VZCZCXRO0096
OO RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUCNDT #0152 0462148
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 152148Z FEB 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3760
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000152 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV UNSC IZ
SUBJECT: UNAMI EXPANSION PLANS 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Following the January visit to Baghdad of 
UN Under Secretary for Safety and Security David Veness, the 
United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has been 
given permission to raise its international staff ceiling to 
140, which means an increase of 19 professional staff.  Given 
this decision, UN specialized agencies, including UNHCR and 
UNICEF, will now assign permanent staff to Baghdad.  In a 
related move, UNAMI is looking at ways to expand its reach 
throughout Iraq, and as initial steps will consider loosening 
travel restrictions in the Kurdish north, as well as basing 
UN military advisers with MNF-I in Kirkuk and Fallujah to 
facilitate UN travel to those cities.  Regarding UNAMI's 
long-term facility, SRSG de Mistura continues to work with 
the U.S. to secure approval for UN use of the "Georgian" 
compound adjacent to the new U.S. Embassy compound in 
Baghdad..  End summary. 
 
STAFFING 
 
¶2. (SBU) Darko Mocibob, team leader for Iraq in the UN,s 
Department of Political Affairs, accompanied Veness on his 
recent trip to Iraq.  Mocibob confirmed that, effective 
immediately, the ceiling for international staff in Baghdad 
is raised to 140.  This translates into 19 additional slots 
for professional personnel.  UNHCR High Commissioner Guterres 
is expected to announce shortly that five UNCHR staff will be 
assigned to Baghdad.  Other specialized agencies such as 
UNICEF are planning to assign senior-level representatives to 
Baghdad. 
 
¶3. (SBU) In an attempt to expand UNAMI,s reach throughout 
the country, the UN is also considering loosening travel 
restrictions in the north, said Mocibob.  Currently, UN staff 
must be escorted by MNF-I personnel.  New rules being 
considered drop that requirement, and require only that UN 
military advisers with direct communication links to MNF-I 
rapid reaction forces accompany all UN movements.  In Kurdish 
areas, the UN would still be escorted by KRG security forces. 
 In Basrah, the UN has already established a de facto 
presence, said Mocibob, with two UNAMI staff on the ground at 
the Basrah Air Station.  Over the coming weeks, the UN 
expects more slots for its staff to open, and hopes to have 
as many as 11 personnel in Basrah Air Station by March. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Mocibob said the UN has noted the increased 
capability of Iraq security forces, and therefore has decided 
to increase the ceiling for UNAMI military advisers from 7 to 
17, and has also begun consideration of deploying as many as 
4 police advisers, to improve UNAMI,s 
coordination/capacity-building with Iraqi police.  Within the 
coming months, security conditions permitting, the UN also 
plans on deploying military advisers to Kirkuk and Fallujah. 
 
FUTURE HEADQUARTERS 
 
¶5. (SBU) Veness visited the "Georgian" compound during his 
visit to Baghdad, and came away with the impression that it 
would work as a long-term facility for the UN.  Given that 
the UN would be in the new diplomatic compound, its security 
costs would plummet, said Mocibob.  Veness and SRSG de 
Mistura met with General Petraeus and Mochibob said the UN 
understood from this meeting that the United States was 
prepared to offer the entire "Georgian" compound to the UN. 
However, a subsequent letter sent by U.S. authorities in 
Baghdad said the UN could only be given half of the Georgian 
compound due to competing space needs, which the UN judges is 
insufficient for its needs.  Mocibob said de Mistura is 
working on this issue with MNF-I and Embassy Baghdad, and 
hopes to achieve a resolution as soon as possible, given that 
this approval is a prerequisite for the UN to begin the 
planning process.  Mocibob said Iraqi NSA Mowaffak al-Rubaie 
told Veness that Iraq would have no problem giving the UN a 
long-term lease to the "Georgian" compound site. 
WOLFF