SANI DISCUSSES KIRKUK WITH BAGHDAD POLITICIANS

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000303

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL TU IZ
SUBJECT: SANI DISCUSSES KIRKUK WITH BAGHDAD POLITICIANS

Classified By: Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Gary Grappo for reasons 1
.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. The Ambassador's Senior Advisor for Northern
Iraq (SANI) met with Kurdish leadership at the Council of
Representatives (COR) on the topic of the disputed internal
boundary (DIBs) areas and Kirkuk. Kurdish Alliance List
(KAL) bloc leader Fuad Masoum and Deputy COR Speaker Arif
Tayfour provided historical context for the Kurdish
perspective and pressed for U.S. assistance in implementing
Article 140 to resolve Kirkuk. Masoum suggested, but did not
say explicitly, that the way ahead on Kirkuk would entail a
negotiated political agreement. SANI reiterated U.S. support
for Article 140 and for conducting a census to help
facilitate future electoral events. He also stressed that
Iraqi politicians must focus on the future, not the past, if
progress is to be made in resolving DIBs-related issues. END
SUMMARY.

SOME COMPROMISE ON KIRKUK SUGGESTED
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2. (C) On January 12, Kurdish Alliance List (KAL) Leader Fuad
Masoum (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan - PUK) noted to SANI
that disputed areas existed not just in northern Iraq, but
also in the western and southern regions. Reiterating
familiar laments, Masoum asserted that every regime since
Iraq achieved independence had made the Kurds suffer greatly.
Noting that Iraq was comprised of districts before the
current system of provinces was adopted, Masoum said it had
been easier for Saddam to manipulate the borders of
provinces, disrupting cultural and tribal links. In 1984, the
PUK negotiated with Saddam's Ali Hassan al-Majeed to define
those areas and their authorities; however, Majeed eventually
disregarded the agreement, betrayed the Kurds and perpetrated
the Anfal campaign.


3. (C) Masoum clearly stated that the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) did not intend to separate from Iraq, and
that Kurdish leaders were not encouraging that line of
thought. He suggested, but did not say explicitly, that the
way ahead on Kirkuk would entail a negotiated political
agreement. SANI welcomed this approach in consonant with U.S.
thinking on Article 140. Masoum noted that if Kirkuk were to
become part of the KRG, they would be well-treated. He
dismissed claims that the KRG had orchestrated a campaign to
bring Kurds from neighboring countries to Kirkuk to tip the
demographic balance there, and asked SANI to help bring U.S.
assistance to bear in preventing neighboring states from
interfering in Iraq's internal affairs.

UNAMI NOT SEEN AS EFFECTIVE
--------------


4. (C) In a meeting on January 12, Deputy COR Speaker Arif
Tayfour reminded SANI that the Kurds suffered genocide at the
hands of Saddam and implied that the Kurds were therefore
"owed" Kirkuk, which he claimed had "always" been a Kurdish
city. He recounted how his father had allowed a few Arabs to
move "temporarily" into the Hawija area in 1930, a move for
which he had never forgiven himself. Tayfour said the Kurds
wanted a way forward on the disputed territories and pressed
SANI for specific details about the U.S. view of Kirkuk's
future status. Tayfour accused the Turks of directly meddling
in Kirkuk, and of trying to make Kirkuk "another Cyprus." He
cautioned that if the U.S. sided with the Turkomans on
Kirkuk, the Kurds would be forced to be "difficult." SANI
emphasized the importance of focusing on the future and not
dwelling in the past if progress on the emotive, complex DIBs
Qdwelling in the past if progress on the emotive, complex DIBs
issues was to be achieved. Tayfour suggested that dividing
Kirkuk could be the best way forward, and said he was open to
having the Turkomans join the Kurds and the Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG). SANI questioned the feasibility of
such a course, observing that getting the parties to agree on
how to divide Kirkuk would be no easier than achieving
agreement on how to resolve outstanding issues within the
current borders.


5. (C) Tayfour insisted that implementation of Article 140
was the key to solving Arab-Kurd issues, but assessed UNAMI's
efforts to date on Kirkuk as ineffectual. He did not think
UNAMI should play a prominent role in the future in
implementing Article 140. Tayfour discounted the argument of
Arabs and Turkomans that Article 140 was no longer valid
because the December 2007 expiration date specified in the
constitution had passed. He noted that other important
issues similarly itemized in the Constitution had not been
addressed, and said " ... if Article 140 is null and void,
then so is the constitution itself." SANI reiterated U.S.
support for the constitution and Article 140, and for
conducting a census, underscoring the need to focus on the
implementation of Article 140 through an inclusive
negotiating process involving all the parties.


6. (C) COMMENT. Following KRG President Barzani's important
discussion of Article 140 during his recent trip to
Washington -- including evolution toward acceptance of an
inclusive negotiating process rather than a narrow focus on
an up/down referendum -- we are working with UNAMI on options
to inject new energy into the effort to address DIBs issues.
END COMMENT.
HILL