CG, CDA AND PM DISCUSS FOREIGN VISITS, SECURITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 000847

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2029
TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS MARR PTER IZ EPET EFIN
SUBJECT: CG, CDA AND PM DISCUSS FOREIGN VISITS, SECURITY
AND DEFENSE COOPERATION

REF: A. ANKARA 00460

B. BAGHDAD 00815

C. BAGHDAD 00811

Classified By: Charge d'Affairs Patricia A. Butenis for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)

1.(S) Summary: In his regular weekly meeting with MNF-I
Commanding General (CG) Odierno and Charge d'Affaires
Butenis March 27, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki indicated
that Iraq and Syria have considerable differences, but
Syrian FM Muallim,s visit to Baghdad on March 25 suggested
the Syrians might be ready to establish mechanisms for
addressing security concerns. He said the visit of Turkish
President Gul had gone very well and that Turkey had agreed
to provide more water to Iraq. The CG briefed the PM on the
CG,s recent visit to Jordan and noted Jordanian interest in
assisting Iraq with training for the ISF, particularly
through the new Jordanian Special Operations training
center. The CG noted excellent cooperation between the
Iraqi Police and Iraq Army in Maysan Province and good
local security planning. The CG invited Iraqi participation
in Coalition military intelligence operations at Balad. The
CG reviewed current Iraqi-Coalition military operations
against AQI in Diyala, and agreed with the PM that the next
focus should be AQI hideouts around the Hamrin mountains in
northern Iraq. The PM said he had a good meeting with
KRG PM Nechirvan Barzan. Maliki had agreed to dispatch the
postponed Dawa Party delegation to the KRG to moderate
tensions. When asked if Iraq was ready to host the GCC
plus 3 conference in Baghdad in April, the PM noted he very
much wants to host the meeting but was discussing the
date. He suggested that May might be better because of his
planned travel to the UK and various other planned visits
to Iraq, but said he would decide soon. End Summary.

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High-Level Turkey and Syria Visits Successful
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2.(S) The PM indicated that the increasing number of
high-level visitors to Iraq is proof that things are
getting better. His meeting with Turkish President Abdullah
Gul on 24 March went well and they had a positive dialogue
on security, economic and water issues. (Ref A, Ref B.) The
PM said that the Turks had pressed Iraq to sign a security
agreement but Maliki had responded that this agreement
needs to be handled in the context of the Turkish-Iraqi
strategic dialogue session scheduled to take place in
April, and needs to be worked out PM to PM.

3.(S) The CDA asked the PM about the outcome of the visit
of Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem on March 25. The
PM said the Syrian advance team had delivered a message
from Syrian Prime Minister Otri seeking to improve
relations. Iraq wants normal relations with Syria and all
surrounding countries, with cooperation at the highest
levels. Syria had a long history of influence in Iraq,
including past support for exiles from Saddam Hussein. Iraq
does not want anything to stifle movement or growth in
Iraq. The PM said that Syria is focused on natural gas
shipments from Iraq to the Syrian port of Banyas. However,
security is the key to resolving differences between Iraq
and Syria, and would require strong politicians on both
sides. The PM noted that whenever Iraq informs Syria that
they are supporting the insurgency, the Syrian government
denies complicity. During Foreign Minister Muallem's visit,
the two countries agreed to establish two teams for
information exchange about the insurgency. The PM said the
Syrians indicated they now have the "will" to cooperate but
QSyrians indicated they now have the "will" to cooperate but
the test would be if Syria responds to the information
that had been provided on many occasions. The PM said Iraq
is seeking to use Interpol notices against "tens" of
wanted Iraqis taking refuge in Syria.

4.(S) Syria also has concerns that Iraq is sheltering Syrian
opposition members, but the PM had told Muallem he had no
information about these activities, and that Iraq is not
working with opposition members from any country. The PM
said Muallem suggested the Syrians are serious about
establishing a better relationship with the U.S. The PM
spoke out in support of better U.S. relations with Syria
and then said that 90 percent of the problems in the region
would be resolved if the Palestinian issue was solved,
including the Iranian nuclear issue and the power of
Hezbollah and Hamas. This caused some discussion with his
staff as PM Advisor Sadiq Riqabi differed with the PM and
questioned whether solving the Palestinian problem would
solve "90 percent of problems."

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Maliki and Odierno Discuss Security Cooperation
-------------- --

6.(S) The CG reported that he visited Al Amarah in Maysan
province and found the security situation to be 'good.' The
CG said he saw good cooperation between the Iraqi Army and
Iraqi Police and they were working well with Coalition
support and advising. The police academy in Maysan has 1200
shurta (police) in training, and 3000 have already
graduated. The CG noted security forces in the area have a
good plan for countering insurgent infiltration and for
reinforcing the border. The PM agreed that the situation is
good, but said that there may be issues between the police
and army. The PM will visit the area with the Minister of
Defense because Maliki has heard complaints from residents
about the security situation, although the problems relate
more to crime than terrorism.

7.(S) The CG briefed the PM on his March 18-19 visit to
Jordan to discuss with GOJ and Jordanian Armed Forces
(JAF) leadership the current situation in Iraq, our ongoing
joint security efforts, and U.S. plans for the responsible
drawdown of forces, some of which will move through Jordan.
The CG said he met with King Abdullah who indicated he
wants to partner with Iraq on security issues. King
Abdullah said he encouraged other Sunni Arab states to
reach out and have a positive relationship with Iraq. The
PM agreed that King Abdullah's position is positive
Because, unlike other states with Iraqi refugees, Jordan
controls them and does not allow them to support armed
operations in Iraq.

8.(S) The CG described his visit to a Special Operations
training complex in Jordan that was built with USG
assistance. He said that GoI officials will be invited to
the opening of the facility in May, and the Jordanians
would like to train non-Jordanians, including Iraqis, in
special operations, aviation and equipment maintenance. The
PM expressed some hesitation noting that the training
provided by the Coalition Forces in Iraq is extremely
successful and that the ISF was reaching the point where it
could not learn much from the Jordanians. The CG reassured
him that the U.S. commitment to train Iraqis in Iraq is
unwavering and would remain in place until the Security
Agreement concludes in 2011, but emphasized that training
in Jordan or other countries is important because of the
ability to build security relationships, perhaps more so
than the subject matter of the training itself. The PM said
Iraq would look at what could be done to cooperate in the
future. The PM noted that budget concerns would limit the
ability of the MoD to complete all of its projected
training facilities in 2009.

9.(S) The CG invited the GoI to send intelligence personnel
to work at the U.S. Special Operations facility in Balad so
they could begin the transition of intelligence capacity to
Iraq over the next two years. In response to the PM,s query
as to whether the platform in Balad mostly depended on
extremely high-technology equipment that Iraq could not
expect to have, the CG said that some of the capability is
high-technology based, but that a considerable amount can
be learned that is not based on hi-tech capabilities. The
PM asked the CG to provide him an idea of how many
personnel would be required and what their qualifications
should be. The PM briefly inquired about the status of
Ambassador-designate Hill's confirmation and noted with
interest the ability of single Senators to delay the
Qconfirmation process.

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Operations Against Al Qaeda Produce Results
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10.(S) The CG said that there had been significant activity
in Diyala Province. As part of an operation against AQI
south of Balad Ruz, last week the 21st Brigade of the Iraqi
Army and MND-North conducted a significant operation
using ground forces and air assets. They destroyed 18
bunkers and killed 13 AQI, with 1 AQI wounded in one
operation, and then killed 7 more AQI in another bunker
complex. The CG said he believes some of those killed were
foreign fighters, but this had not been verified. The CG
said that foreign fighters may have been working with AQI
in the area for some time, and that they retreated to the
target zones as a last stand in the area. The CG also told
the PM about a Coalition Forces engagement that occurred
the day before in the same area that resulted in 9 AQI
killed. The PM said that he believes AQI are also hiding
around the Hamrin Mountains, where they have gathered and
stored supplies. The CG agreed and said this is exactly
the next operation that is planned by the U.S. and

BAGHDAD 00000847 003 OF 003


ISF. He plans to move forces to the area as soon as the
current operation is complete. The PM noted that if
attacked from the south, AQI will simply flee into
Kurdistan, and so the area must be attacked from several
directions and the attack should be coordinated with the
KRG. The CG agreed that the operation would be coordinated
with the Kurds.

11.(S) The CG said that the Naqshbandi Sufi group was
increasingly active in Ninawa, Kirkuk and Salah ad Din
provinces. He recalled that the Naqshbandi had been hiding
Izzat al Duri (Saddam's Revolutionary Command Council
vice-president) in 2004. The PM noted that there are many
Sufis in Kirkuk, and the Naqshbandi are not necessarily
militants. Instead, he believes ex-Baathists are claiming
to be Naqshbandi. Returning to the subject of Syria because
of the reference to Izzat al Duri, the PM said that on a
past visit to Syria, despite Syrian denials that Izzat al
Duri is in Syria, a Syrian had offered to point out the
house where al-Duri stayed in the Mezzah suburb of
Damascus. The PM also said Muallem had told the GoI that
terrorist leader Abu Ghadiya had been killed, but Iraqi
intelligence information suggests that Abu Ghadiya is
still alive. The CG said our information is that Abu
Ghadiya is indeed dead.

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Maliki Confirms Dawa Visit to KRG Back On
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12.(S) The CDA asked if the PM,s meeting with KRG PM
Nechirvan Barzani was productive and if reports are correct
that the Dawa Party will be sending a delegation to
Kurdistan. The PM said that Dawa and the Kurds have a
long-standing relationship and so he would be sending a
party delegation to try and calm down tensions (Reftel C.)
He said Barzani doesn't believe that the Five Party
Committee is the solution to Kurdish tension with the
Central Government. He said the Committees now contains too
many other factions with their own concerns, like the
Sadrists, who make it impossible for progress in this
forum. Maliki said problems between the Kurdistan Regional
Government and the Central Government need to be solved
based on the constitution. He said PM Barzani had agreed
with him to cease inflammatory public statements, but that
subsequent to their meeting, the KRG issued a statement
criticizing the Minister of Oil.

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PM Considering Date for Baghdad GCC Plus Three Meeting
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13.(S) The CDA asked the PM if he is ready to issue
invitations for a Baghdad meeting of the GCC plus three in
Baghdad as had been discussed by FM Zebari with the group
in Sharm El Sheikh. The PM said he is considering late
April but that because of his travel to the National
Investment Conference in London and other scheduled
high-level visits to Baghdad, he is considering postponing
the meeting until May. The PM also said that Iraq would
like to host the next Arab League Summit in Baghdad.
BUTENIS