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### Viewing cable 07BAGHDAD1498, UK DEFENSE SECRETARY SAYS BASRAH TO TRANSFER BY

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
07BAGHDAD1498 | 2007-05-04 14:20 | 2011-06-05 03:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Baghdad

Appears in these articles:
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/wikileaks/Wikleaks-US-anger-at-Gordon.6779840.jp
http://news.scotsman.com/iraq/Wikileaks-Gordon-Brown-39wanted-to.6779847.jp
http://news.scotsman.com/iraq/Wikileaks-Iraqi-premier-feared-British.6779849.jp
http://news.scotsman.com/iraq/Wikileaks-Tories-asked-to-oppose.6779848.jp
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Leader-Historical-insight.6779771.jp

`

    VZCZCXRO5841
    OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
    DE RUEHGB #1498/01 1241420
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 041420Z MAY 07
    FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1019
    INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
    RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
    RUEHBC/REO BASRAH PRIORITY 2198

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001498

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2017
    TAGS: PREL PINR PNAT PINS MARR MOPS IZ
    SUBJECT: UK DEFENSE SECRETARY SAYS BASRAH TO TRANSFER BY
    AUGUST

    BAGHDAD 00001498 001.2 OF 002

    Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Daniel V. Speckhard for reasons 1.4 (b
    ) and (d).

    ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On April 30, UK Secretary of State for
    Defense Des Browne told the Ambassador that August is a key
    month for UK forces in Basrah. If all goes as HMG plans,
    Multi National Division-Southeast will transition Basrah to
    provincial Iraqi control (PIC) and hand the Basrah Palace
    keys over to a GOI-entity, preferably the 10th Division
    Commander. Browne said the plan takes into account USG
    palace evacuation and security requirements. The Ambassador
    cautioned that the transition should neither make a mockery
    of the PIC process nor leave the Palace open for a JAM
    takeover and/or looting. Browne said Basrah, despite its
    troubling instability, was on the path to meeting PIC
    conditions by August. He argued that keeping UK forces at
    their current strength beyond August was not feasible given
    British military commitments to the NATO mission in
    Afghanistan. He also stressed that keeping UK forces in
    Basrah would not solve Iraq's grim political situation.
    Browne and the Ambassador agreed Maliki and his government
    must immediately make demonstrable progress on national
    reconciliation. They said that the window of opportunity for
    Iraqi political leaders was closing as ethno-sectarian views
    within Iraq were hardening, Sunni government leaders were
    losing all faith in the process, and D.C.'s patience was
    waning. END SUMMARY.

    UK's Basrah transition plan
    ---------------------------

    ¶2. (C) On April 30, UK Secretary of State for Defense Des
    Browne told the Ambassador that HMG intended to transfer
    Basrah to provincial Iraqi control (PIC) by August, adding
    that London intended to also transfer control of the Basrah
    Palace to the GOI at the same time. Browne gave assurances
    that UK forces would continue providing security to USG
    personnel in the Palace until they completed their move to
    the Basrah Air Station. He cautioned, however, that
    providing support after early August would become
    increasingly difficult due to London's military commitments
    to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. He said the UK force
    buildup plan for Afghanistan hinged on the August transition.
    The Ambassador stressed that for a successful and legitimate
    transition, the Coalition must ensure that Basrah first meets
    the conditions for transferring security to provincial Iraqi
    control, as defined by the Joint Committee for the Transfer
    of Security Responsibility. He also said that Iraqi
    authorities needed to be sufficiently capable to guard Basrah
    Palace against a JAM takeover and/or looting spectacle.
    Browne was confident that Basrah was on track to meet the PIC
    conditions by August, adding that the UK was working closely
    with the GOI to find a tenant for the palace that could
    properly protect it. Browne said they are strongly
    recommending to the GOI that the Palace be turned over to the
    Iraqi Army's 10th Division.

    According to Browne: Tale of Woe with Few Glimmers of Hope
    --------------------------------------------- -------------

    ¶3. (C) Browne described the Basrah situation as depressing
    and incomprehensible. He doubted a continued large UK force
    presence could change the situation. The violence against UK
    forces and innocent citizens is increasingly 'chilling' and
    the political system is nonexistent. He questioned how
    Basrah became one of the most unstable areas of Iraq when it
    does not suffer from the two major threats to Iraq: Al Qaeda
    and sectarian divisions. The Ambassador said he was hopeful
    that Prime Minister Maliki would carry out his recent pledge
    to restore security to Basrah, but recognized that this was
    only part of a larger political solution that was needed to
    bring Basrah stability. Browne said he was hopeful that
    Najaf's marjaiyah would apply pressure to provincial
    political leaders to correct the situation. The Ambassador
    and Browne surmised that SCIRI/Badr Corps might be the only
    force capable of cleaning up the province. Browne expressed
    a bit of optimism, pointing to a few successes in Basrah,
    such as the thriving Umm Qasr port and the professionalism
    and growing competency of the navy and army in the area.
    Nonetheless, he reiterated his argument that Basrah's complex
    political problems could not be solved militarily, and
    certainly not by the UK's forces. He lamented that Basrah in
    August might be 'as good as it gets' for some time.

    Reconciliation
    --------------

    BAGHDAD 00001498 002.2 OF 002

    ¶4. (C) Browne said he thought the window of opportunity for
    reconciliation was closing, particularly given the
    environment of terrorism and the flaws and weaknesses in the
    Maliki government. The Ambassador said he was concerned with
    what appeared to be a hardening of sectarian views among
    Iraqi leaders, as well the diminishing loss of whatever faith
    Sunni leaders such as Vice President Hashimi may have had in
    the Shia-dominated government. He acknowledged that Iraqis
    were on a slower timeline than the Coalition. Nevertheless,
    he said that he remained optimistic and was encouraged by a
    few recent developments, such as Anbaris joining the Iraqi
    Security Forces to fight Al Qaeda and the recognition by
    Tawafaq and other prominent Sunni leaders that Al Qaeda is
    their real enemy. The Ambassador said that in his
    conversations with the PM on the subject, Maliki comes across
    as supportive of reconciliation. Browne agreed that he had
    witnessed some of Maliki's "Mandela moments." However,
    Browne said he was not entirely convinced that Maliki does
    not see all Sunnis as Bath'ists or Al Qaeda collaborators.
    The Ambassador said Maliki may revert to this thinking when
    there are spectacular attacks on Shia, but otherwise Maliki
    seems to judge Sunnis as individuals. Both the Ambassador
    and Browne agreed that it was critical that they continue
    pressing Maliki to move forward with reconciliation,
    stressing to him that he should act while he and his Shia
    government are in such a strong position and have maximum
    Coalition support.
    SPECKHARD

`