VZCZCXRO1112
PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHMOS RUEHPW
DE RUEHGB #0979/01 0831552
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 241552Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3530
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0712
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0149
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0024
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0476
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000979 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2016 
TAGS: PREF KPAL PHUM PINS KCRS IZ PA JO
SUBJECT: BAGHDAD PALESTINIANS RETURN TO IRAQ, BUT MORE 
BUSES MAY BE LEAVING TO THE BORDER SOON 
 
REF: A. A) BAGHDAD 000918 
     ¶B. B) AMMAN 002061 
     ¶C. C) JERUSALEM 002061 
     ¶D. 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Ford for reasons 
1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
 ¶1. (C) Summary. On March 22, Iraqi Ministry of Interior 
Border Officials escorted the 88 Palestinians (note: not 
89) out of the No Man's Land (NML) between the Iraqi and 
Jordanian border (ref A) and back into Iraqi territory. 
The Palestinians are now located in Trebil close to the 
border in Anbar.  Meanwhile, the Palestinian Human Rights 
Organization president reported March 21 that three more 
busloads were planning to depart to either the Syrian or 
Jordanian border within the next week.  We have asked the 
Palestinian Charge and Palestinian human rights 
organization to urge the community not to flee to the 
borders.  Post has also alerted the Iraq Security Forces 
(ISF) and MNF-I as to the precarious security situation 
that exists in Baghdad for Palestinians.  ISF 
representatives were non-committal but open to requests for 
security.  Despite these efforts, we believe more 
Palestinians will seek to leave Baghdad to the Syrian and 
Jordanian borders, especially in light of recent death 
threat letters reportedly received by 120 Baghdad 
Palestinians families March 23.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
PALESTINIANS NO LONGER IN NO MAN'S LAND 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On March 22, UNHCR as well as Palestinian 
representatives reported to AmEmbassy Amman and AmEmbassy 
Baghdad that Iraqi MoI officials had peaceably moved the 88 
Palestinians from the NML to the border town of Trebil (al 
Anbar province).  The UNHCR further reported that 88 
Palestinians were in fact in the camp and not 89.  The 
families are reportedly safe in an MoI barracks shelter and 
are awaiting receipt of additional assistance that the 
UNCHR is attempting to coordinate. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
MORE PALESTINIANS POSITIONED TO LEAVE TO BORDERS 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3. (C) Human Rights Organization President Muhammed Abid 
Mutlak Mowsiq and Deputy Said Mustafa told PolOffs March 21 
that three more busloads of Baghdad Palestinians were 
planning to depart to either the Syrian or Jordanian 
borders within the next week.  Poloffs urged Mowsiq and 
Mustafa to encourage these groups not to flee to the 
borders.  Mowsiq replied that he did not have the ability 
to stop these groups from doing so and emphasized that the 
security situation for Palestinians had made staying in 
Iraq untenable. 
 
¶4. (C) Mowsiq further explained that the Baladiat compound 
was already adequately protected by MNF-I patrols, but 
neither MNF-I nor ISF had the capabilities of protecting 
Palestinians every minute of the day.  For this reason, he 
said, many Palestinians had left their jobs, pulled their 
children from local schools, and spent their days confined 
in their homes.  He also noted that four additional 
Palestinians had been killed between March 18 and March 20, 
bringing the total death toll to 21 since the Samarra 
bombing on February 22. 
 
5.(C) On March 23 UNCHR reported to AmEmbassy Amman and 
Baghdad that 120 Palestinians families received death 
threat letters that morning from an anonymous source 
indicating that the families had 10 days to leave their 
homes or be killed.  As of late March 23, Poloffs had not 
been able to reach Palestinian representatives for 
confirmation. These new developments may further induce 
Palestinian families to flee Baghdad. 
 
---------------------------- 
POST EFFORTS TO DETER FLIGHT 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) In separate conversations March 22 and 23 with 
Minister of Defense Sadoun Duleimi and MoD Acting Chief of 
Staff LTG Abadi, Acting PolmilCouns stressed concern for 
 
BAGHDAD 00000979  002 OF 002 
 
 
Palestinian security and urged that the Palestinian complex 
be closely monitored and provided with adequate security. 
Acting PolMilCouns also stressed to the MOI Director of 
Operations for Border Security the importance of working to 
resolve the issues at the border.  Both MoI and MoD 
officials expressed general openness to these concerns, but 
did not provide any commitments.  PolmilOff also 
highlighted this situation March 23 with Multi-National 
Division Baghdad, who took note of these security concerns. 
 
¶7. (C) In a March 23 phone conversation, PolOff asked the 
Palestinian Charge, Dalil Mikael al-Qusous, to encourage 
Palestinian communities in Baghdad not to flee to the 
borders.  The Charge seemed amenable to that request and 
even went so far as to say that he would go to the border 
to encourage the 88 to return to Baghdad if safe travel was 
provided for him. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8. (C) Post thanks AmEmbassy Jordan and AmConsul Jerusalem 
for their quick responses.  Because of the recent death 
letters, we believe that further flight from Baghdad is 
likely.  It is possible that because the 88 Palestinians 
were removed from the NML back into Iraq, this may deter 
Baghdad Palestinian families from attempting to cross the 
Jordanian borders.  Groups who want to leave Iraq may 
instead choose the Syrian border as a more likely entry 
point. Post will continue to monitor this situation. 
KHALILZAD