VZCZCXRO3251
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #0880 0720546
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130546Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0146
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 000880 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM KPAL IZ
SUBJECT:  DEMARCHE TO KRG ON PALESTINIAN REFUGEES 
 
REF: STATE 23276 
 
This is a Regional Reconstruction Team (RRT) cable. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) At march 7 meeting with KRG Interior Minister Karim 
Sinjari, Regional Coordinator Yellin per reftel made the following 
points re Palestinian refugees: 
 
-- The Palestinian refugee population in Iraq has been singled out 
for persecution by armed, violent elements in Iraqi society. 
 
-- They had been granted asylum in Iraq by previous Iraqi 
governments and remain entitled to the protection of the Iraqi 
state. 
 
-- Under current conditions this may not be possible, and 
neighboring states are not willing to accept Palestinians who seek 
asylum out of Iraq. 
 
-- UNHCR is willing to try to resettle Palestinian refugees outside 
the region. 
 
-- Processing can not be accomplished in the insecure environment of 
Baghdad today.  To even try might actually increase the threat to 
the Palestinians. 
 
-- The U.S. therefore requests that Palestinians now residing in 
Baghdad be given temporary asylum in the Kurdish Region. 
 
-- Given Kurdish security concerns, a controlled camp situation 
would be acceptable, provided UNHCR is provided access.  If that 
were established, UNHCR would then initiate a program to screen 
Palestinians for resettlement outside the region. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In response, Sinjari: 
 
-- Expressed both sympathy for the plight of the Palestinian 
refugees and the KRG's desire to help, recalling that the Kurds had 
been refugees themselves. 
 
-- Pointed out that the KRG had accepted ten of thousands Iraqi 
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and that more would certainly 
follow.  This influx had already stretched the KRG's resources in 
many ways. 
 
-- Indicated his personal view that accepting the refugees would 
involve a serious security risk for the KRG. 
 
-- Observed that a camp situation would not ameliorate his concerns 
about terrorism.  Camp residents would want to work in the community 
and "we will not be able to control them." 
 
-- Said he had been approached by UNHCR with this request two months 
ago and that he had declined it. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Sinjari said that In light of our formal demarche, he 
would approach the KRG Council in Ministers and provide us with the 
KRG's coordinated response. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment:  While Sinjari agreed to consider information 
that might allay the KRG's concerns over security, his implied 
answer was clearly no.  This will be a tough sell in the KRG. Given 
this negative answer from the KRG, whose agreement is necessary, 
post has not raised the issue with the GOI in Baghdad. 
 
Speckhard