Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BAGHDAD4176
2005-10-11 06:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

FALLUJAH: LEADERS MEET WITH IECI COMMISSIONER,

Tags:  PREL KDEM IZ XL 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004176 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2015
TAGS: PREL KDEM IZ XL
SUBJECT: FALLUJAH: LEADERS MEET WITH IECI COMMISSIONER,
WELCOME VISIT BUT ALSO RAISE CONCERNS

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD,
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004176

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/09/2015
TAGS: PREL KDEM IZ XL
SUBJECT: FALLUJAH: LEADERS MEET WITH IECI COMMISSIONER,
WELCOME VISIT BUT ALSO RAISE CONCERNS

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD,
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Fallujah city leaders met with IECI
Chairman, Izadin Shufiq, UN IFES elections expert
Philip Sfocina, and an Embassy/USAID delegation
October 6, 2005, at the Fallujah Civil-Military
Operations Center (CMOC). Residents criticized the
number of seats (nine) the Transitional National
Assembly (TNA) had allocated for Anbar in the December
15 election, claiming it did not reflect the true size
of the province's electorate. They welcomed the
IECI's agreement to allow polling site security in
Fallujah proper to be overseen by tribes, with imams'
support. Commissioner Izadin stated flatly that the
IECI had opposed the TNA's initial decision, since
reversed, to define two-thirds of registered voters
(vice those who show-up polling day) as the necessary
threshold in three provinces to veto the
constitution. The commissioner informed the gathered
leaders that detainees would be allowed to vote, and
that he had discussed ITG and CF military operations
in the Euphrates River Valley with PM Jafari. Izadin
agreed that the presence of media in the city on
Referendum day would be key to counter Zarqawi and
insurgent propaganda given the projected high
turnout. Fallujans expressed appreciation for the
visit and predicted that the city would vote in large
numbers. END SUMMARY.

--------------
IECI: WE WANT SUNNIS TO PARTICIPATE
--------------


2. (C) IECI Chairman Izadin stressed to gathered
Fallujans (tribal leaders, reconstruction committee
chairman, city council members, among others) October
6, 2005, at the CMOC that the commission wanted to
ensure broad Sunni-Arab participation in the October
15 referendum and December election. Security at
polling sites is a top priority; he noted that
Fallujah's security arrangements would be an
exception: tribes would be given a role and site
workers would be recruited locally. Izadin informed
Fallujans that Al Anbar had been allocated nine seats
for the December election. He criticized the recent
TNA decision that would have significantly raised the
bar in provinces for the two-thirds requirement to
veto the constitution -- a change that the IECI had

vigorously opposed.


3. (C) Izadin confirmed that detainees would be
allowed to vote, although exact mechanics were still
being worked out. The IECI recognized Sunni-Arab
concerns about ongoing ITG/CF military operations in
the Euphrates River Valley, a subject he said he had
discussed directly with Prime Minister Jafari.

--------------
FALLUJANS: WE ARE READY; FEW
CONSTITUTION TEXTS; NEED MORE SEATS
--------------


4. (C) Tribal leaders noted that Fallujah was
mobilized to participate in the referendum. City
leaders had long urged residents to vote. They
welcomed news that detainees would be allowed
participate as well. One tribal leader, Sheikh
Mohammed, criticized ongoing U.S. military operations
in Anbar, claiming that in some cities "only ten
percent" of the population remained. He asked how
could the people there vote.


5. (C) Several Fallujah leaders deplored that few
constitutions had been circulated to residents and
that most area Sunni-Arabs had not read it. They
warned that consequently people would rely on the
guidance of religious leaders because they were unable
to judge the document on its merits.


6. (C) Residents flagged concerns over the number of
parliamentary seats that had been allocated to Al
Anbar province. Engineer Farouk noted that Najaf had
fewer residents than Anbar, but would be granted
almost the same number of seats (nine for Anbar, eight
for Najaf). He stated, "We respect the holy city of
An-Najaf, but they have eight seats. With all due
respect to them, and I respect them greatly, we are
huge. An-Najaf is one of our great cities, but Anbar
is much, much larger." Izadin replied that "science"
had been used by the TNA to determine the allocation
of seats, using the public distribution (food ration)
data.

--------------
ISF VOTE?
--------------


7. (C) A Fallujah-based Public Order Brigage (POB)
general, Brigadier General Kareem, questioned the
mechanics for ISF voting on Referendum Day. (NOTE:
There are approximately 5,000 ISF in Fallujah, a
majority of whom are Sh'ia. END NOTE.) Izadin
replied that "separate envelopes" would be available
at each polling site for the military and police (e.g.
if from Basra, there would be a Basra envelope, which
would then be sent back to the respective provinces
for counting). BG Kareem said some of his men lacked
identification; Izadin promised he'd go back to the
MOD and MOI to help work out a solution. The Marine
regimental commander in Fallujah, Colonel Berger,
stressed the importance of resolving the issue,
remarking: ISF "are citizens, too" and must be given
the right to vote.

--------------
MEDIA KEY TO COUNTERING AMZ ET AL.
--------------


8. (C) In a separate meeting with the Marine
regimental commander (who oversees security in the
city),Marine Foreign Area Officer, Fallujah Poloff,
and USAID/Embassy delegation, Izadin reinforced IECI
commitment to a credible electoral process. He noted
that the Coalition would play a key role in
transporting ballots. Izadin clarified that media
should be encouraged to cover voting in Fallujah; the
only IECI restriction related to coverage inside
actual polling sites (not allowed). Poloff stressed
that Fallujah, Zarqawi's old headquarters, would
likely turnout in the tens of thousands on referendum
day. These images would forcefully counter AMZ
propaganda -- showing that Fallujah's Sunni Arabs, in
Iraq's city of mosques no less -- were not intimidated
and had decided to vote in large numbers.


9. (C) Izadin agreed. He stated that Fallujah's
turnout "would be a strike against Zarqawi. Fallujah
was his headquarters, and he will see that everyone is
willing to participate in the political process. They
will be following the democratic way and standing
against violence." (NOTE: We anticipate some media
presence in Fallujah on referendum day, in line with
security provisions and resource constraints. END
NOTE.)

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


10. (C) This visit was put together through the
coordination of the Embassy, MNF-I, IIMEF and the
Fallujah SET. Fallujans welcomed the IECI
commissioner's visit, and we will work to ensure that
the visit is the start, and not the end-point, of
outreach in the city. Izadin was an adept presenter
of IECI positions. Questions put to the commissioner
largely reflected Sunni-Arab paranoia regarding ITG
machinations and anxiety about ongoing military
operations in Anbar. In Fallujah, ISF relations with
residents are marked largely by friction and mistrust.
More IECI clarity regarding ISF voting is needed to
ensure that all votes are counted in a credible
fashion.
Khalilzad