Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–4, Documents on Iran and Iraq, 1969–1972

293. Telegram 9689 From the Embassy in Lebanon to the Department of State¹ ²

Beirut, November 3, 1971, 1520Z

Subj:

• Meeting with Secretary-General of Kurdish Democratic Party

Ref:

• Beirut 9612

1. Nov 2 meeting between EmbOff and Habib Muhammad Karim produced anticipated request by Barzani for US support against Iraqi regime, predicted on Karim’s expectation that widespread popular uprising on part of Kurds and other disaffected, anti-Ba’ath elements in Iraq will take place in spring 1972. EmbOff reiterated US policy as outlined reftel, making clear that principle of non-intervention applies to Iraqi politics as whole, not just to Kurdish problem. Karim received this in good grace, remarking only that he hoped course of future events in Iraq might encourage US to reconsider.

2. On related subject, Karim claimed Barzani had never received definite reply to request, made previously to American officials in Tehran and Beirut, for personal meeting with a US representative. EmbOff made personal observation that, in view US policy expressed to Kurdish intermediaries on this and previous occasions, such meeting would serve no purpose and might, in fact, engender false hopes and future misunderstandings. Karim asked that Dept be requested confirm this observation, so that Kurds might have definite reply.

3. Detailed memcon follows.

Buffum

1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files1970-73, POL 12 IRAQ. Confidential. Repeated to Tehran. In telegram 206473 to Beirut, November 12, the Department confirmed the Embassy’s feeling that a meeting between Barzani and U.S. officials would only nurture false hopes of U.S. assistance.(lbid.)
2. In a meeting with Embassy officers in Beirut, a Kurdish Democratic Party Leader Barzani representative again requested U.S. assistance for the Kurds’ anti-Baghdad movement.