Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09DAMASCUS196
2009-03-15 04:19:00
SECRET//NOFORN
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

FELTMAN-SHAPIRO MARCH 7 DISCUSSIONS WITH SYRIAN FM

Tags:  PREL PTER IZ SY 
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VZCZCXRO9710
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHDM #0196/01 0740419
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 150419Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6112
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 DAMASCUS 000196 

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT
PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2029
TAGS: PREL PTER IZ SY
SUBJECT: FELTMAN-SHAPIRO MARCH 7 DISCUSSIONS WITH SYRIAN FM
MUALLIM ON IRAQ

Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4 b, d.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 DAMASCUS 000196

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/FO, NEA/ELA
NSC FOR SHAPIRO/MCDERMOTT
PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2029
TAGS: PREL PTER IZ SY
SUBJECT: FELTMAN-SHAPIRO MARCH 7 DISCUSSIONS WITH SYRIAN FM
MUALLIM ON IRAQ

Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4 b, d.


1. (S/NF) Summary: Syrian FM Muallim and Acting NEA A/S
Feltman each expressed support for a united, independent,
stable, and secure Iraq. Muallim welcomed the U.S.
President,s plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq in a
responsible fashion. Feltman pressed Muallim to do more in
the spirit of &our shared interests8 ) namely, work with
Iraq more closely on the borders and clamp down more firmly
&from the airport to the border8 on foreign fighters. Iraq
needed to recognize its responsibilities to do more as we
recognize al-Qaeda poses a threat to the region, replied
Muallim, who pledged to discuss security cooperation with PM
Maliki during his upcoming visit to Baghdad, &to see whether
we can do more.8 Muallim said Syria wanted to help the
U.S. achieve an orderly withdrawal and ensure a safe and
stable Iraq. Syria was willing to work with Iraq and
eventually the U.S. on security cooperation. &But we need a
political umbrella first." In a one-on-one discussion at the
conclusion of the longer meeting, Feltman raised Abu Ghadiyah
lieutenant Abu Khalaf as a specific example of an operative
who continued to operate in Syria and threaten U.S. and Iraqi
lives. Muallim asked for more details from the Embassy. End
Summary.



2. (S/NF) Acting NEA A/S Jeff Feltman and NSC Senior
Director for the Near East and North Africa Dan Shapiro met
for three-and-a-half hours on March 7 with Syrian Foreign
Minister Walid Muallim, Vice FM Faisal Miqdad, and
Presidential Advisor for Political and Media Affairs
Bouthaina Shaaban. Feltman's delegation was accompanied by
Charge and Pol/Econ Chief (notetaker.) Feltman and Shapiro's
central message was that the U.S. administration was pursuing
sustained and principled engagement with Syria and other
countries as a matter of policy. The President and Secretary
did not view engagement as a reward, but rather as a tool for
achieving concrete objectives. This cable reports on the
parts of the discussion that dealt with Syria's relationships
with Iraq. It should be read in conjunction with septels on

discussions regarding Lebanon, Iran, Palestinian issues,
comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace issues, and Embassy Damascus
operations.


--------------
Iraq: 70 percent Overlapping Interests
--------------


3. (S/NF) Acting A/S Feltman told FM Muallim that he had
held a constructive February 26 meeting with Syrian
Ambassador to the U.S. Imad Moustafa and had received
readouts from several recent U.S. Congressional delegations
(CODELs) visiting Syria about their discussions with
President Asad and other senior Syrian officials. In
particular, Washington had viewed as positive and reassuring
the reported remarks by President Asad that U.S. and Syrian
interests in the region overlapped by 70 percent. Feltman
underscored that his and Shapiro's visit was the first step
toward establishing a dialogue with Syrian government (SARG),
explaining that Washington was pursuing an alternative policy
to promote concrete steps. The U.S. goal was not to present
a list of demands or dictate preconditions, but rather to
discuss issues of mutual concern and to identify areas where
both sides might be willing to cooperate to solve problems.
The President would be evaluating possible next steps in the
bilateral relationship, he concluded.


4. (S/NF) Muallim replied the Syrian government agreed that
70 percent of U.S.-Syrian interests were
"non-contradictatory" and said the main elements of
confrontation had occurred because of the Iraq war and the
previous administration's efforts to isolate Syria. Muallim
reported he had asked former Secretary Rice in New York in
September 2008 what the U.S. policy toward Syria had achieved
in the previous eight years? Rice, according to Muallim,
said that she was meeting him in order to change it. Muallim
then told Feltman he had asked Rice for one example of a U.S.
foreign policy success in the world arena. Muallim explained
that this meeting with Rice had been their third and last,
and he had "dared" to ask her honest opinion. "She was an

DAMASCUS 00000196 002 OF 004


intellectual," continued Muallim. "I don't remember her
providing any story of success from the previous
administration," he said. Syria therefore welcomed the new
U.S. policy of engaging countries with which it had differing
views.

--------------
"Let's Discuss Iraq First"
--------------


5. (S/NF) Continuing his account of an September 2008
conversation in New York with former Secretary Rice, Muallim
said he had told her Syria wanted "a united, independent,
stable and secure Iraq, with an Arab national identity."
This goal served Syrian interests and those of the region, he
said. The lack of stability in Iraq had caused Syria to
suffer on several fronts, including the 1.5 million Iraqi
"guests" who had sought refuge in Syria. Syria had assumed a
heavy social and economic burden, but it had agreed to
shoulder this onus because President Asad had recognized the
importance of providing health, social, education and other
benefits to prevent the radicalization of the Iraqi
population. Iraq, Muallim continued, required a real
national reconciliation that included all political interests
(except al-Qaeda). Many Iraqi former regime elements (FREs)
and resistance groups were still active in Syria, and the
Syrian government was willing to use its influence to steer
these groups back into the political process. Syria also
wanted to see a true national Iraqi army that reflected the
entire nation. Syria, concluded Muallim, wanted good
relations with the Iraqi government in all fields, including
security cooperation. "Where do our interests contradict?"
he asked A/S Feltman.


6. (S/NF) Feltman replied that Syria's stated vision for
Iraq was similar to that of the U.S. The President's
announcement of the U.S. strategy made at Camp Lejeune to
withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq emphasized the need for strong
Iraqi institutions and to avoid a confessional-based system.
Muallim replied that the SARG had long called for a timetable
for a withdrawal for U.S. forces and now it had one. "We can
help you to achieve this," he said.


--------------
Positive Bases for Cooperation
--------------


7. (S/NF) Feltman acknowledged Syria had borne a large
burden created by the flow of Iraqi refugees. Senior
Coordinator for Iraqi Refugee Issues James Foley had publicly
recognized Syria's contributions, and the U.S. agreed on the
need to create an Iraq that was appealing and welcoming for
returning Iraqis. The U.S. also recognized Syria had been a
victim of al-Qaeda violence and had taken note of Syria's
arrest of some 1,200 al-Qaeda affiliates in the last several
years. Given the two countries' shared interests in seeing a
secure and stable Iraq, Feltman urged the SARG to do more to
help increase security along its borders with Iraq and to
help reduce the number of attacks in Iraq by foreign fighters
who enter Iraqi territory through Syria. The request was not
intended to belittle Syria's efforts, but rather to urge
Syria to do more, "from the airport to the border," explained
Feltman. The problem of foreign fighters continued to pose a
problem for Iraq and the U.S., and additional Syrian actions
on the security front would support a shared vision for
Iraq's future, Feltman said. NSC Senior Director Shapiro
added that this issue was politically important for U.S.
leaders and the U.S. people, who wanted to see U.S. soldiers
return home safely.


8. (S/NF) Muallim replied border security required
cooperation on both sides. The situation had improved, but
Iraqi cooperation had been lacking in the past. The two
countries had established a Joint Security Committee, which
had provided a useful venue for meetings and exchanging
information. Unfortunately, the Iraqis had provided
inaccurate information and names which had decreased the
utility of this joint security body. The SARG had instituted
a number of unilateral measures, including an increased a
border security presence and application of closer scrutiny

DAMASCUS 00000196 003 OF 004


of young Arab males seeking to enter the country. Syria had
also hosted three separate meetings of the Iraqi Neighbors
Border Security Working Group. But no country could control
its borders 100 percent, claimed Muallim. "Iraq needs to
recognize its responsibilities as we recognize al-Qaeda poses
a threat to the region," he said. Muallim agreed that more
could be done and said Syria wanted "to tackle the roots of
the problem." It was, for example, happy to engage Saudi
Arabia and other countries.


9. (S/NF) Muallim reported President Asad had recently
received the new Iraqi Ambassador to Syria, Ala' al-Jawadi,
and after the meeting, Asad had instructed Muallim to travel
to Baghdad as soon as possible. Syria had been the first
Arab country to open an embassy in Baghdad after the fall of
Saddam Hussein and had called on other Arabs to follow suit,
Muallim recounted. Syria now wanted better relations with
Iraq and saw this opening as an opportunity. Feltman
emphasized that the Iraqi government would be open to Syrian
actions to improve security cooperation and urged Muallim to
raise the issue with PM Maliki in Baghdad. Muallim agreed to
discuss the security issue and "to see if we can do more."
Presidential Advisor Shabaan added there was a will in Iraq
and Syria to increase cooperation and expand relations on
every level. The recent Iraqi provincial elections had marked
an important step forward for the country. Sectarianism and
violence had decreased, but now it was important to exploit
the calm to improve conditions for ordinary Iraqis. Vice FM
Miqdad offered that Syria shared the U.S. desire to see a
decrease in fatalities in Iraq.


10. (S/NF) Muallim commented the U.S. President's withdrawal
strategy was an "encouraging step" that would cut the ability
of the Iraqi resistance to mobilize forces. Syria "hated to
see" lives lost in Iraq, but the SARG judged this to be a
"natural result" of the U.S. occupation and the reaction of
the Iraqi resistance. With a change in U.S. policy, Syria
wanted to help the U.S. achieve its withdrawal and the
creation of a safe and secure Iraq. "We can start together
with security cooperation, but we need a political umbrella
first," Muallim stipulated. It was necessary to remain
cautious, Muallim continued, because al-Qaeda could surge.

--------------
Syrian-Iraqi Relations
--------------


11. (S/NF) Asked by Feltman about the state of Syria's
relations with Iraq, Muallim said the two countries had
exchanged many pledges, but up to now had seen very little
progress. The SARG used to blame the U.S. for Iraq's
unwillingness to implement the numerous agreements and MOUs
signed by the two countries. Muallim recounted that he had
asked former Secretary Rice in September 2008 in New York why
the U.S. had opposed Iraq-Syrian engagement. "She replied,
'we are not.' Then I asked her if the U.S. was encouraging
it. She said, 'we are not,'" Muallim reported. Muallim said
he had tried to convince PM Maliki and President Talabani to
build stronger bilateral relations based on shared interests,
but there had been little movement. Feltman replied the
Iraqis had told U.S. officials they were unsure how to deal
with Syria in light of continuing irritants in the
relationship. For example, Iraqis cited Syria's rejection of
GOI requests to extradite former regime elements as a source
of tensions.


12. (S/NF) Muallim responded that Syria would not respond
favorably to these requests. Such a hand over "won't
happen," he emphasized, explaining this was an issue with a
long history. Syria had sought the extradition of Syrian
Muslim Brotherhood members during the reign of Saddam
Hussein, to no avail. Syria had sought their extradition
after the fall of Saddam's government, only to be told the
U.S. would reject such a request. "Now the Iraqis are in
charge," responded Feltman. As Muallim and other Syrians
were suggesting, the Iraqis were evaluating their options in
terms of defined interests. Shaaban offered that there was
now evidence of Iraq reintegrating itself back into the
region, which was necessary and positive. Feltman replied
that the State Department had taken note of this shift by
removing the position for a Senior Advisor for Iraq and

DAMASCUS 00000196 004 OF 004


integrating Iraq back into the Bureau for Near Eastern
Affairs. The same had occurred at the NSC, Shapiro reported.



--------------
Wanted: Abu Khalaf
--------------


13. (S/NF) In a private one-on-one session with Muallim at
the conclusion of the longer meeting, Feltman raised Abu
Ghadiyah lieutenant Abu Khalaf as-Sammani as a specific
example of an al-Qaeda operative who continued operate in
Syria and threaten U.S. and Iraqi lives. Muallim sought
information on Abu Khalaf's nationality and location; Feltman
told Muallim the U.S. believed him to be active in Qamishli
area. Saying he had not heard about the issue previously,
Muallim asked for more details from the Embassy.


14. (SBU) Acting NEA A/S Feltman and NSC NEA Senior
Director Shapiro cleared this cable.
CONNELLY