EMBASSY DAMASCUS OPENS DIALOGUE WITH MFA ON TIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000554 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ELA, DRL/NESCA LONDON FOR LORD, PARIS FOR MILLER E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/06/2019 TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREF PREL KTIP KWMN SCUL SCOI ID IZ, RP, SY SUBJECT: EMBASSY DAMASCUS OPENS DIALOGUE WITH MFA ON TIP ISSUES REF: A. DAMASCUS 00479 ¶B. DAMASCUS 00471 ¶C. DAMASCUS 00062 Classified By: CDA Raymond Maxwell for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: MFA International Organizations Chief Mr. Milad Attiyeh hosted Emboffs on August 5 to discuss SARG progress on combating trafficking in persons (TIP). The Embassy had requested the meeting to explain the philosophy behind, and function of, the Department's annual TIP report. Emboffs used the opportunity to elaborate on the TIP report's recommendations for Syria on "prevention, prosecution, and protection." Attiyeh's overarching message was that the SARG had already demonstrated its desire to combat the problem and would continue to do so in the future with the passage of a new TIP law. Trafficking, he stressed, was not systemic in Syria, but a by-product of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, which had forced many desperate refugees in Syria to turn to prostitution for economic reasons. Emboffs stressed the need for direct, open communication between the Embassy and relevant SARG agencies on trafficking crimes and raised the idea of a potential future visit by G/TIP officers. Attiyeh said he would get back to us on these suggestions. End Summary. -------------- Embassy Stresses Need for Continuing Dialogue -------------- ¶2. (C) Milad Attiyeh, Chief of the International Organizations Department (an MFA bureau office) agreed to meet Pol/Econ Chief and Poloff covering human rights on August 5 in response to the Embassy's dipnoted request of July 26. In the spirit of re-engagement characterizing the current bilateral relationship, Pol/Econ Chief explained, the Embassy hoped for cooperation with its SARG counterparts on using the recent publication of the Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report by beginning a dialogue on Syrian efforts to combat trafficking in persons. The TIP report's publication had coincided with advances toward the passage of anti-TIP draft legislation in Syria, the increased coordination between SARG agencies and international NGOs like the International Organization for Migration (IOM),and improving bilateral relations. These positive developments indicated now was the time to begin talking about how information sharing might enhance anti-TIP measures and, by extension, positively influence the preparation of next year's report. We suggested an officer from G/TIP might be able to visit Damascus, meet with SARG counterparts, and see first hand the progress made with shelters if there was interest from the SARG. ¶3. (C) Despite the new rapprochement between the U.S. and Syria, however, Pol/Econ Chief emphasized that dialogue alone would be insufficient without continuing SARG actions. But if we did not start a dialogue now, he said, it would be difficult to shape Washington's view of TIP-related developments in Syria. -------------- SARG Criticism of Report -------------- ¶4. (C) Attiyeh observed the MFA's position on the re-engagement process mirrored the Embassy's, adding "the new openness and the new administration are both going in the right direction and we can build on that to discuss regional issues." He stopped short, however, of agreeing a fresh dialogue on TIP-specific issues was needed. Exhibiting a familiarity with the TIP report on Syria, Attiyeh quickly pointed out the report's language was too general and lacked specific examples in support of its "accusations." "Trafficking," he sniffed, is not a historical phenomenon in Syria, but a current one. To address the problem required looking at the "root cause" -- namely, the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The influx of refugees from Iraq into Syria had caused this "new problem." Many Iraqi women and children had come to Syria and out of economic desperation involved themselves in prostitution. -------------- SARG Anti-TIP Achievements -------------- ¶5. (C) The SARG was very "keen" on pursuing anti-trafficking efforts as its past actions had proven, Attiyeh argued. For three years, he said, a host of ministers and parliamentarians, including himself, had worked with IOM to draft the TIP law. Now the law was with the Prime Minister's office and would next be sent to the Parliament for endorsement. In the international arena, Syria had ratified the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime as well as the Convention's supplemental Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons. (Note: the SARG ratified both the Convention and the Protocol on April 8, 2009.) ¶6. (C) Even though the TIP law remained in draft form, Syrian law enforcement were alert to traffickers and had arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced individuals for TIP-related crimes, Attiyeh reported. In response to our questions, he admitted neither the Ministry of Justice nor the Ministry of Interior provided statistics on such arrests and convictions, but stated trafficking was clearly illegal under other Penal Code statutes and that arrests were, indeed, occurring. ¶7. (C) Attiyeh produced a list of all the workshops/conferences the SARG had co-sponsored with IOM since the beginning of their collaborative relationship in ¶2005. He observed this cooperation had led to the opening of two shelters for victims of trafficking, one in Damascus (reftels) and one in Aleppo. (Note: IOM reported the Aleppo shelter was not open yet, but undergoing refurbishment. IOM predicted the opening would be months out since staffing and training had yet to take place.) Regarding a visit from G/TIP, Attiyeh would only go so far as to say "I take your point and will get back to you on whether we can do this." He also stressed that Syria was tackling trafficking crimes because of its own commitment to law and order, not because it felt any international pressure to do so. -------------- The U.S. Perspective -------------- ¶8. (C) Pol/Econ Chief agreed with Attiyeh that Syria had made progress on anti-TIP measures and hoped those efforts would become codified, enter into the government's institutional framework, and inform its relations with like-minded NGOs and other community stakeholders. He stressed direct communication at a working level between SARG and Embassy counterparts might add to this coordination and also help Washington appreciate more fully current and future SARG achievements. ¶9. (C) Attiyeh quietly concurred Washington should be better informed of events on the ground, but quickly re-asserted, "We have to focus on the 'root cause,'" the American occupation of Iraq. Pol/Econ Chief acknowledged the SARG's focus on this issue, and pointed to the USG's close coordination with and funding of UNHCR and other U.N. organizations as a sign of our sustained commitment to providing humanitarian relief to Iraqi refugees. He explained Washington's focus on formal preventive measures, transparency in police interdiction and judicial processes, and the importance of robust efforts to protect victims -- not just victims of sex-related trafficking, but also the many domestics fraudulently trafficked into and within Syria from countries like the Philippines and Indonesia. ¶10. (C) Comment: Working-level meetings with our MFA counterparts are rare. We therefore are encouraged by the MFA's willingness to open dialogue on a highly sensitive subject like trafficking. We hope to exploit this opening by showing dialogue with the U.S., in light of the SARG's positive steps toward acknowledging and confronting TIP-related issues, can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes. In the wake of the E.O. 13441 renewal, the SARG will likely perceive any TVPA sanctions resulting from its Tier 3 rating in the 2009 TIP Report negatively. ¶11. (C) Comment, continued: Washington now has a choice between pursuing an additional and immediate sanctions regime, or granting the SARG more time to formalize in-process anti-TIP measures. New sanctions would certainly communicate how seriously Washington and, especially, Congress view TIP. At the same time, they might dissuade the SARG from agreeing to a G/TIP visit and pursuing further discussions with us on this subject. End Comment MAXWELL