PROGRESS REPORT ON KEY INITIATIVES, JULY 28, 2005

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BAGHDAD 003162 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2015 TAGS: EAID ELTN ENRG EPET PREL IZ SUBJECT: PROGRESS REPORT ON KEY INITIATIVES, JULY 28, 2005 REF: A. ANKARA 2912 ¶B. BAGHDAD 2362 AND PREVIOUS ¶C. BAGHDAD 2534 ¶D. BAGHDAD 2785 ¶E. BAGHDAD 2962 ¶F. KIRKUK 91 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission David M. Satterfield for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Following is Embassy Baghdad's latest update on the status of Key Initiatives. See reftels for prior updates. -------------- ELECTRICITY AND OIL -------------- ¶2. (C) Status: -- Generation: Iraq Electricity - During the reporting period, the last 7-day average peak generation for Iraq was 4,733 megawatts (MW) while the 7-day average total daily generation decreased significantly by 6,756 MW to 105,413 megawatt hours (MWh) per day. The decrease is due to the downing of a tower on July 18 that resulted in a loss of as much as 600 MW over the next two days. The 7-day average hours of electric power nation-wide was 12 hours during the reporting period. Demand rose to 8,503 MW, an increase of 211 MW from the previous reporting period. -- Generation: Baghdad Electric Power. During the same period, the average peak availability for Baghdad was 1,255 MW of electric power with total average distribution at 26,333 MWh per day - a 19% decrease. This decrease is also due to the downed tower on July 18. Baghdad's power availability averaged 11 hours per day, consuming an average of 25% of the country's output. Although the Ministry of Electricity (MoE) reports a feeder rotation schedule that varies between 3.0 to 3.5 hours of electricity on, and 3.0 to 2.5 hours off, Baghdad residents reported a rotation of 1 hour on: 5 hours off as the norm. -- Summer Action Plan: This is a six-point plan to help the MoE achieve the goal of 5500-5800 MW production this summer. Baghdad South Unit 1A is currently on-line adding 100MW to the national grid. Coordination amongst donor agencies continues to ensure that the plan remains on track despite fuel and security constraints. -- Transmission: On July 18, the Bayji to Baghdad West #1 400 KV power line at tower 319 was interdicted. This resulted in a loss of approximately 600 MW of power from the North and West to the Baghdad area. The line was re-energized and synchronized with the installation of an emergency tower in its place. Although full repair of the line was expected to be complete by July 28, additional interdictions have resulted in further losses of power and have pushed back the repair timeline. -- Import of Power: Imports of power that began flowing two weeks ago from Syria, Turkey, and Iran have resulted in an average of 283 MW of additional power. Imports from Syria remain erratic and unreliable. It is important to note that these imports are excluded from contributing to the national grid due to frequency and phasing disparities, but instead are distributed to island circuits near border cities that locally consume the power. Since Iraq's grid operates below 50 megahertz (MgHz),these countries will not allow Iraq to import the supplied power directly into its grid. -- Fuel Supply: Fuel shortages continue to restrict generation levels at operational plants. MoE is currently receiving about 3.5 million liters of fuel per day (ml/d), which is insufficient for planned generation this summer. The estimated completion date for repairs on the C-7 natural gas pipeline, which supplies fuel to the Mosul, Doura, and Taji power plants, is unknown. Until then, plants in all three areas will operate at a reduced capacity. Oil Update: -- Oil Production and Exports: For the week ending July 25, crude oil production averaged about 2.1 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) with oil exports averaging 1.5 million bpd. The average daily demand for diesel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG),and gasoline is 18.8 million liters, 3.4 million liters, 4,300 tons, and 20.1 million liters, respectively. The average daily imports for diesel, kerosene, LPG, and gasoline are 8 million liters, 2 million liters, 2,000 tons, and 13 million liters. -- MoE and MoO Joint Meeting: The Ministry of Oil (MoO) and Ministry of Electricity (MoE) continue with their weekly meetings to ensure that the fuel supply needed for electrical generation in Iraq is met. The focus of the meetings has been on determining ways to meet the short-term summer spike in demand for electricity caused by increased use of air conditioners throughout Iraq. -- Crude oil exports: The estimate for 2005 export revenue increased from $11.2 billion to $11.7 billion. For the reporting period: -- Baghdad average hours of electric power: 11 hours per day during the second week of the reporting period, a decrease of 3 hours from the first week of the reporting period. -- National average hours of electric power: 12 hours per day during the second week of the reporting period, a decrease of 2 hours from the first week of the reporting period. -- Total peak-electrical output for Iraq is 4,733 MW. -------------- JUDICIAL AFFAIRS -------------- ¶3. (C) Status: Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI) -- The Higher Juridical Council (HJC) has now assigned a total of 19 investigative judges to the CCCI-Baghdad (up from seven in April). This increase in judges and staff has created a shortage of office space, which should be addressed in the pending renovation of the courthouse. The renovation, originally due to begin in early July, is now delayed one month due to contracting issues. The renovation will begin with exterior security improvements. -- Eleven branch locations of the CCCI have been authorized: Hillah, Kut, Tikrit, Najaf, Karbala, Baqubah, Basra, Amarra, Sammawa, Diwaniyah, and Nasiriyah. According to the HJC, Mosul is not yet secure enough to support a branch court. This would reduce the caseload for CCCI-Baghdad. --- The Embassy and MNFI are in the early planning stages to support these branch courts, using the success of the Baghdad CCCI as a model. The first step will be an assessment each court's needs. This will determine follow-on support which may include immediate physical and security improvements, training for clerks and judges, and DOJ advisors as security allows. -- Safe housing for the CCCI judges remains a critical problem. Work continues on the Al Hayatt apartment building in the IZ, which will provide secure housing for several CCCI judges and their families. The building should be ready in approximately 40 days. The HJC is now seeking to place some of its own judges in the Al Hayatt to the exclusion of some CCCI judges. -------------- RULE OF LAW -------------- ¶5. (C) Status: Iraqi Justice Integration Project (IJIP) -- IJIP convened the inaugural Interministerial Integration Commission meeting amongst the Minister of Interior, Minister of Justce and President of the HJC. The purpose of the Commission is to increase coordination amongst the MOI, MOJ and Chief Justice, and initiate building the Iraqi capacity to integrate police, courts and prisons. IRMO Senior Consultant to the MOI opened the meeting, and IJIP consultants reviewed the goals, benefits and activities of justice integration. The Ministers and Chief Justice officially agreed to the formal structure of the Commission and related working groups, and provided their views on how the project should move forward. They each expressed a desire to improve their ability to share and obtain information on the accused, as well as to improve human rights. Although the Chief Justice wanted to include the Ministry of Human Rights on the Commission, the Minister of Interior stated that he feels the MHR should not exist and that NGOs should monitor the justice system be cause they are independent. -- IJIP consultants are working with Rusafa prison officials and the Ministry of Interior IT working group to help establish automated connectivity between the Rusafa detention processing facility and Baghdad police. -- Judicial Integrity Project -- INL continues to work with Iraqi judges to facilitate their input into the constitution-drafting process. The Chief Justice and other judges were concerned that the initial draft of the constitution circulated this week did not include enough protections for judges and created a separate "constitutional court" rather than using the existing Supreme Court. -- INL briefed the constitution-drafting committee on the legal implications surrounding use of Sharia law in the constitution. -- INL is supporing local judges in their effort to establish an Association of Judges in Baghdad. Rule of Law (ROL) Program Planning: -- IRMO Senior Consultant to the MOI convened the inaugural Embassy Rule of Law Task Force meeting. The Task Force established a ROL working group (INL, DOJ and MNF-I - PME) and ROL cell within the military that will provide administrative and operational support to the Embassy on Rule of Law. INL provided a list to MNF-I on areas that may require military support, and will work with DOJ and MNF-I to follow-up with implementation. -- INL and DOJ continue to devise plan to support CCCI expansion into the regions; including coordination with military, provision of justice advisors and training and equipping of judges and courts. Donor Coordination -- INL Rule of Law Coordinator and DOJ/OPDAT RLA attended the IRRFI donors coordination meeting in Amman were Rule of Law was designated as one of nine sector working groups (and one of the first to be convened). ¶6. (C) Next Steps: -- MOI, MOJ and the Chief Justice will nominate the IJIP representatives for the Iraqi Integration Steering Committee. The IJIP will memorialize agreements made at the Commission meeting this week in an MOU. -- INL will join with the UN, EU, UK and other donors to engage with the Minister of Planning to encourage the timely establishment of the uleof Lw sector working group. These parties will also work to bring the MOI, MOJ and HJC into the coordination process and encourage them to work with the international community to obtain specific commitments for Rule of Law needs in Iraq. -- Support expansion of CCCI into the regions. -- Devise additional activities to promote justice integration at local and provincial levels. -------------- PRDC and PST -------------- ¶7. (C) Status: -- The Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Committee (PRDC) met twice during the reporting period with the Baghdad Provincial Support Team (PST). The groups worked to finalize the list of 48 primary projects and four additional projects for consideration of PST funding. Each project still lacks map grid coordinates and respective Scopes of Work (SOW) for each effort. The PRDC also agreed with the PST recommendation to form a committee to review all aspect of project contracts. This committee will work in close coordination with the Baghdad PST/IRMO Office of Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction that reviews contractual obligations for IRMO. -- IRMO continues to lead the PRDC effort with valuable guidance from all of the regional representatives and a monthly newsletter that keeps all PSTs apprised of nationwide efforts. -- CERF funds are still allocated for immediate use in eight of the 15 provinces. However, commanders are waiting for the delivery of PRDC Project Lists to determine if projects on the list meet qualifications for CERP funding. At this time the Baghdad PRDC is the only committee to have submitted a list of projects. Projects must be submitted by 31 July in order to be considered for CERF funding. ¶7. (C) Next steps: -- Continue monitoring process, coordinating implementation with the provinces, insuring communication with the districts, and support initiatives to increase communication with the national government, ministries, and the various community governments in each of the provinces. Khalilzad