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. -------------- High-Level Turkey and Syria Visits Successful -------------- 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." -------------- -- BAGHDAD 00000847 002 OF 003 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. -------------- Operations Against Al Qaeda Produce Results -------------- 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. -------------- Maliki Confirms Dawa Visit to KRG Back On -------------- 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. -------------- -------------- PM Considering Date for Baghdad GCC Plus Three Meeting -------------- -------------- 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