C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 03306

E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL IR IZ
SUBJECT: IRAN-IRAQ

REF: (A) USUN 1615, (B) FBIS LD0606090990


1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.


2. THE IRAQI MEDIA JUNE 7 HAS NOT REACTED TO
RAFSANJANI'S JUNE 6 INTERVIEW IN WHICH HE
COMMENTS INTER ALIA ON THE POSSIBILITY OF
A MEETING WITH SADDAM (TEHRAN RADIO VERSION
IN REF B). IN SUMMARY, RAFSANJANI SAID THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A MEETING WILL DEPEND ON
NEGOTIATIONS AT THE EXPERT LEVEL AND "UNDER
THE SUPERVISION" OF THE SYG (TEHRAN RADIO) OR
"IN CONSULTATION WITH" THE SECRETARY GENERAL
(IRANIAN NEWS SERVICE).


3. RAFSANJANI(AND OTHER SENIOR IRANIANS EARLIER)
ALSO COMPLAINS ABOUT THE BAGHDAD SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE
REMARKS ON IRAN. THE IRAQI MFA HAS TOLD US THAT
IT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THIS ADVERSE IRANIAN REACTION,
SINCE THE COMMUNIQUE SIMPLY REITERATED THE LANGUAGE
OF THE CASABLANCA COMMUNIQUE, ADDING ONLY REFERENCE
TO SADDAM'S RECENT "MESSAGE OF PEACE" TO IRAN.


4. ON JUNE 6, THE PALESTINIAN "AMBASSADOR" TO
IRAQ (FATAH) CONFIDED TO THE DUTCH AMBASSADOR THAT
THE FIRST SADDAM LETTER HAD BEEN CARRIED BY AN ARAFAT
EMISSARY TO TEHRAN. RAFSANJANI'S RESPONSE HAD
BEEN HANDED BY THE IRANIAN OIL MINISTER TO HIS
IRAQI COUNTERPART AT AN OPEC MEETING. THE SECOND
SADDAM LETTER, HE ASSERTED, HAD ALSO MOVED DIRECTLY
FROM AN IRAQI TO AN IRANIAN.


5. WITHOUT MAKING CLEAR WHETHER HE HAD SEEN THE
LETTER HIMSELF, THE PALESTINIAN SAID THAT
SADDAM'S FIRST MESSAGE HAD INVITED IRAN TO
LOOK TOWARD REESTABLISHING RELATIONS THROUGH
DIRECT NEGOTIATIONS AT THE SUMMIT, WITH AN
OPEN AGENDA, AND HAD NOTED THAT LIKE IRAN, IRAQ
IS THREATENED BY ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES.


6. FINALLY, THE PALESTINIAN CLAIMED THAT AN ARAFAT
ENVOY IS EVEN NOW CARRYING A PLO LETTER TO
RAFSANJANI, BUT THAT ARAFAT WOULD HIMSELF GO TO
TEHRAN ONLY IF TANGIBLE RESULTS OF MEDIATION WERE
IMMINENT; E.G., ON A POW EXCHANGE OR TO FIX
A DATE FOR IRAN-IRAQ TALKS.


7. COMMENT: WE HAVE NOTED PRESS REPORTS THAT
ARAFAT IS NOT/NOT WELCOME IN TEHRAN NOR IS HIS
MEDIATION. WE ALSO NOTE SPECULATION THAT
THE OMANIS HAVE BEEN CARRYING THE MESSAGES. WE
CANNOT EVALUATE THE PALESTINIAN'S COMMENTS, ALTHOUGH
WHY HE WOULD FABRICATE ALL THIS TO IMPRESS THE
DUTCH AMBASSADOR IS DIFFICULT TO FATHOM.


GLASPIE