Cablegate: Foreign Minister Raises Issue of Consular Services

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS LIMA 004654

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL MOPS PE
SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER RAISES ISSUE OF CONSULAR SERVICES
FOR THIRD COUNTRY SECURITY PERSONNEL IN IRAQ

REF: A. LIMA 4596

B. LIMA 4544
C. SANTIAGO 2170

Sensitive but Unclassified. Please protect accordingly.

1. (U) Action Request in paragraph 3.

2. (SBU) Foreign Minister Oscar Maurtua, during a 10/28
breakfast hosted by the Ambassador, said that during his
attendance at Congress the previous day, many legislators had
approached him with concerns over how the Foreign Ministry
intends to safeguard the interests of some 650 Peruvian
citizens hired by the American company Triple Canopy Inc.,
under a USG contract, to provide security services in Iraq.
He discounted the possibility of opening a Peruvian consular
office in Baghdad, but inquired whether it would be possible
to establish an American liaison office/officer that could
look after the consular interests of Peruvian nationals
employed by U.S. companies under USG contracts there. The
Ambassador replied that he would forward this request to
Washington for its consideration.

3. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST. We request the Department's
guidance in responding to Foreign Minister Maurtua's request.
While we doubt that the already overtaxed U.S. Embassy
Baghdad has the resources to provide consular services to
non-U.S. employees of USG contractors, we wonder whether a
mechanism can be set up for an entity other than these
individuals' direct employers, to handle any
grievances/problems that may arise. We suspect that this is
an issue that will arise with respect to other third country
nationals, if it has not already. END ACTION REQUEST.
STRUBLE

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