but still believes it can be
done. He also mentioned that the 2005 election law needs to

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be amended. He indicated that the Kurds would seek an
amendment to make Iraq just one electoral district, a move
that would favor regional, well-established political parties
such as the KDP and PUK. A proponent of closed lists,
Shaways said the Kurds are interested in exploring the
possibility of forming a mixed party coalition that could
choose a prime minister. He described Maliki's plan to
reconstitute the United Shia Coalition (UIA) as problematic
from the Kurdish perspective as it would guarantee the PM
would always be a Shi'a. Shaways described the possibility
of the Kurdish Alliance (KAL),IIP, former Prime Minister
Allawi's Iraqiyya, and Iraq's Supreme Council of Islam (ISCI)
forming one mixed coalition to compete with the UIA, giving
the possibility of having a non-Shia Prime Minister.

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COMMENT
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7. (C) The return of Rowsch Shaways to Baghdad suggests that
KRG President Barzani is serious
about re-engaging with Baghdad to address several issues
before attention switches completely to national elections.
Historically, Rowsch Shaways has been the key individual
authorized to speak for Masoud Barzani. Although he expressed
uncertainty if his future holds an official KRG or GoI
government position (e.g. the Deputy PM spot that could open
up if Barham Salih becomes the KRG PM at the end of July),
for now he is in Baghdad to do Barzani's bidding on
hydrocarbons, amendment to the national election law, the SA
referendum, Arab-Kurd reconciliation and the forming of a
national mixed party coalition to run against PM Maliki.
FORD