VZCZCXRO1260
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1229/01 1311505
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 111505Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3002
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0620
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 0128
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA PRIORITY 0072

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001229 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2029 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARRIZ TU
SUBJECT: IRAQ-TURKEY-U.S. TRILATERAL SECURITY DIALOGUE: ONE 
STEP CLOSER TO ERBIL INTELLIGENCE LIAISON OFFICE 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 1018 
 
Classified By: POL-MIL Minister Counselor Michael H. Corbin 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (S)   SUMMARY: On April 30, the Iraq-Turkey-U.S. 
Trilateral Working Group (WG) discussed the final plans for 
opening the Trilateral Intelligence Sharing Office (TISO) at 
Camp Zaytun, Erbil with a planned inauguration date of May 
¶24.  MNF-I Future Operations representative CDR Hesser 
provided an overview of the sources for U.S. funding.  MG 
Delshad, KRG representative to the WG, asserted his belief 
that PKK terrorists would seek to capture personnel assigned 
to the intel office and asked that neither American nor 
Turkish officers in Erbil should leave Camp Zaytun without 
notifying him.  MG Delshad stated that he will be responsible 
for the care and security for TISO  personnel.  Contrary to 
expectations, and possibly due to poor staff work rather than 
by design, the Iraqis did not pass intelligence reports to 
the Turks  - somewhat to the consternation of the Turkish 
delegation.  The GOI promised to supply information that had 
been properly vetted and "cross-referenced" within days of 
the meeting, yet as of May 10, the promised intel has not yet 
been made available.  The Working Group discussed upcoming 
travel to Ankara for an expanded Subcommittee meeting on May 
¶26.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (S) At the April 30 meeting of the Iraq-Turkey-U.S. 
Trilateral Working Group (WG), all parties agreed to open the 
Trilateral Intelligence Sharing Office (TISO) at Erbil by May 
¶24.  Turkish DATT COL Ozen said the "first aim of the Working 
Group should be to start the office operating as soon as 
possible."  Rear Admiral Little briefed the WG on his April 
21 visit to Camp Zaytun in Erbil, where the office will be 
located.  RDML Little had met with MG Delshad Othman, KRG rep 
on the GOI delegation to the Trilateral process.  Delshad 
showed RDML Little the location of the containerized housing 
unit (CHU) where the office will be located and the two CHUs 
where the Turkish and American liaison officers will live, as 
well as the dining facility and gymnasium available for their 
use.  Delshad said that because PKK terrorists would ardently 
desire an opportunity to kidnap a liaison officer, Turkish 
and  U.S. officers should notify him when leaving Camp 
Zaytun, adding that he will be responsible for the care and 
security for the Trilat Liaison cell personnel.  (Note: 
Delshad did not suggest that he had any specific intelligence 
to support this analytic judgment.  End note.) 
 
¶3. (S) RDML Little reported that the U.S. will provide eight 
laptop computers, an internet connection, living quarters 
furnishings, office furnishings and supplies, satellite 
television, and an armored vehicle.  RDML Little advised that 
the U.S. will conduct secure communications through the use 
of secure Iridium phones.  The U.S. intends to post two 
intelligence officers and one intel analyst at the cell, and 
provided those names to the Turkish and Iraqi delegations. 
GOI and GOT officials promised to provide their names. 
 
¶4. (S) RDML Little told the Working Group the U.S. is still 
working on arrangements for contributing the U.S. share of 
funding to the GOI Trilat Committee for expenses and upkeep 
of GOI Trilat Committee offices in Baghdad.  RDML Little made 
clear, however, that the (GOI) Committee Secretary would need 
to provide greater detail for the GOI funding request for 
MNF-I to be able to complete processing. (NOTE: The USG will 
QMNF-I to be able to complete processing. (NOTE: The USG will 
provide the GoI's one-third share of the budget through the 
use of MNSTC-I's Iraqi Security Force Funds (ISFF).  U.S. 
expenses will be paid by MNC-I out of Operating and 
Maintenance Army (OMA) funds.  Turkey will reimburse the U.S. 
for their share.  End note.) 
 
¶5. (S) At a planning meeting two days before the WG meeting, 
the GOI assured the U.S. and the GoT that it would provide 
additional intelligence against the PKK at the WG meeting. 
However, when the Iraqi chair (filling in for the 
Committee's regular chairman, General Foukeiki, who was said 
to be away on vacation), offered to pass the intelligence 
memorandum, he was stopped by the representative from the 
Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS), who said the 
information about PKK camp locations in Northern Iraq still 
needed to be cleared by the Department of Border Enforcement. 
 The GOI promised to supply information that had been 
properly vetted and "cross-referenced" within days of the 
meeting, or by the next WG at the latest.  (COMMENT: We 
believe the GOI failure to provide intelligence may have 
resulted from confused staff work  rather than a policy 
decision - in addition to Gen. Foukeiki's absence, the two 
MSNSA staffers who prepare and attend the WG meetings were 
both out of the country, which may have caused confusion over 
 
BAGHDAD 00001229  002 OF 002 
 
 
vetting the intelligence.  We note, however, that as of May 
10, the GOI had still failed to provide the promised intel. 
End comment.)  The GoI asked the Turks to provide information 
about the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK) as well as 
unspecified armed groups in Turkish territory.  The Turks 
agreed to do so. 
 
¶6. (C) The WG also discussed the itinerary and attendees for 
the upcoming expanded Subcommittee meeting in Ankara, 
scheduled for May 26.  The next WG meeting will be held on 
May 16 in Baghdad. 
 
¶7. (C) COMMENT: With the identification of funding sources 
for the U.S. and GOI shares of the  Trilat Intel Sharing 
office in  Erbil - and assurance that the Turks will pay 
their share - we expect the office will open by May 24 as 
agreed. 
BUTENIS