VZCZCXRO2090
OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1359/01 1451214
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251214Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3183
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2019 
TAGS: PHUM KREF KJUS IO IZ
SUBJECT: ICRC DISCUSSES DETAINEES, MASS GRAVES, AND THE MEK 
WITH AMBASSADOR 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 377 
     ¶B. BAGHDAD 797 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Christopher R. Hill for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (C)  In a May 19 meeting with the Ambassador and the 
Embassy's Senior Coordinator for Refugees, ICRC Head of Iraq 
Delegation Juan Pedro Schaerer provided an overview of the 
ICRC's activities in Iraq and praised the close cooperation 
between the organization and the Embassy.  Schaerer 
highlighted the slow progress being made on mass grave 
identification and excavation within Iraq and the ICRC's 
efforts to increase the GOI's capacity in this area. 
Schaerer commended the close working relationship ICRC has 
developed with Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) on the 
release and transfer of detainees, noting that MNF-I 
detention operations were "definitely coming to an end."  He 
noted that the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has the 
"potential" to accomplish much good in Iraq, and emphasized 
the need for the IRCS not to split into two organizations, 
one Iraqi and one Kurd.  Finally, Schaerer commented that 
there is "no good solution" to the Mujahedin e-Khalq (MEK) 
situation, but that Camp Ashraf residents are slowly 
realizing that their time in Iraq is coming to an end.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  ICRC Head of Iraq Delegation Juan Pedro Schaerer and 
Protection Coordinator Laurent Saugy met on May 19 with the 
Ambassador to discuss the scope of ICRC's activities in Iraq. 
 Schaerer reviewed the challenges faced by the organization's 
Iraq operation, including attacks on its Baghdad office and 
the 2005 murder of a staff member, which prompted the group's 
relocation to Amman.  Schaerer was hopeful that ICRC's Iraq 
delegation would soon again be based permanently in Baghdad, 
and pointed out that there are currently more than 90 
international delegates and over 500 ICRC staff members 
working in every province and major city in Iraq. 
 
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Slow Progress on Mass Graves 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Schaerer was concerned at the slow progress on 
Iraq's identification, excavation and repatriation of remains 
in mass graves.  He noted that there have been "very few 
results" over the past two years; specifically, out of 1,431 
total cases presented from the 1990-1991 Gulf War, 550 
Kuwaiti remains have been positively identified.  The 
Ambassador expressed concern at this lack of progress, 
especially given the international community's resources and 
experience in this area.  Schaerer noted the assistance and 
training being provided by the International Committee for 
Missing Persons (ICMP), but was troubled by the lack of 
communication among various GOI ministries involved in the 
project.  (Note:  ICMP is a DRL and United Nations Assistance 
Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) grantee.  End note.).  Resolving the 
remaining cases, located in four or five sites, is do-able, 
but will require additional GOI efforts.  Schaerer noted that 
over 50,000 people remain missing from the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq 
War and an additional 30,000 are unaccounted for since the 
U.S. 2003 invasion.  He was worried that this is "not a 
priority" for the GOI, and despite the best efforts of the 
Ministry of Human Rights, it lacks the capacity to tackle a 
project of this scale. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Shifting the Focus to GOI-Held Detainees 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  On detainees, Schaerer praised the much-improved 
relationship between ICRC and MNF-I.  While the two 
organizations may not always agree with one another, he 
applauded the "open and constructive way" in which they 
Qapplauded the "open and constructive way" in which they 
discussed the release and transfer of USG-held detainees.  He 
also stated that ICRC would be shifting its focus to visiting 
GOI facilities and GOI-held detainees, now that MNF-I 
detention operations were "winding down."  The Ambassador 
applauded the ICRC for its work on detainee issues, 
especially the humanitarian assistance it provides.  Schaerer 
noted how the IRCS worked with MNF-I on releasing detainees 
in Ninewa and appears set to resume this cooperation.  While 
this is unlikely to be replicated in other provinces, he 
viewed it as a positive development for the organization. 
In his view, IRCS has the potential to increase its capacity 
in Iraq, but he was concerned that the recent indications 
that the three IRCS branches in Kurdistan seek to separate 
from the IRCS would splinter Iraq's only nationwide 
humanitarian organization.  Schaerer said that ICRC had 
 
BAGHDAD 00001359  002 OF 002 
 
 
informed the Kurdish branches that under the rules of the Red 
Cross/Red Crescent Movement, there could be only one national 
society. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
ICRC Commends Embassy Efforts in Dealing with the MEK 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  Regarding the MEK defectors/Camp Ashraf issue, 
Schaerer was satisfied with the Embassy's procuring of 
humanitarian assurances from the GOI prior to the official 
handover of authority last January.  Schaerer complimented 
the way in which the GOI has thus far handled the situation, 
noting that there was "no good solution" to the problem.  MEK 
members, he believes, are slowly coming to the realization 
that they may have to leave the camp.  The group's 
leadership, based in Paris, is "not pleased" that ICRC 
continues to focus its efforts on the protection of 
individuals as opposed to pressuring the GOI to permit 
residents to remain at Camp Ashraf, while Iran "just wants 
the camp closed."  (Note:  Camp Ashraf is located in Diyala 
province, approximately 120 miles west of the Iran-Iraq 
border.  End note.). 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
Increased Capacity at the Ministry of Health 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C)  Schaerer discussed ICRC's relief work, involving 
delivery of food and medical supplies, including the support 
of 22 general hospitals in Iraq.  While the organization 
previously was forced to deal directly with each facility, 
over the past 18 months it has steadily increased its 
reliance on the Ministry of Health to perform this role. 
ICRC continues to provide emergency training for medical 
professionals in Iraq, and currently has teams in Najaf and 
Sulaymaniyah.  Schaerer viewed as positive the GOI's 
increased requests for training and capacity building and 
fewer demands for materials. 
HILL