VZCZCXRO7813
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2553/01 2130933
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 010933Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2573
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 1208
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0415
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY 0086
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0198
RUEHKU/AMEMBASSY KUWAIT PRIORITY 0252
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH PRIORITY 0171
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/FBI WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEPGAB/MNF-I C2X BAGHDAD IZ PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0603

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 BAGHDAD 002553 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2017 
TAGS: IR IZ JO KU PGOV PREL PTER SA
SUBJECT: GOI REACHES OUT TO NEIGHBORS ON BORDER SECURITY 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 2451 
 
Classified By: POL-MIL COUNSELOR MARCIE B. RIES, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D 
) 
 
¶1. (S/REL ACGU) Summary:  Deputy Foreign Minister Abbawi, 
head of the Iraqi delegation to the upcoming Border Security 
Working Group, met with Pol-Mil Counselor July 30 to provide 
an update on GOI preparations, to preview their strategy, and 
to solicit assistance.  Abbawi provided the text of a letter 
which already had  been sent to the other participating 
countries outlining specific  areas in which participants 
should take action.  He agreed to continue efforts to gain 
observer status for the U.S., and eagerly anticipated 
receiving further input from the U.S. regarding how Iraq can 
fulfill its objectives at the working group.  In further 
preparation for the meeting, post facilitated presentation of 
an intelligence briefing on Iranian cross-border activities 
for the delegation.   End Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
GOI PREPARATIONS TO DATE 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (S/REL ACGU) Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Labeed Abbawi 
called on Pol-Mil Counselor Ries July 30 to continue their 
discussion (see reftel) regarding the upcoming Border 
Security Working Group to be held in Damascus August 8-9. 
Abbawi began the meeting by providing a copy of a letter that 
Iraq had sent to the eight participating countries, the UN, 
and the Arab League.  The letter text  (translation at para 
7) outlined the four categories of topics on which Iraq hoped 
to see progress at the working group: counterterrorism, 
combating organized crime, border security, and extradition. 
Abbawi did not directly address the topic of extradition, 
which was not well-developed in the Iraqi letter. 
 
¶3. (S/REL ACGU) Abbawi sketched a more detailed game plan 
that the GOI delegation could use in order to advocate with 
each of its neighbors.  He intends to combine the information 
he has already received from the U.S. and the U.K. (which 
focused on Syria and Iran) with the GOI,s own information in 
order to specify the highest priority problems involving each 
neighbor and the concrete actions the GOI would ask of them 
to remedy the situation.  Abbawi hoped that the proceedings 
at the working group would progress from a discussion of the 
four main topics to a dialogue on exchanging intelligence and 
possibly even &exchanging detainees8 (presumably the 
&administrative extradition8 referred to in the GOI 
letter).  If things went well, he foresaw the possibility 
that the working group might form a subcommittee on borders 
to consider implementation of concrete measures.  This 
subcommittee might meet in Amman in September if the 
Jordanians stepped forward to make such an offer.  Note: 
Abbawi had spoken previously with DHS Attach who had 
explained a proposal for just such a meeting as a follow-on 
to a regional meeting in Aqaba in June which covered customs 
issues.  Abbawi supported the idea, but believed it had a 
better chance of coming to fruition if it were floated by 
Jordan, thus avoiding any perception that it is a U.S. 
initiative being pushed through the GOI.  End note. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
AGREEMENT: EASY . . . IMPLEMENTATION: HARD 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (S/REL ACGU) Abbawi lamented the measures which had 
already been agreed on at previous negotiations with Iraq,s 
neighbors but which had never been implemented.  These 
included bilateral agreements with neighbors such as Iran and 
Jordan, the three bilateral committees on security agreed to 
with Syria in December 2006, and an agreement to exchange 
intelligence liaison officers with Saudi Arabia (specifically 
involving SAG,s Mubahith and MOI).  According to Abbawi, 
these agreements all languished due to a lack of 
follow-through on the part of Iraq,s neighbors. 
 
BAGHDAD 00002553  002 OF 004 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
ANOTHER PROMISE TO SEEK OBSERVER STATUS FOR U.S. 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶5. (S/REL ACGU) Abbawi revealed that the GOI had not yet made 
contact with the Syrians to advocate for U.S. observer status 
at the working group.  FM Zebari had been unable to contact 
the Syrian FM in Cairo due to the latter,s absence.  Abbawi 
promised to contact Damascus the next day to press for our 
inclusion.  (Comment: Abbawi appeared genuinely animated in 
his desire for us to be involved in the working group, going 
so far as to ask for the phone number of our charg in 
Damascus so that he would have a USG contact in the event 
that we did not receive observer status. End Comment.) 
 
------------------------------------------ 
SYRIA, IRAN, NOW WHAT ABOUT THE SAUDIS? 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (S/REL ACGU) On July 31, Deputy Pol-Mil Counselor joined 
MNF-I Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence BG Lacquement 
for a meeting with DFM Abbawi and the entire delegation. 
Following up on his Syria-oriented briefing last week 
(reftel), BG Lacquement provided a detailed presentation on 
Iranian cross-border activities for the delegation, which 
included General Kamal, MOD Intelligence and Security Deputy 
General Jamal, Mr. Hamza from the NSC, and the chief of the 
Department of Border Enforcement.  UK Brigadier Beckett 
(deputy to BG Lacquement) and UK Embassy First Secretary 
Charles Davies were also present.  While the briefing was 
well-received, there was strong agreement among the Iraqi 
attendees that Saudi Arabia was just as much of a problem and 
needed to be addressed equally.  They looked to the U.S. to 
have a word with &your friends8 in order to halt Saudi 
support for extremists in Iraq as well as public rhetoric 
directed at the Iraqi government. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
TEXT OF IRAQI LETTER TO PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7. (S/REL ACGU) 
 
(Begin text) 
 
 
Republic of Iraq 
Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs 
 
In these times, Iraq is experiencing critical conditions that 
will not only decide the fate of the country and its future, 
but also its ability to bring about security and domestic 
peace that will reflect negatively or positively on the 
stability of the entire region. 
 
The convening of the Committee for Security and Intelligence 
emanating from the ministerial meetings of the neighboring 
countries in Sharm al-Sheikh last May constitutes an 
important step on the road to reaching workable 
understandings that are capable of responding to the 
fundamental Iraqi needs in terms of extending help and 
support in confronting the security challenges to safeguard 
the unity of the country and to secure prosperity for its 
people who have  suffered from despotism, abuse, and 
repression, throughout the previous decades. 
 
The security and intelligence requirements that we face: 
 
a. Cooperation in fighting all forms of terrorism 
b. Cooperation in the field of combating organized crime in 
all its forms 
c. Cooperation in guarding the borders to prevent 
infiltration. 
 
 
BAGHDAD 00002553  003 OF 004 
 
 
(1) Cooperation in fighting all Forms of Terrorism 
 
a. It is incumbent on the neighboring countries to take the 
necessary measures to prevent preparations for terrorist acts 
that target Iraq. 
b. The neighboring countries have to undertake all the 
necessary steps to prevent their territories from becoming 
safe havens for planning by and training of terrorists to 
engage in terrorist acts and the planning and execution of 
their crimes and waging propaganda campaigns to justify it. 
That must include preventing the terrorists from taking 
refuge in their territories, preventing them from 
infiltration through their borders and refraining from 
providing them with weapons, training, logistics and all 
kinds of facilities. 
c. The neighboring countries must commit themselves not to 
allow any activities including hostile meetings that call for 
terrorism and incite sectarian violence that threatens Iraqi 
national security 
d. The neighboring countries must commit themselves to take 
actions against the terrorist organizations that operate from 
any of their territories and to share information about their 
activities and the methods of combating them with Iraq and to 
guard the secrecy of exchanged information and to prevent it 
from being transferred or passed to any other country. 
e. They must engage in coordination between the organs of 
combating terrorism in their countries with their 
counterparts in Iraq.  This should include the opening of 
coordination bureaus on bilateral basis. 
f. Boosting security measures regarding air, sea and 
transportation including airports, railway stations, and 
seaports, vital installations, sources of energy, and any 
other possible targets. 
g. The neighboring countries should enter into bilateral 
agreements to combat terrorism with Iraq. 
 
(2) Cooperation in the field of combating organized crime in 
all its forms: 
 
a. The neighboring countries have to cooperate with the Iraqi 
government in fighting organized crime in all its forms 
including: 
 
First, Crimes related to drugs and narcotics 
 
Second, financial Crimes, such as money laundering, currency 
forging, and banking schemes 
 
Third, criminal activities such as smuggling and trafficking 
of weapons, ammunitions, and explosives 
 
Fourth, the Crimes of theft or smuggling by means of 
transportation 
 
Fifth, the Crimes of stealing, smuggling and trafficking of 
archeological artifacts 
 
Sixth, Crimes entailing human trafficking, notably women and 
children. 
 
Seventh, Crimes of maritime piracy 
 
Eighth, theft, smuggling, and trafficking of radioactive 
materials 
 
Ninth, Crimes involving computers, internet and information 
networks. 
 
b. The neighboring countries must exert efforts to implement 
this cooperation through the exchange of information 
concerning organized crime and related activities, and the 
plans and methods used to combat it. 
This requires organizing meetings of experts. The procedures 
to execute the above proposed cooperation should not 
contravene Iraqi laws and regulations or impinge on our 
sovereignty and national security. 
 
BAGHDAD 00002553  004 OF 004 
 
 
 
(3)  Cooperation in combating infiltration of the border and 
tightening controls. 
 
a. The neighboring countries must pledge to exert the 
necessary efforts to stop infiltration through its borders. 
b. Promote and enhance the procedures that have to do with 
supervising the borders and securing sea and air outlets to 
prevent and confront infiltration and smuggling. 
c. Enhancing security cooperation through the conclusion of 
bilateral agreements. 
d. The activation of the role of the bilateral committees to 
ensure direct and active coordination through bilateral 
agreement between border posts and check points in Iraq and 
neighboring countries to exchange information and limit and 
stop infiltration and smuggling. 
 
(4)  Exerting genuine efforts to conclude bilateral or 
multilateral agreements concerning administrative extradition 
of those wanted in crimes instead of judicial extradition. 
 
(End text) 
 
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