AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH IRAQI UN PERM REP

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000957

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2019
TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV KPKO OVIP IZ SY TU
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH IRAQI UN PERM REP
BAYATI

Classified By: Ambassador Susan Rice for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: On October 26, immediately following her
return from Iraq and the day after two major suicide bombs in
Baghdad, Ambassador Rice met with Iraqi UN Permanent
Representative Bayati. The discussion focused on the UN
response to and U.S. support for Iraq's request for a UN
envoy to be dispatched following the August 19 bombings.
Rice relayed details of her October 23 meeting with PM Maliki
in Baghdad, during which the PM agreed to receive senior UN
official Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs
Oscar Fernandez-Taranco in Iraq on a "good offices" mission
on behalf of the SYG to assess and receive Iraq's security
concerns regarding its neighbors, provided he visits Iraq
only and not neighbors. Rice underscored Taranco's mandate
could not be a formal investigation, but rather an
opportunity for the GOI to "provide information and evidence
to Ban." Given the Sunday attacks, Bayati informed Rice that
the GOI would transmit an additional letter from Iraqi FM
Zebari to SYG Ban today to underscore the GOI request for a
high-level envoy to "assess foreign interference in Iraq."
End summary.


2. (C) Ambassador Rice met with Iraqi PermRep Bayati on
October 26. After expressing condolences for the hundreds of
innocent Iraqis killed and wounded during the October 25
bombings, the conversation focused on the continued GOI
request for a UN emissary following the August 19 bombings.
Rice relayed her discussion with PM Maliki in Baghdad on
October 23, during which the PM agreed to receive senior UN
official Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs
Oscar Fernandez-Taranco in Iraq on a "good offices" mission
on behalf of the SYG to assess and receive Iraq's security
concerns regarding its neighbors, provided he visits Iraq
only and not neighbors. Rice underscored Taranco's mandate
could not be a formal investigation, but rather an
opportunity for the GOI to "provide information and evidence
to Ban." Bayati did not have a readout from Baghdad of PM
Maliki's meeting.


3. (C) Rice relayed that PM Maliki explained Iraq's goal as
seeking an end to the flow of foreign fighters and money from
Syria into Iraq. Rice advised that continued GOI emphasis on
a UN role after the good offices mission concludes may be
misplaced since the UN can not accomplish the stated GOI goal
of ending Syrian influence in Iraq. Using the Hariri and
Bhutto commissions as examples, Rice noted that these UN
vehicles do not move swiftly, while the GOI needs something
quickly. Plus, despite the Hariri commission, Syria
continues to violate UNSCR 1701 and other obligations with
impunity. Instead, she recommended Iraq and the US should
together consider other measures to accomplish our shared
goals. In response, Bayati noted that six years of bilateral
work had not resulted in success and that UN pressure was
required.


4. (U) Bayati informed Rice he would forward a new letter
from FM Zebari to SYG Ban, again requesting a UN high-level
envoy to "assess" - not to "investigate" - foreign
interference in Iraq's security situation. Bayati read
directly from the Arabic-language letter, which said that
"before the UN did anything tangible" another attack
mirroring that of August 19 had occurred on October 25, and
that these attacks are seeking to "paralyze" the GOI. Rice
noted that when transmitting this new letter, the GOI should
stress that UN A/S Taranco should come to Iraq immediately in
fulfillment of the Iraqi request.


5. (C) Rice relayed that during her meeting with PM Maliki,
she again offered USG support in the Security Council on
Chapter VII issues on either a wholesale basis or
individually. She told Bayati that the PM would consider
whether to draft a letter of commitment on WMD issues, but
did not seem ready to move yet on Kuwaiti-related issues.
Rice also asked Bayati to clarify the Oil-for-Food (OFF)
issue to his government, since PM Maliki did not understand
the problem with Russia when Rice brought it up in
discussion. She re-emphasized that the GOI should treat OFF
as a bilateral issue with Russia.
Rice