SYRIA-IRAQ TENSION: IRAQI EMBASSY PROTESTS SARG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 000077 SIPDIS LONDON FOR MILLER, PARIS FOR NOBLES E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2020 TAGS: PREL PREF PHUM PTER IZ SY SUBJECT: SYRIA-IRAQ TENSION: IRAQI EMBASSY PROTESTS SARG COMMENTS ON REFUGEES REF: A. DAMASCUS 66 ¶B. DAMASCUS 57 Classified By: CDA Charles Hunter For Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Iraqi embassy told us January 25 the GOI was offended by comments regarding Iraq's alleged neglect of Iraqi refugees made by Syrian Vice Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad at a UNHCR conference in Damascus last week. Miqdad's comments reportedly angered Baghdad and heightened GOI doubt that a relaxation in Syrian-Iraqi tension would be forthcoming soon. In addition, Iraqi diplomats told us they had contacted Iraqi Baathist Mishan al-Jabouri and learned that though negotiations were continuing over the sale of "al-Rai" television a deal was still not near. Money is the sticking point. Finally, a team from the Iraqi electoral commission visited Damascus last week to discuss with senior SARG officials plans for facilitating absentee voting by hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees in Syria in the Iraqi legislative elections planned for March. END SUMMARY. "MIQDAD REALLY ANNOYED US" ¶2. (C) Iraqi embassy Political Chief Berivan Dosky and Media Attache Ahmed Ubaid described as "highly objectionable" comments made by Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad at a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) conference in Damascus on January 18 (ref A). With Iraqi embassy officials in attendance, Miqdad had declared "we find it strange that the Iraqi government is not doing its duty and is finding every way it can to avoid taking responsibility for its nationals." Miqdad told reporters after his speech he was "ashamed to discuss Iraqi support for refugees. We told their government that these nationals are Iraqis and they are suffering real, not imaginary, hardship." ¶3. (C) Miqdad's comments "really annoyed" the Iraqi foreign ministry, Dosky reported. She stressed that the Vice Foreign Minister "didn't have the facts right." According to Iraqi diplomats, Miqdad was wrong both on the amount of money Iraq has provided its refugees and on the number of Iraqi refugees in the country. "He underestimated the amount of money we have provided, and overestimated the number of Iraqis in Syria," Dosky said. Dosky added the GOI viewed Miqdad's remarks as another indication Damascus was not committed to soothing its tense relations with Baghdad in the near future. "The Syrians keep saying they are waiting for the Iraqi elections because they want to see a new government in Baghdad, but what if Maliki wins?" Dosky asked. IRAQI BAATHIST STILL CONTROLS "AL-RAI" ¶4. (C) The Iraqi diplomats said Baghdad continued to view "al-Rai" television, an anti-GOI television station broadcasting from Syrian soil and controlled by Iraqi Baathist Mishan al-Jabouri, as a benchmark in determining whether Damascus is serious about improving relations with Iraq. They believe the SARG uses the station as a "card," reining in the station's anti-GOI statements when relations are good and encouraging its "resistance" when relations sour. After two months of a rumored sale of "al-Rai" to prominent Syrian businessman and Asad cousin Rami Makhlouf, the station remained under Jabouri's control. ¶5. (C) Corroborating our recent reporting (ref B),Ubaid related that an Iraqi diplomat in Damascus had recently been in contact with Jabouri who confirmed that he had not sold the station. Jabouri reportedly said negotiations continued over the sale, but money is the sticking point. Jabouri reportedly asked for $500,000, well below Makhlouf's offer. The Iraqi Baathist leader said that for the time being he planned to continue the station's broadcasts. ABSENTEE VOTING PLANS CONTINUE ¶6. (C) Faced with the daunting task of organizing absentee balloting for the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees living in Syria in advance of the March legislative elections, the Iraqi embassy welcomed a team from the independent Iraqi electoral commission to Damascus last week. The team met with high-level SARG officials, including representatives from the Interior Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Syrian intelligence, to discuss plans for the voting. ¶7. (C) Dosky said her embassy was pleased with the initial round of meetings, but remained concerned the SARG would attempt to influence the outcome of the voting. She reported the Iraqi team had requested SARG assistance in organizing DAMASCUS 00000077 002 OF 002 more than 30 voting sites across the country, but that a smaller number was likely to be approved by Syrian officials. In addition, the two sides discussed the list of acceptable forms of identification refugees could present on election day. Dosky added that while the Iraqi electoral commission had yet to determine what, if any, role independent organizations like UNHCR would play in the elections, she was confident the electoral commission would be able to organize fair and transparent balloting before the voting. (NOTE: UNHCR Country Representative Renata Dubini confirmed to us on January 25 her organization had not yet received a formal request from the Iraqi embassy or the Iraqi government to assist with the organization of absentee balloting in the elections. END NOTE). HUNTER