VZCZCXRO0595
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHEG #6881/01 3200949
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 160949Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2591
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 006881 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2016 
TAGS: PRL PGOV PTER MORS UNSC EG IL LE IQ
SUBJECT: A/S WELCH DISCUSSES MIDDLE EAST PEACE, IRAQ WITH 
ARAB LEAGUE SECRETARY GENERAL 
 
Classified by DCM Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  A/S Welch met with Arab League Secretary 
General Amre Moussa on November 15 to discuss the Middle East 
peace process and Iraq.  On the Israeli-Palestinian 
situation, Moussa encouraged reinvigorated U.S. leadership 
and promoted the international conference; A/S Welch 
responded that the important thing is to have both sides 
talking again.  Moussa defended Arab League statements on 
lifting the financial embargo to the Palestinian territories, 
saying it did not imply violating the international 
mechanism.  Moussa criticized the U.S. veto of the proposed 
UNSCR condemning the Israeli attack on Beit Hanun; A/S Welch 
pushed back, saying that a U.S. veto was actually desired by 
the Arab group, or it would have been written differently. 
On Iraq, Moussa warned against an immediate American 
withdrawal or partition of the country, said the major 
problem is lack of functioning institutions, and added that 
it would be chaos if U.S. troops were withdrawn.  A/S Welch 
emphasized the importance of maintaining institutions of 
democracy in Iraq, and encouraged more Arab support to help 
resolve the sectarian issue.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Reinvigorating Middle East Peace 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa began the 
November 15 meeting with A/S Welch by saying that the "time 
has come for a change in American diplomacy in the Middle 
East."  He lamented the "peace process is dead," but there is 
an opportunity to revive it through U.S. leadership.  He 
criticized the Quartet for "doing nothing," rather than 
playing a "useful role."  Moussa thought that an 
international conference would be beneficial. 
 
¶3. (C) A/S Welch affirmed US readiness to revive the process 
but pushed back on an international conference.  He responded 
that both sides must come to the table, that there be 
restored on-the-ground confidence in dialog, and that the 
Israelis and the Palestinians be given political cover to 
take action.  He expressed US willingness to work with any 
Palestinian government that meets Quartet principles, and 
warned of an "evil Quartet" of Iran, Syria, Hamas, and 
Hizballah that does not want the peace process to succeed. 
 
------------------------------ 
Breaking The Financial Embargo 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) When asked by A/S Welch, Moussa said that Arab League 
statements about breaking the financial embargo to the 
Palestinian territories do not imply automatic violation of 
the international mechanism.  In a vague linkage to 
humanitarian conditions, he said that the Palestinian people 
are facing starvation, and that this requires immediate 
action.  A/S Welch responded that the international mechanism 
is working, albeit after a delay, and that European 
assistance to Palestinians is actually higher now than before 
the Hamas government came to power. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
U.S. Veto of UNSCR Condemning Israeli "Massacre" 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶5. (C) Moussa criticized the U.S. for vetoing the Arab 
League-sponsored UNSCR condemning the recent Israeli 
"massacre" of Palestinians at Beit Hanun, saying it was 
particularly bad for the U.S. image.  A/S Welch replied the 
Arab group actually wanted a U.S. veto on this resolution, or 
otherwise would have either drafted one from which the US 
could abstain or agreed to a Presidential statement.  Moussa 
critized the lack of U.S. participation in the resolution 
drafting process, which he thought might have made for a more 
palatable resolution.  A Moussa aide suggested having regular 
consultations on major issues, to avoid the kind of 
"miscommunication" that led to the US veto in this case.  A/S 
Welch responded that he is open to communication at any time, 
and singled out Darfur as an issue that might benefit from 
regular consultations. 
 
---- 
Iraq 
---- 
 
¶6. (C) On Iraq, Moussa said that it was time to leave past 
disagreements in the past, since now "we are all in the same 
boat."  He said that the Arab League does not want to see an 
immediate American withdrawl from Iraq, nor a tripartite 
partitioning of the country, which he described as a "recipe 
for disaster."  He also emphasized that Arabs need to know 
 
CAIRO 00006881  002 OF 002 
 
 
that the U.S. does not intend to hand the country over to the 
Shi'a.  Moussa described the main problem in the Iraq as a 
lack of any functioning institutions, such as the army, 
police, and judiciary, and that democracy will not solve the 
problem. 
 
¶7. (C) A/S Welch agreed that cooperation is essential, though 
he emphasized the importance of maintaining the institutions 
of democracy in Iraq.  He said that there may be changes in 
US thinking, but that there will not be a major shift in 
policy.  He encouraged more Arab support for solving the 
sectarian issue, citing lengthy visits from Iranian officials 
but none from Arab leaders, excluding Moussa himself.  Moussa 
said that he stands ready to visit Iraq again whenever it 
might prove helpful. 
 
¶8. (U) A/S Welch's party cleared this message. 
RICCIARDONE