Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BAGHDAD4239
2005-10-15 16:12:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

ANBAR: IMPASSE OVER PAYMENT OF POLICE SALARIES

Tags:  PGOV PINS IZ 
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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 004239 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015
TAGS: PGOV PINS IZ
SUBJECT: ANBAR: IMPASSE OVER PAYMENT OF POLICE SALARIES
PITS PROVINCIAL POLICE CHIEF AGAINST GOVERNOR

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004239

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015
TAGS: PGOV PINS IZ
SUBJECT: ANBAR: IMPASSE OVER PAYMENT OF POLICE SALARIES
PITS PROVINCIAL POLICE CHIEF AGAINST GOVERNOR

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


1. (C) Summary. This is a SET Ramadi cable. Provincial
Police Chief Shaqr interrupted shouting matches with his
financial director on October 10, to explain to PolOff and
Police Advisors (P3) the obstacles to distributing
September pay to his officers. Charging the governor with
inference in his official duties, the Police Chief
repeatedly refused to heed his financial director's advice
to sit down and hash out the differences directly with the
governor. Instead, the police chief accused the governor
of pursuing a politically based agenda while denying
charges of corruption. End Summary.

--------------
Ghost Employees vs. No Where to Report
--------------


2. (C) According to BGen Shaqr Mohammed Saleh (al Dulaime),
the city of Ramadi has 1800 police officers, but only one
out of an original six stations is still operating. He
claimed that all 1800 are ready and willing to return to
work, but have no secure place of business to which to
report. Shaqr claimed that in early September he was able
to pay his officers three months back pay (June, July and
August) by assembling those assigned to Ramadi's various
precincts at ad hoc meeting places. He believes it is the
responsibility of his local commanders to contact their
cohorts, who are afraid to even wear their uniforms in
public.

--------------
"Governor Attempting to Usurp My Authority"
--------------


4. (C) The latest conflict between Shaqr and Governor
Mamoon Sami al Rasheed sparked the week of October 2, as
the September police payroll arrived in Ramadi. Shaqr
signed the police rosters confirming the active duty status
of his officers. The governor charged that many of these
policemen were 'ghost employees' and Shaqr was pocketing
their salaries. As such the governor refused to cosign the
employee registers and convinced the Provincial Police
Financial Director he could not legally disperse the salary
fund. Shaqr retorted the governor had no legal
jurisdiction of over the payment of Minister of Interior
employees. In response to PolOff's suggestion the Police
Chief meet the governor to resolve the impasse, Shaqr burst
out in a giggle.


5. (C) According to Shaqr, the Governor also stepped
outside his legal authority by dismissing
27 officers assigned to the Emergency Brigade (a unit of
400 officers, 160 of which are assigned to the governor's
personal security detachment). Shaqr reasoned, if the
governor had found fault with the MoI employees, he could
request their transfer out of his PSD team, and Shaqr would
assign new officers to protect the governor's life. Simply
firing the men, was not an option. Shaqr and his
commanders in the office (difficult to recognize their
ranks, given their civilian dress) all agreed this latest
battle was mainly 'payback' for Shaqr's political
activities.

-------------- ---
All Politics are Local: Governor Wants Shaqr Out
-------------- ---


6. (C) The Provincial Police Chief alleged that Governor
Mamoon was a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party and had been
pressuring Shaqr's commanders to join the IIP. He
suggested Mamoon was trying to consolidate his power in the
province. (Septel will describe state of party politics in
Anbar.) Shaqr said Mamoon started a campaign to relieve
him after the Police Chief brokered a series of meetings in
Baghdad between Anbari Sheikhs and the Ministers of
Interior and Defense. When queried which Sheikhs, Shaqr
listed several subtribes of the Dulaym federation (Halife,
Mujuleb, Diab, Ali Jassim, Issa Asaf and Richa). Shaqr
claimed these tribes shared intelligence about the
insurgents with the Iraqi Transitional Government.


7. (C) Comment. Conflicts between provincial governors and
Provincial Police Chiefs are by no means rare in Iraq.
However the question of community policing in restive Anbar
is crucial to our efforts to quell the violence. It would
have been much more realistic for Shaqr to admit there were
officers on his rolls that would never return to their
duties. Instead, he insisted all 1800 were valid employees
and took political potshots at the authoritative, but
active governor. Governor Mamoon refused to discuss the
issue of policemen's salaries with PolOff and CAG commander
on October 11, citing his highest priority was the
immediate distribution of fuel, especially diesel, in the
city before the four-day election weekend. As resources
and the advisor component grow in the province, Shaqr's
assertion that his officers will return will be tested in
the near term. Should the governor wish to pursue legal
means to remove Shaqr, he will require action by the
Provincial Council, another body Shaqr alleges is in the
grip of the IIP. End Comment.
Khalilzad