TAL AFAR SUNNI AND SHI'A SHEIKHS AGREE ON NEED

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004032

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2015
TAGS: PGOV PINS IZ
SUBJECT: TAL AFAR SUNNI AND SHI'A SHEIKHS AGREE ON NEED
FOR RECONCILIATION

Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Ford for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Tal Afar Sunni and Shi'a sheikhs told
Iraqi Government delegates September 27 they want
reconciliation to begin reconstruction efforts. The two
groups had not been willing to meet each other earlier. The
parties agreed to future discussions on the Iraqi
Government's proposed $47 million reconstruction budget for
the next 90 days. Recruitment into the police force is
another big issue. End Summary.


2. (C) Nineveh Provincial Government officials met Iraqi
Transitional Government (ITG) members, local
representatives, and MNF-I officials September 27 in Tal
Afar to discuss reconstruction and reconciliation.
Approximately sixty local Sunni and Shi'a sheikhs and
others attended the meeting. The ITG contingent included
representatives from the ministries of Communication,
Education, Electricity, Finance, Health, Housing and
Construction, Interior, Municipalities and Public Works,
and Transportation. Poloff also attended. This was the
first meeting that local Sunni and Shi'a sheikhs attended.
In the last meeting, the Sunni sheikhs would not sit in the
same room as the Shi'a sheikhs.



3. (C) All parties -- including the ITG -- blamed
foreigners for bringing terrorism and deep sectarian
division to Tal Afar. But the Tal Afar Chief of Police,
Sabah al-Mahmouri, stated that ninety-five percent of the
terrorists are locals. Only one Sunni Sheikh denied the
statement. Another sheikh explained that neighbors fear
false information passed along sectarian divides to incite
Iraqi Police to arrest innocent people.


4. (C) In comparison, the ITG has given no compensation
money to residents despite a statement by MOD Dulaimi
September 17 in Tal Afar that the ITG would provide $1,000
per family. Dr. Haider al-Abadi of the Prime Minister's
office told the group there was a plan for the ITG to give
each family an initial 50,000 Iraqi dinars-- $34 dollars-
but there was no discussion about the timeframe for the ITG
to empower the provincial government to take the lead on
compensation efforts.


5. (C) The ITG has a proposal for Phase 1 projects- first
90 days totaling approximately $47 million, including $10
million for compensation. These projects address needs in
water, electricity, sewer system, communications, health,
education, and construction. There was little discussion of
this reconstruction proposal, however. Instead, the common
theme echoed by several participants was that despite
urgent need there must be reconciliation before
reconstruction.


6. (C) There was heated discussion about the historically
sectarian recruitment of Iraqi Police officers. One Shi'a
imam angrily questioned why the application form asks for
religious affiliation.


7. (C) According to the Mayor of Tal Afar, there are 400
Iraqi Police patrolling in town and 350 in the surrounding
areas. He said he needs 2500 to provide adequate security,
and his current goal is to hire 1000 new recruits. An 8-
week course for 200 new Iraqi Police from all tribes begins
October 3. A 2-week course for 150 current Iraqi Police
from Tal Afar began this week in Sulaymaniyah, and it will
certify them as legitimate police officers in the eyes of
the MOI. Because recent instability prevented recruiting
within Tal Afar, however, an MOI mobile recruiting team
would conduct three days of local recruiting to the Iraqi
Police force.


8. (C) All parties agreed with the ITG to form a committee
to monitor return of residents and to ensure that no
terrorists return. When Dr. al-Abadi from the Prime
Minister's office suggested the local sheikhs meet weekly,
they agreed to elect four representatives who would meet.


9. (C) COMMENT: MNF-I has already provided some
compensation, and there is a concern that if the ITG does
not get its own programs started, the local population will
look to the Coalition, not the ITG, as its key interlocutor
on reconstruction. The ITG in turn needs to empower the
provincial government to assume the lead in all
compensation and reconstruction efforts. If not, the ITG
will lose the momentum created by MNF-I compensation
efforts. High visibility projects are essential. END
COMMENT
Khalilzad