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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 000346 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: UN/IRAQ: FEBRUARY 23 U.S.-UK-UN TRILATERAL MEETING 
ON UNAMI STAFF AND SECURITY 
 
 
¶1.  Begin Summary.  During the February 23 UN-U.S.-UK 
trilateral meeting on UNAMI staff and security, UN 
Secretariat staff gave an update on UNAMI electoral and 
 
SIPDIS 
constitutional assistance.  They indicated that Japan had 
shown interest in providing aviation support for UNAMI, but 
had not agreed to meet UNAMI's continuing preference for 
dedicated military aircraft. Secretariat staff reported 
success in the Iraq-Kuwait border assessment mission; 105 of 
106 border posts were assessed, and the UN will formally 
provide USUN the dates and security requirements for the 
maintenance mission (sometime in the Fall).  U/SYG for Safety 
and Security Veness returned from Baghdad and will complete 
his security review by early March; however, he concluded 
that the UN could not remain in the al-Rasheed Hotel after 
May 1 when MNF hands over security responsibilities to the 
Iraqis.  End Summary 
 
¶2.  EAD Update: EAD Iraq DeskOff Michael Browne said only a 
small electoral assistance team remains in Baghdad for now, 
and the focus of their efforts is preparation for an April 
5-7 "lessons learned" conference in Cyprus.  He said the 
outgoing international member of the Independent Electoral 
Commission of Iraq (IECI), Craig Jeness, would come to New 
York to brief the Secretariat.  EAD is looking for a 
successor for Jeness, who does not plan to return to Baghdad, 
but the position will be revised for a chief technical 
advisor to the IECI.  Jeness' successor will not be an IECI 
member.  Browne said with three electoral events under its 
belt in the last fourteen months, the IECI does not seem to 
want a non-Iraqi member, but he assured us that the UN still 
has concerns about IECI capacity and intra-commission 
politics and will keep a close eye on IECI administration of 
future local elections. 
 
¶3.  Constitutional Review: Department of Political Affairs 
(DPA) Iraq deskoff Darko Mocibob said UNAMI is preparing to 
support the Iraqi constitutional review process and will send 
some Iraqis to South Africa for a constitutional seminar, but 
is mindful that some Parliamentary factions want to delay 
this process or, at least, the discussion of some 
constitutional issues. 
 
¶4.  Dedicated Aircraft:  Mocibob said the Japanese government 
has said it wants to explore the use of one of its three 
C-130s in Iraq for UNAMI.  Japan says it would not provide a 
dedicated aircraft, but would consider the use of the 
aircraft as part of its ongoing MNF activities.  This offer 
does not meet the SYG's request for a dedicated aircraft, but 
Mocibob was appreciative of the possibility and remained open 
to how the Japanese offer might be part of a menu of options 
that would meet UNAMI's needs. 
 
¶5.  Kuwait-Iraq Border Mission: Mocibob said the UN Mission 
had managed to assess 105 of the 106 border posts along the 
Kuwait-Iraq border.  The one post that was not assessed could 
not be approached from Kuwait, and an assessment would have 
required cross-border security, which was unavailable.  USUN 
advised the UN to inform us formally when it has determined 
the dates and security requirements for the border 
maintenance mission; this mission is expected to be in fall. 
(Note:  The UN will contract out much of the maintenance 
work, and the commercial contractor should provide for its 
own security.  That factor may well impact the need for MNF-I 
security.  End Note.) 
 
¶6.  Veness:  Baghdad Facilities: According to Vince Kennedy 
from the Department of Safety and Security (DSS), U/SYG 
Veness has returned from his trip to Baghdad and has 
concluded that the al-Rasheed Hotel will not serve UNAMI 
needs after the May 1 transfer of security responsibility 
from the MNF to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).  Until the 
UN can move into its permanent facilities at the former U.S. 
Embassy compound, where renovation could take eighteen 
months, the UN will need an alternate site.  Veness is 
considering a compound in the International Zone (IZ) 
currently occupied by Bechtel and proposes co-location of the 
UN and Bechtel.  Kennedy said Veness would present this 
proposal to the SYG this week.  USUN and UKUN will separately 
seek a read-out of Veness' travel next week.  Kennedy 
 
USUN NEW Y 00000346  002 OF 002 
 
 
anticipates that Veness' security review will be complete by 
early March. 
 
¶7.  Canal Hotel:  Mocibob confirmed that a nine UNHQ staff 
are in Baghdad to close former UN offices at the Canal Hotel 
and anticipated three additional UNMOVIC staff would arrive 
this week from Cyprus to close UNMOVIC's Canal offices. 
Equipment will be relocated to the IZ.  DSS Representative 
Vince Kennedy thanked MNF for supporting this relocation, 
including with additional security after the Samara bombing. 
BOLTON