ABU MAZEN COMES TO BAGHDAD - FINALLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000958

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ KPAL
SUBJECT: ABU MAZEN COMES TO BAGHDAD - FINALLY

Classified By: PMIN Robert Ford for reasons 1.4 (b).


1. (U) After repeated delays caused by conflicting
schedules, the Gaza crisis, and most recently a press leak,
Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) visited Baghdad April 5 -- his
first as President of the Palestinian Authority and the first
by a Palestinian leader since the 2003 fall of Saddam.
During the 6-hour visit, Abbas (accompanied by Sa'eb Erekat,
Nabil Abu Rudeinah, Yasser Abed Rabbo and Mahmoud Habbash)
met first with President Talabani who hosted a lunch for him
that included, among others, Deputy Prime Minister Barham
Salih, Foreign Minister Zebari, Minister of Defense Abdel
Qader, ISCI heir apparent Amar al-Hakim, and Sunni
Parliamentarian Adnan al-Dulaymi. The Palestinian delegation
also met Prime Minister Maliki, and then with Vice Presidents
Tareq al-Hashmi and Adel Abdel Mehdi. Iraqi media provided
extensive coverage of the visit with the main story line
focusing on Iraqi pledges of support for the Palestinian
cause and Palestinian support for Iraq and for the well being
of Palestinians in Iraq.


2. (U) In a joint press conference, President Talabani said
"the Iraqi people have always been heart and soul with the
Palestinian people, hoping to play a true historic role in
realizing the goal for which the Palestinian people are
struggling, represented by establishing an independent
Palestinian state on the land of Palestine with holy
Jerusalem as its capital." In response, Abbas said "We are
not strangers to each other because Iraq -- history,
civilization, and people -- has always stood by the side of
the Palestinian people. Many landmarks on Palestinian
territory stand witness to the valiant role the brave Iraqi
people and army playQtoward the Palestinian question." PM
Maliki, following his meeting with Abbas, pledged that Iraq
is ready to "provide all means of support to the
Palestinians, in order to allow them to build an independent
Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, where
displaced Palestinians can come back home to." On the
specific issue of Palestinians in Iraq, Abbas offered praise
to the GOI stating "the Iraqi government considers them as
part of the Iraqi people and part of the government's concern
and a part of Iraqi security. We are sure they are in safe
hands."


3. (C) Talabani told the Charge April 5 evening that Abu
Mazen had wanted financial and political support. According
to Talabani, the Iraqis promised to provide some oil at the
same discount price as allowed to Jordan. Talabani added
that Abu Mazen's theme on the political side was that Israel
before had claimed there was no Palestinian partner with whom
to negotiate. Now, however, there is a Palestinian partner
ready but no Israeli. Charge expressed U.S. appreciation to
Talabani for Iraq's support for Abu Mazen.


4. (C) Comment: Abu Mazen's visit to Baghdad has been a
long-standing objective for the Palestinians, for the Iraqis
and for us. As the latest Arab leader to come to Baghdad,
his visit further bolsters the perception -- and hopefully
the reality -- of Iraq's reintegration into the neighborhood.
Whether it has strengthened the hand of the PA and Abu Mazen
himself, we defer to ConGen Jerusalem for its assessment.


5. (C) Comment continued: Beyond the usual rhetorical
flourishes and public gestures of mutual admiration, Abbas
appears to have come away from the visit with the results he
sought and perhaps one tangible result. His Chief of
Protocol, Ambassador Abdel Karim Ewaida told poloff the visit
was meant to show Abbas as a strong leader, unafraid to come
to Baghdad, and that Palestinian-Iraqi relations had left
Qto Baghdad, and that Palestinian-Iraqi relations had left
behind the disastrous Saddam-Arafat legacy of the past and
are moving toward a new period of cooperation. If true, the
provision of discounted oil would be a concrete sign that the
Iraqis appear ready to do more offer words of support, we are
puzzled, however, how Iraq would be able to implement the
offer in a meaningful way. Iraq exports only nominal amounts
of crude oil to Jordan. The Palestinians would not be able
to make use of crude oil, and Iraq currently exports no
refined product, such as kerosene and diesel.

BUTENIS