PM MALIKI, CODEL LEVIN DISCUSS FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002441 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER MARR UN KIRF IR IZ SY SUBJECT: PM MALIKI, CODEL LEVIN DISCUSS FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN IRAQ, AUGUST 19 BOMBINGS BAGHDAD 00002441 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: PM Maliki told CODEL Levin Iraq faces interference from neighboring countries intent on fomenting sectarian discord, and Syria-based Iraqi Ba'athists and al-Qaeda in Iraq elements conspired to perpetrate the August 19 bombings. He expressed confidence in Iraqi Security Forces' (ISF) ability to maintain internal security after U.S. forces depart, but asked the Senators to facilitate the transfer of equipment and weapons from departing U.S. forces to the ISF. Maliki believed joint Iraqi Army-Peshmerga-U.S. checkpoints and patrols would alleviate tensions in Ninewa and contribute to more credible elections there. On the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK),he stressed that its members must leave Iraq to eliminate a pretext for Iranian intervention. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) U.S. participants: Sens. Carl Levin, Jack Reed and Edward Kaufman; Ambassador Hill; POLOFF notetaker. Iraqi participants: PM Nuri al-Maliki; Secretary to the PM Gatah al-Rekabi; Director of the International Center Ali Mussawi. IRAN, SYRIA INTERFERING IN IRAQI AFFAIRS ¶3. (C) During a September 4 meeting with visiting CODEL Levin, Prime Minister Maliki expressed appreciation for U.S. support and hope for the long-term relationship envisioned in the Strategic Framework Agreement. Responding to Sen. Levin's question about whether Syria and Iran interfered in Iraq's internal affairs, Maliki argued forcefully that Iran, Syria and "other states" supplied weapons to Iraqi insurgents and facilitated the flow of foreign fighters and suicide bombers. Iran, Syria and Turkey, among others, also intervened politically, which was particularly dangerous in light of Iraq's upcoming national election. "Foreign elements seek to destroy all that we've built and Iraq faces a sectarian destabilization campaign supported by our Sunni neighbors and Iran," Maliki said. He expressed confidence that Iraqis would ultimately support a nationalist approach and reject sectarianism supported by foreign actors. ¶4. (C) Noting that al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) enjoyed considerable foreign support, he argued it was impossible to maintain stability in Iraq without neighboring states' support. Despite assurances from Iran and Syria, neither had demonstrated "real willingness" to prevent the flow of foreign fighter and weapons into Iraq. Responding to Sen. Levin's question about efforts to prevent flows of weapons from Iran to Iraq to be used against Coalition Forces, Maliki said that while fewer weapons were coming in, they were of higher quality. Referring to the recent discovery of a large cache of "technical weapons" at a warehouse in southern Iraq, Maliki said the biggest threat was that Iranian and Syrian elements were training Iraqis to manufacture weapons. ¶5. (C) Asked by Sen. Levin how Iran responded to such charges, Maliki said Iranian officials claimed they were committed to implementing security understandings between the two sides, and claimed Iranian-manufactured weapons the GOI discovered dated to the Saddam era. Acknowledging difficulties in identifying the provenance of confiscated materiel, Maliki nonetheless emphasized that much of it had clearly entered Iraq from Iran. ¶6. (C) Responding to Sen. Reed's question about efforts to build a cross-sectarian, nationalist coalition, Maliki stressed that if Iraq returned to the "old sectarian way of doing things," it would not surmount the most dangerous Qdoing things," it would not surmount the most dangerous challenges it faces. Saying his State of Law list was currently meeting with representatives of different religious and ethnic groups, he argued that Iraq's problems were bigger than any one confessional group. He conceded that forging a national, cross-sectarian coalition was difficult: "We face challenges from the east (Iran) and the west (Syria)." MALIKI: BA'ATHISTS, AQI PERPETRATED AUG 19 BOMBINGS ¶7. (C) Building on the foreign interference theme, Maliki flatly said Ba'athists and AQI conspired to execute the August 19 bombings in Baghdad. Referring to separate televised confessions by an alleged August 19 conspirator and a Saudi national who claimed he was trained in Syria and sent to Iraq to carry out attacks, Maliki said Ba'athist and AQI elements in Syria were "coordinating against Iraq." Results of the GOI's investigation, together with the unwillingness of Iraq's neighbors to prevent foreign fighter and weapons flows, had prompted the GOI to ask the UN to establish an international committee to investigate the August 19 attacks, Maliki said. BAGHDAD 00002441 002.2 OF 002 REQUEST FOR MILITARY EQUIPMENT TRANSFER ¶8. (C) Responding to Sen. Kaufman's question about whether Iraqi forces were capable of maintaining security after the bulk of U.S. forces depart, Maliki said he had the "highest confidence" in the ISF's abilities and noted there were still two years in which to further equip and train them. External threats were a bigger challenge; Iraq needed greater defensive capability and an end to meddling by neighboring states. Responding to Sen. Levin's question about whether the GOI might want some U.S. forces to remain after December 2011, Maliki stressed that 1) departing U.S. forces should leave equipment and weapons behind for the ISF, and 2) the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement allows the GOI to request that U.S. forces stay on if conditions warrant. If Iraq obtained needed equipment, Maliki said, there was unlikely to be a need for significant U.S. forces beyond trainers and technicians. Maliki asked for CODEL members' help in facilitating the transfer of equipment from departing U.S. forces to the ISF. JOINT PATROLS IN NINEWA KEY TO ELECTIONS ¶9. (C) Responding to Sen. Reed's question about obstacles to resolving issues between the GOI and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG),Maliki said such disputes must be resolved through constitutional processes. Those required time and a political, vice military, solution. On disputed internal boundaries (DIBs) in Ninewa, the GOI and KRG had agreed on joint Iraqi Army (IA)-Peshmerga-CF checkpoints (JCPs) and patrols. Peshmerga forces would be incorporated into the IA and would be paid by the GOI until DIBs issues were resolved. Maliki linked Peshmerga forces' denial of movement to IA and GOI elements in Ninewa to upcoming elections. The JCPs would help ease tensions and facilitate more transparent elections in Ninewa and Kirkuk, where accusations by Kurds and Arabs that their movement had been restricted to prevent voting would otherwise taint polling. MEK: ANYWHERE BUT IRAQ ¶10. (C) Responding to Sen. Reed's question about how the GOI would deal with the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK),Maliki said, "We wish they would go in peace to any other state to eliminate the excuse for intervention that their presence here affords Iran." He stressed that the GOI does not want to force MEK members to return to Iran; however, he emphasized the threat the group posed and claimed an individual involved in the August 19 bombing of the Ministry of Finance was a MEK member. CHRISTIANS IN IRAQ ¶11. (C) Sen. Levin expressed appreciation for measures the GOI took to protect ethnic and religious minorities in the wake of recent attacks against churches in Iraq. Maliki said he assured Pope Benedict XVI he would do all he could to keep Christians in Iraq and accord them the respect they deserved as "the original inhabitants of Iraq." Expressing hope that Muslims in Europe would also be treated well, he said the presence of Christians in Iraq and Muslims in Europe was "good for the dialogue between civilizations." Protection of ethnic and religious minorities should only extend to "true believers in the values of their faith," and not to terrorists who justify killing with religion. ¶12. (U) The CODEL did not have the opportunity to clear this cable. FORD