VZCZCXRO0740
OO RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUCNDT #0923 2991733
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 261733Z OCT 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2899
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000923 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: UN BRIEFS U.S., UK ON UNAMI/IRAQ ISSUES 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: During a trilateral with the UK Mission and 
the UN on Iraq October 24, the UN announced that Staffan de 
Mistura, incoming SRSG and head of the United Nations 
Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI), would formally assume his 
position on October 30.  The UN also said deputy SRSG Michael 
von der Schulenberg would visit Irbil and Kirkuk in the 
coming days, after the Kurds expressed new willingness to 
consider a role for the UN in addressing the Kirkuk 
referendum.  On UNAMI administrative issues, the UN is moving 
closer to reinstating a presence in Basra, has been advised 
it will receive new funds from Denmark for the Distinct 
Entity Trust Fund, and is flexible about the arrangements for 
adding seconded foreign nationals, including a USG employee, 
to assist UNAMI.  End summary. 
 
UNAMI - POLICY 
 
¶2. (SBU) Darko Mocibob, the UN team leader on Iraq, told USUN 
and UKUN on October 24 that newly appointed SRSG Staffan de 
Mistura would assume his new position on October 30.  He will 
travel to Istanbul for the Expanded Neighbors conference, and 
immediately after that meeting will travel to Amman for 
consultations, followed by his arrival in Baghdad, where he 
will take up residence.  Mocibob added that the UN had shared 
with Iraqi FM Zebari a draft terms of reference for a support 
mechanism to assist regional dialogue on Iraq.  Zebari,s 
initial reaction was positive.  Later, the Iraqis asked why 
the League of Arab States had not been included in the 
support mechanism.  The UN replied that the support mechanism 
will be based in Baghdad, where the League of Arab States 
does not have a presence. 
 
¶3. (SBU) On or around October 31, deputy SRSG Schulenberg 
will travel to Irbil to meet with Kurdish leaders, including 
Massoud and Nechirvan Barzani.  The UN has received 
indications that the Kurds are more open to a UN role in 
dealing with the Kirkuk referendum issue.  Mocibob said 
Schulenberg will be receptive to Kurdish proposals and will 
engage them in dialogue, but will not present a formal UN 
position. 
 
UNAMI - ADMINISTRATION 
 
¶4. (SBU) As of October 25, Mocibob said the UN had 71 
international staff in Baghdad and 25 international staff in 
Irbil.  Over the coming weeks, the UN plans on moving forward 
administratively to propose reopening a liaison office in 
Basra.  Although this has not been formally approved, Mocibob 
says currently the UN is considering a ceiling of 6 permanent 
staff in Basra, with a visitor limit of 12.  Regarding de 
Mistura,s proposal of adding liaison staff from key 
countries to the UNAMI team, the UN is flexible on the 
administrative arrangements, said Mocibob.  The UN would be 
able to accommodate either seconding liaison staff or 
treating them as direct-hires within the UN. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Earlier in the week, Poloff spoke with Danish 
mission political counselor Klaus Simoni-Pederson, who said 
Denmark will contribute 500,000 USD to the Distinct Entity 
Trust Fund that pays for "middle-ring" security for the UN. 
In addition, the UN said it had received expressions of 
interest from Germany, France and Portugal to contribute to 
the Trust Fund.  Germany said it was considering a 
contribution of 1 million euros.  (Comment:  USUN recommends 
that State consider whether to formally acknowledge the 
Danish contribution.  End Comment.) 
Khalilzad