The document summarizes discussions between US officials and Turkish embassy officers in Baghdad regarding Kurdish dissidents and insurgents in Iraq and Iran. The Turks expressed suspicion that the US and Israel were covertly assisting the Kurds. They noted reports of American weapons being smuggled to Kurdish areas, and speculated that the US may become more involved to counter Soviet influence with the Kurds. US officials firmly denied any current or planned involvement in supporting Kurdish separatist activities.

1. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Message Text
SECRET
PAGE 01 BAGHDA 01093 200225Z
ACTION SS-25
INFO OCT-01 ADS-00 SSO-00 /026 W
------------------104851 200939Z /10
R 170951Z MAY 79
FM USINT BAGHDAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8139
INFO AMEMBASSY ANKARA
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY TEHRAN
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
S E C R E T BAGHDAD 1093
EXDIS
E.O. 12065: GDS 5/17/85 (PECK, EDWARD L.) OR-M
TAGS: PAPR, IZ, TU, IR, UR
SUBJECT: (S) U.S. AND THE KURDS
1. (S-ENTIRE TEXT)
2. DURING RECENT CONVERSATIONS, TURKISH EMBASSY OFFICER
RAISED QUESTION OF AMERICAN-MADE WEAPONS WHICH TURKISH SOURCES
HAVE CLAIMED ARE CURRENTLY BEING SMUGGLED INTO KURDISH AREAS OF
IRAQ. HE HOTED THAT HIS EMBASSY IS "HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS" THAT
ISRAEL MAY BE COVERTLY ASSISTING KURDISH DISSIDENTS BOTH IN
IRAQ AND IRAN. ALTHOUGH TURKS HAD SUBSEQUENTLY
RECEIVED "SOLID INFORMATION" THAT AMERICAN-MADE WEAPONS IN
FACT CAME FROM LOOTED IRANIAN MILITARY STORES NEAR SANANDAJ,
SOURCE POINTEDLY COMMENTED THAT THIS HAS NOT
ALLAYED SUSPICIOUS OF POSSIBLE MOSSAD INVOLVEMENT
WITH KURDISH INSURGENCY. TURKS IN BAGHDAD NOW SPECULATE
THAT ISRAELIS MAY BE INVOLVED WITH KURDS IN LESS
ATTRIBUTABLE AREAS, SUCH AS TRAINING.
3. COMMENTING ON APPARENT SOVIET BACKING FOR KURDISH
SECRET
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PAGE 02 BAGHDA 01093 200225Z
DISSIDENT JALAL TALABANI, TURKISH SAID THAT
SPECULATION IS BEING HEARD IN BAGHDAD THAT UNITED STATES
EITHER CURRENTLY INVOLVED WITH KURDISH INSURGENCY OR WILL
HAVE TO BECOME INVOLVED IN NEAR FUTURE TO COUNTER RISING
SOVIET INFLUENCE AMONG KURDS. TURKS HAVE HEARD THAT BOTH
IDRIS AND MAS'UD BARZANI ARE NOW LOCATED IN IRAN AND
ARE TELLING ALL WHO WILL LISTEN THAT THEY HAVE BACKING

2. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
OF UNDEFINED "WESTERN POWERS". TURKISH SOURCE STRESSED
THAT NEITHER IRAQIS NOR IRANIANS COULD BELIEVE THAT ANY
"WESTERN POWER" COULD BE INVOLVED WITH KURDS WITHOUT
DIRECT APPROVAL FROM WASHINGTON. THUS, SHOULD IRAQIS
OR IRANIANS DECTISON TO ACCEPT BARZABI ASSERTIONS, CONDEMNATION
OF USG WOULD SOON FOLLOW.
4. EMBOFF CONCEDED AFTER CONSIDERABLE ARGUMENT
THAT USG PROBABLY NOT ACTIVELY AIDING KURDISH INSURGENTS,
BUT HE STUCK TO HIS LINE THAT USG WOULD HAVE TO COUNTER
SOVIET INFLUENCE AMONG KURDS RELATIVELY SOON. HE EVEN
PROPOSED "IDEAL CANDIDATE" FOR COVERT AMERICAN BACKING:
MAHMUD ABD AL-RAHMAN (AKA SAMI), A FORMER BACKER OF
BARZANI QHO BELIEVES THAT MULLA MUSTAFA WENT TOO FAR
IN SECURING CIA, MOSSAD AND SAVAK BACKING AGAINST IRAQ.
TURKS AT FIRST BELIEVED THAT SAMI MIGHT BE A MARXIST
BECAUSE OF HIS ATTEMPTS TO DIESORIATE HIMSELF FROM
MULLA MUSTAFA AND TO REORIENT KURDS TOWARD INDEPENDENT
POEITION BETWEEN MOSCOW AND WEST. SOURCE CLAIMED HIS
EMBASSY NOW BELIEVES THAT SAMI IS A RISING KURDISH
FORCE WHOM AMERICANS MIGHT CONEIDER BACKING. USINT
OFFICERS STRONGLY ASSERTED THAT WASHINGTON HAS ABSOLUTELY
NO INTENTIONS WHATSOEVER OF BECOMING EVEN REMOTELY
INVOLVED IN KURDISH SEPARATIST ACTIVITY.
5. COMMENT: FROM BAGHDAD VUNTAGE POINT, IT IS WORTH
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PAGE 03 BAGHDA 01093 200225Z
STRESSING THAT MANY OF THOSE CONCERNED OVER INCREASING
KURDISH DISSIDENCE ARE CONVINCED THAT THERE IS SOME KIND
OF LINK BETWEEN USG AND KURDS. THERE IS SPECULATION
HERE THAT SOVIET ACTIVITIES AMONG KURDS ALLEGED UMS.
DESIRE TO GET RSVENGE ON IRANIAN/ISLAMIC REVOLUTION,
AND ANGER AT INCREASING IRAQI ASSERTIVENESS AGAINST
EGYPTIAN-ISRAELI TREATY MIGHT PROMPT WASHINGTON TO BECOME
INVOLVED OR, AT LEAST, TO COUNTENANCE ISRAELI INVOLVEMENT.
6. IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO COUNTER THE SPECULATIONS
OF INVETERATE CONSPIRACY THEORISTS. OFFICIAL USG STANCE
THAT AMERICA WAS NOT INVOLVED IN EARLIER BARZANI
INSURGENCY IS NOT BELIEVED IN BAGHDAD AND TENDS TO WEAKEN
ANY OFFICIAL DENIAL THAT USG NOT CURRENTLY ACTIVE WITH
KURDS9 WHILE IRAQIS AND IRANIANS MAY SUSPECT U.S.
INVOLVEMENT BECAUSE OF HOSTILITY TO WASHINGTON, TURKS
SEEM EQUALLY CONVINCED OF U.S. INVOLVEMENT FOR A
DIFFERENT REASON, NUMELY SUPPOSED U.S. FEAR OF SOVIET
DESTABILIZATION EFFORTS ON TURKEY'S SOUTHERN AND
EASTERN FLANKS. IN VIEW OF THIS ATMOSPHERE OF
SUSPICION AS TO U.S. MOTIVES, ANY OFFICIAL U.S.
PRONOUNCEMENTS ON KURDISH ISSUES, NO MATTER HOW

3. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
INNOCUOUS THEY MAY APPEAR IN WASHINGTON, WILL BE VERY
CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED IN BAGHDAD AND MAY BE TOTALLY
MISUNDERSTOOD. SCRUPULOUSLY CLEAN HANDS, WHILE NO
DEFENSE AGAINST WILD INNUENDOS AND PARANOIA, ARE THE
SINE QUA NON FOR AGOIDING NEW IRAQI CHARGES ON THIS
INFLAMATORY ISSUE.
PECK
SECRET
NNN

4. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014
Message Attributes
Automatic Decaptioning: Z
Capture Date: 01 jan 1994
Channel Indicators: n/a
Current Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Concepts: KURDS, ALLEGATIONS, ARMS SMUGGLING
Control Number: n/a
Copy: SINGLE
Draft Date: 17 may 1979
Decaption Date: 20 Mar 2014
Decaption Note: 25 YEAR REVIEW
Disposition Action: RELEASED
Disposition Approved on Date:
Disposition Case Number: n/a
Disposition Comment: 25 YEAR REVIEW
Disposition Date: 20 Mar 2014
Disposition Event:
Disposition History: n/a
Disposition Reason:
Disposition Remarks:
Document Number: 1979BAGHDA01093
Document Source: CORE
Document Unique ID: 00
Drafter: n/a
Enclosure: n/a
Executive Order: GS 19850517 PECK, EDWARD L
Errors: N/A
Expiration:
Film Number: D790229-0726
Format: TEL
From: BAGHDAD OR-M
Handling Restrictions:
Image Path:
ISecure: 1
Legacy Key: link1979/newtext/t19790560/aaaabwpf.tel
Line Count: 123
Litigation Code IDs:
Litigation Codes:
Litigation History:
Locator: TEXT ON-LINE, ON MICROFILM
Message ID: b61ad0b1-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc
Office: ACTION SS
Original Classification: SECRET
Original Handling Restrictions: EXDIS
Original Previous Classification: n/a
Original Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a
Page Count: 3
Previous Channel Indicators: n/a
Previous Classification: SECRET
Previous Handling Restrictions: EXDIS
Reference: n/a
Retention: 0
Review Action: RELEASED, APPROVED
Review Content Flags:
Review Date: 12 may 2005
Review Event:
Review Exemptions: n/a
Review Media Identifier:
Review Release Date: n/a
Review Release Event: n/a
Review Transfer Date:
Review Withdrawn Fields: n/a
SAS ID: 2989412
Secure: OPEN
Status: NATIVE
Subject: (S) U.S. AND THE KURDS
TAGS: PEPR, PINS, IZ, TU, IR, UR
To: STATE ANKARA
Type: TE
vdkvgwkey: odbc://SAS/SAS.dbo.SAS_Docs/b61ad0b1-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc
Review Markings:
Sheryl P. Walter
Declassified/Released
US Department of State
EO Systematic Review
20 Mar 2014
Markings: Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014