AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S DINNER WITH EX-PM ALLAWI

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 007621

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ JO
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR KHALILZAD'S DINNER WITH EX-PM ALLAWI

Classified By: DAVID HALE, CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, REASONS: 1.4 (B &D)


1. (C) During an informal dinner with Ambassador Khalilzad
on September 21 in Amman, National Assembly member Adnan
al-Janabi, and Emboff, former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad
Allawi proposed that Sunni Arab officers from the former army
should be actively recruited to act as "advisors" to the MOD
and the newly-formed Iraqi forces. Ambassador Khalilzad
asked Allawi for his opinion on proposals to recruit tribal
irregulars into the Iraqi military. Allawi said he opposed
the formation (by the MOD or anyone else) of irregular
military units organized by Sunni tribes as potentially
destabilizing . Instead, Allawi suggested that an active
effort be made to encourage Sunni tribes to identify and
provide recruits to serve as regular soldiers in the new
Iraqi Army (e.g., for the Anbar division).


2. (C) Ambassador raised with Allawi Iraqi Head of Sunni
Waqf Ahmed Sammarai's proposal to put 5,000-6,000 Iraqi
clerics on government payroll (ancient practice still
followed in Jordan and most other Arab countries).
Responding that he had done the same when he was PM, Allawi
said it is a good idea that could promote stability, and keep
clerics from making closer ties with extremists. Regarding
the draft Constitution, Allawi said he would support the
draft Constitution in a public statement. (Note: this
occurred on September 22 on as-Sharqiyya television. End
Note). Allawi offered that he would support making a few
minor textual changes to the draft Constitution to expand
Sunni buy-in.


3. (C) Turning to elections, Allawi said that he was
planning to hold three conferences across Iraq (in Diwaniya,
Tikrit, and Baghdad) to promote a moderate, cross-ethnic
coalition for the December election. All three conferences
will host representatives from regional parties, the Arab
League, and international observers.


4. (C) Allawi outlined plans for a trip he hopes to
undertake soon to SAUDI ARABIA and the U.A.E. to encourage
political and financial support for formation of a moderate
coalition of Iraqi political parties to contest the upcoming
December election. In a related development, he agreed to a
proposal by Ambassador Khalilzad to review how
de-Ba'athification has been carried out and to consider
evolving the de-Ba'athification Commission into a
"Reconciliation and Accountability Commission" that would
facilitate putting the Ba,ath period behind Iraq, and pave
the way for comprehensive re-integration into Iraqi society
and government of former Ba,ath party members not guilty of
crimes.


5. (C) In a separate conversation with Emboff, Adnan
al-Janabi stated that winning the December election is more
important for him than the fate of the Constitution, and
agreed that Sunni Arabs should focus on this point rather
than on their unhappiness over aspects of the proposed
Constitution, which he deemed to be "85 percent" good.
Janabi also agreed that the election rules specified in the
proposed Constitution (e.g., voting by Governorate) are more
advantageous to Sunni Arabs and the opposition generally than
the TAL rules (used in the January 2005 election) that will
be applied if the Constitution is defeated. Janabi raised a
red flag over reported efforts by SCIRI and others to
postpone the election of new Governing Councils in the
governorates until after the December election. According to
Janabi, SCIRI and its allies are worried they will lose
nationally in December, and do not want to also risk their
current majorities in the southern governorates which could
offer them a potential platform for resistance.












HALE