CHARGE ADVANCES USG APPROACH TO CONSTITUTION AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002480

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER IZ UN
SUBJECT: CHARGE ADVANCES USG APPROACH TO CONSTITUTION AND
SUNNI INCLUSION WITH UNAMI


Classified By: Classified by James F. Jeffrey, Charge d'Affaires, for r

easons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Charge and DCM emphasized the importance of
meeting the August 15 constitution drafting deadline in a
June 12 meeting with UNAMI,s SRSG Qazi. Qazi affirmed
UNAMI,s support to helping Iraq successfully reach the
drafting deadline and provided an overview of their efforts
and challenges to date. Charge explained that US policy was
to actively engage Iraqi decision makers to ensure the issue
of Sunni inclusion was resolved without further delay. UN's
Haysom confirmed from his work with the Parliament that it is
not disposed to grant the Sunni Arabs more than 15 additional
seats in the commission. UNAMI is providing the TNA,s
Constitution Committee with expert technical advice.
Finally, UNAMI sees federalism, distribution of natural
resources and form of governance as the key issues for the
constitutional debate. End Summary.

--------------
August 15 Constitution Drafting Deadline
--------------


2. (C) In a June 12 meeting with SRSG Qazi, Charge and DCM
emphasized the paramount importance of helping Iraq meet the
August 15 constitution drafting deadline. UNAMI and the
international community must do everything possible to ensure
Iraq successfully completes its constitution in a timely
manner stated Charge to protect the unique result Iraq
achieved on January 30 at great sacrifice to many people. If
Iraq fails to meet the August 15 deadline, said Charge, the
insurgency will be emboldened at the expense of security
throughout Iraq.


3. (C) Qazi acknowledged Charg,s oints stating that not a
single Iraqi had spoken to UNAMI of delaying the August 15
deadline. While there is a need to ensure the transparency
and ownership of the development process by all Iraqis said
Qazi, the UN is firmly committed to the August drafting
deadline. UNAMI Constitution Support Team Head Fink Haysom
added that he fully expects the TNA,s Constitution Committee
to press on to August 15 without delay and, should the
constitution not be exactly completed by that date, the TNA
will most likely finish the constitution after August 15
without invoking the TAL,s provisions calling for the
dissolution of the ITG.

-------------- --------------
Internal Sunni Power Struggle Drives Inclusion Debate
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Charge explained that all Iraqis involved in Sunni
inclusion negotiations now recognize the miscalculation made
by establishing a 55-member Constitution Committee with only
two Sunnis and, as a consequence, agree on the need to add
additional Sunnis; the only question is how many and who.
USG policy is to engage Iraqi decision makers at the highest
levels of our government to encourage them to add 15
additional Sunni members selected by Sunnis, to the
Constitution Committee stated Charge.


5. (C) Qazi agreed that time is of the essence in adding
Sunnis to the committee and that the Sunnis themselves should
recognize that the exact number of additional Sunnis within
the Committee is not critical in view of committee,s
consensus decision-making methodology. Charge concurred
adding that all sides in the debate must negotiate from the
n 15.


6. (C) Qazi, Charge and DCM agreed that the current debate
spoke more about internal Sunni power plays than any
inter-sectarian matter. This debate, said Qazi is driven by
Sunnis who are connecting their participation on the
constitution committee with their future electoral
opportunities. They are arguing for more positions on the
committee because they cannot settle their own internal
leadership squabbles. DCM agreed stating that the real
debate was within the Sunni community over control, a debate
that is intractable at present, but must be ended.

--------------
UNAMI Struggles to Recruit Personnel
--------------


7. (C) SRSG Qazi complained to Charge and DCM that while
UNAMI was successfully identifying talented professionals to
serve on their constitution and elections teams, the
convoluted nature of the UN,s compensation system was
creating havoc. UN personnel must forgo 45 percent of their
salary when they accept a position in Baghdad, claimed Qazi.
For example, Carlos Valenzuela,s secretary, who was assigned
to the UN,s Amman office, made more than Carlos did while he
was in Baghdad. We hope UN Headquarters remedies this matter
quickly said Qazi, or we will have great difficultly meeting
our mandate.

--------------
Constitution Issues and Assistance
--------------


8. (C) Constitution Team Leader Haysom offered that UNAMI
and international assistance to the Constitution Committee
was proceeding quite well. While Chairman Hammoudi had
initially been reluctant to embrace expert technical
assistance, he had changed his attitude after a recent
engagement where experts provided detailed advice on how to
reach the August 15 deadline. Many members including
Hammoudi were initially disinclined to embrace experts
because they associated their views with western values that
would be slanted toward a secular constitution. That
perception appears to have been successfully surmounted,
stated Haysom


9. (C) Addressing constitutional issues, Haysom opined that
federalism and the division of natural resources would be the
most vexing issues for Iraqis to resolve. Additionally, the
form of governance will also be key to the successful
incorporation of Kurdistan. Haysom said Iraqis would likely
settle on a parliamentary system, although they seem
enthralled by the idea of directly electing a President.

--------------
Irbil Middle Ring and IZ Security Concerns
--------------


10. (C) Qazi voiced his concern with impending changes to
International Zone (IZ) security responsibilities and asked
that UNAMI be kept informed of any upcoming changes so they
could take appropriate action. DCM indicated there was no
hard timelines for such changes, but that the International
Zone would slowly but steadily change from green to amber to
red over the next two years as the New Embassy Compound was
completed and IZ security was turned over to Iraqi security
forces. Qazi also mentioned that middle ring security in
Irbil was still not functional as the Koreans were unwilling
to provide escorts for UNAMI movements other than for VIPs.


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