TROUBLED AL-ANBAR'S PRDC OFF TO A GOOD START

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 002425

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/07/2025
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ XL
SUBJECT: TROUBLED AL-ANBAR'S PRDC OFF TO A GOOD START

Classified By: ACTING POLCOUNS HENRY S. ENSHER. REASONS 1.4
(B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Anbar Provincial Reconstruction
Development Committee (PRDC) held its first official
meeting May 29 in Ramadi. Local officials from across
the province and directors-general from various
ministries attended the session, reflecting genuine
and broad interest in the PRDC initiative. Several
participants primarily used the forum to complain
about the lack of reconstruction progress -- a
longstanding theme; others came prepared with detailed
project proposals in hand. Some flagged their
concerns about the disproportionate attention, and
resources, directed toward Fallujah in comparison to
other cities. Anbar Provincial Council Chairman
Ma'moun urged the attendees to focus on projects, not
offer complaints. He said the body would meet weekly
and work to prioritize proposals for funding in line
with the troubled province's most urgent needs. END
SUMMARY.

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ANBAR PRDC: HIGH TURNOUT
--------------


2. (C) City and ministry representatives from across
Anbar attended the province's opening PRDC meeting May
29, in Ramadi. Iraqi participants included: the
mayors of Rutbah and Al-Waleed; Directors-General from
Habbaniyah, Kubaysah and Al-Wafa; Deputy Mayor of
Ramadi and city council chairmen from Habbaniyah, Hit,
and Phurat. U.S. participants included SET Fallujah
and Baghdad PoloffS, Baghdad IRMO representative, MNF-
I Political Military Economic Effects officers, 2nd
Marine Division Chief of Staff, Marine Government
Support Team (GST) Commander and S-2/Foreign Area
Officer.


3. (C) The provincial council chairman, Engineer
Ma'moun, urged participants to take advantage of the
initiative to direct resources to areas vital to the
provincial leadership. Acting Governor Taleb
underscored the importance of new cooperation between
local provincial officials and the coalition; mistakes
had been made in the past but should not be repeated.

PRIORITIES MIXED WITH COMPLAINTS


4. (C) PRDC participants underscored key priorities
by sector (Directors-General) and location (city
mayors and/or chairmen) to include:

--HEALTH: The Director General of the Ministry of
Health Rafe Hyad Chiad observed that committee was not
needed to underscore that health conditions throughout
the province were "very bad." In Fallujah, several
health problems had been resolved; he opined this
might serve as a model. More medical staff and
ambulances were needed. Of the eleven hospitals in
the region, most were in poor condition; the needs of
the 140 clinics were also great.

--EDUCATION: The Education Ministry's DG, Engineer
Fadhl al Saleh claimed that Ramadi suffered especially
due to repeated, "coalition attacks on schools. Of the
1,150 schools in the area, all needed some repairs; he
noted there was no budget for new school
construction. (Comment: Schools in Ramadi have been
used by insurgents to coordinate attacks. End
Comment.)

--ELECTRICITY: Engineer Ziad Hamman representing the
Ministry of Electricity outlined two necessary steps:
reestablishing distribution grids, including new
material (wires and generators) and building a new
station in Ramadi as priorities.

--SEWAGE: DG Engineer Ahmed Hattam Hamad, responsible
for sewers, citied his priority as rebuilding lines
and installing new pumps, referring to a written list
of priorities for the Ministry of Water.

--RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS: Ramadi Sunni Endownment
Director, Ali K. al Zand said religious centers in
Fallujah and Ramadi require rebuilding.

--RUTBAH: The Mayor of Rutbah, Lawyer Raheem Sabah
Barwani, commented security in the area for the last
year had been stable and coordination with the
coalition effective. He emphasized that during the
last two months, the security situation had begun to
deteriorate. Without improved security, all progress
would be lost. Health and electrical priorities had
been identified; the most urgent issue remained a lack
of water.

--AL-WALEED: Waleed City Council member Sa'ad
revealed that the small city lacked an electrical
grid; power came from generators only. Like other low
population centers, it had lacked resources for a long
time. He urged the situation be rectified.

--HABBANIYAH: The Mayor claimed there had been "no
results" between coalition forces for some time.
Water, roads and other services were "very weak";
schools were "a disaster" - many had their roofs
falling in. The area had recently suffered from over
1,000 cases of severe diarrhea; asbestos leakage into
water continued to be a primary health concern.

--RAMADI: Deputy Mayor of Ramadi, Sa'ad argued
coalition roadblocks were causing problems.
According to the acting mayor, all who enter Ramadi
considered it to be "an abandoned city"; it had become
"a dump" due to absent garbage collection. Sa'ad
claimed most sewage ran into the river, creating
widespread health problems. He decried the fact that
the city's glass factory, which had just recently
reopened, was temporarily shut down again. (Note. The
temporary closure is due to the fact insurgents had
used the site for direct and indirect fire on
Coalition Forces. End Note.)

--HIT: City Council Chairman Kamel Dahih Mohammed
emphasized that, as a city far from the provincial
center (Ramadi),Hit had been ignored and given a low
priority. He further opined, "for the last ten
months, problems have been discussed without
solutions." Health supplies would last only three
days; conditions in hospitals were "miserable", the
representative added.

-KUBAYSAH: City Council Chairman recounted that
Kubaysah had "endless problems - he could not list
them all." He began with "no pure water, no
electricity, failing sewage network, not even 100
meters of paved roads, and destroyed schools".
(COMMENT: the Kubaysah rep then quoted 4th century
and 17th century references to the city as a model
community - far from its present day condition.)

-FURAT: City Council Chairman Sheikh Jubaer al
Nimrawi pointed out three outstanding problems:
police salaries, 2,180 officers had not been paid in
five months; water, approximately 500 houses lacked
potable water; and severe shortages of equipment in
clinics.

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FALLUJAH-CENTRIC FUNDING
--------------


5. (C) Several representatives, notably the
Habbiniyah official, complained that Fallujah had
received a disproportionate share of government funds
and attention. (Note. Two of the PC reps are from
Fallujah, and several Fallujah leaders attended the
PRDC session. End Note.) The IRMO representative
noted that the ITG had decided that Fallujah
reconstruction projects would remain a separate
category, with its own funding stream, given the
unique nature of the rebuilding task in the city
following Operation Al-Fajr. SET Poloff also
underscored that he had stressed in numerous meetings
with Fallujah leaders that reconstruction successes
were also necessary in the rest of the province, not
only in Fallujah. A one-city strategy would not work.


6. (C) Comment. The attention paid to Fallujah
represents a growing point of friction in the
province. Many Anbar residents question why the
notorious city should be rewarded with new investment
and ITG resources, particularly after Fallujans had
allowed insurgents to overrun it. The PRDC, in this
way, could serve as a timely platform for other Anbar
communities to leverage resources more widely.


7. (C) While much of the first PRDC session elicited
extensive complaints about the lack of reconstruction
progress throughout Anbar, Ma'moun effectively blunted
the criticisms. He stressed that PRDC priorities,
determined by local officials, represented an
opportunity that should be seized.


8. (C) Representatives from smaller Anbar communities
predictably urged fairer distribution of resources, in
line with the center-periphery splits apparent in most
parts of the world. The most effective presenters (a
minority) came to the meeting prepared, with completed
project files in hand. Several traveled extensive
distances to attend the session, which is noteworthy.
ITG officials have made clear that they expect local
officials to take advantage of the PRDC structure and
send appropriate representation in all future
meetings. End Comment.


9. (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO
KIRKUK, minimize considered.


Jeffrey