ANBAR POLITICS: NOBODY LIKES ANYBODY VERY MUCH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004289

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/2015
TAGS: PGOV PTER KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: ANBAR POLITICS: NOBODY LIKES ANYBODY VERY MUCH

REF: BAGHDAD 4239

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


1. (C) Summary. This is a SET Ramadi Cable. Anbar Sunni
Arab politicos may feel besieged with worries about Shia,
Iranians, terrorists, Iraqi Security Forces and the
American military, but they are hardly circling the wagons.
The lead political figure in Anbar, in terms of
administrative prowess and political savvy, is technocrat
Governor Mamoon Sami Latif al Rasheed (albu Alwan tribe).
He is, however, bitterly criticized by even apparently
close political allies such as the deputy governor, Talib
Ibraheem Someer, and his own legal counsel and cousin, Haji
Arif al Alwan. Provincial Police Chief Brigadier General
Shaqr Mohammed Saleh (al Dulaym) has more reason to attack
the governor, given that Mamoon seeks Shaqr's removal for
corruption. Local politics and jockeying for the next
election in December resemble a nest of vipers. End
Summary.


2. (C) PolOff and military colleagues pulsed five leading
Anbari politicians in the week leading up to the
constitutional referendum. Police Chief Shaqr in his
battle with the governor regarding the payment of
policemen's salaries (reftel) accused the governor of being
a member of the IIP. He elaborated on the indictment,
citing Anbaris' natural distrust of political parties,
given their experience with the Ba'ath. He claimed Mamoon
was pressuring his police commanders to join the Islamic
party. Mamoon, however, declared in an October 13 New York
Times report (in the presence of PolOff) that he was not
affiliated with any political party. Later the same day in
a telcon, Mamoon described his own group (refusing to label
it a party) as technocrats loosely aligned with the IIP for
the January 30 election.


3. (C) Provincial Council Chairman Khudair Abdel Jabar
Abbas also a self-described member of the educated class,
is more forthcoming about his membership in the IIP, which
garnered a meager 2800 votes in the January 30 election -
the highest total for any group in Anbar in that
controversial election. He noted, "The people consider us
the IIP". He named the party's Anbar chief as Abdul al
Salam, whom Khudair claimed had been unable to connect with
IIP headquarters after the momentous announcement regarding
the changes in the constitution. Of the five Anbar
politicians PolOff has met, Khudair, the proud father of
seven, was the only one to excuse himself from meetings to
pray. He appears to have a good, if subordinate, working
relationship with Mamoon and boasted of holding 21
Provincial Council meetings since the body's inception.


4. (C) Deputy Governor Talib denigrated both political
parties ("not representative of the people of Anbar") and
tribal leaders ("who have lost their constituencies"). He
criticized the governor (in the presence of Haji Arif,
Legal Advisor to Mamoon) for failing to understand his
authorities vis-a-vis the Provincial Police Chief.
Mamoon's cousin and advisor, Lawyer Arif, chimed in that
the governor's influence was limited : "He can only travel
between his homes and the governorate center." Talib
accused Shaqr, meanwhile, of bribing officials in Baghdad,
allegedly even the Minister of Interior. The deputy
governor claimed he did not represent "any one party, but
the people of Anbar". He tucked a copy of the Iraqi
National Dialogue Council (INDC) party platform into the
Poloff's notebook as he left.


5. (C) Police Chief Shaqr praised the INDC's leader, Ramadi
native Shaykh Khalif Al-Uyan for his military experience.
A few of the Anbar police commanders agreed Al-Uyan was
"popular". Shaqr's old boss, former Anbar Governor Fassal
al Ghaoud, did not get off so lightly. The Police Chief
described al Ghaoud as "tired" and lacking any support in
Anbar. (Note. Al Ghaoud's party newspaper, "Solidarity"
is one of the few publications found on Ramadi streets, but
the former governor has been scarce in the troubled
province. End Note.) Mamoon decried al Ghaoud as not even
the most senior representative of his Hit-based, Albu Nimr
tribe. Shaqr seemed to approve of former Prime Minister
Ayad Allawi, but found it difficult to imagine Allawi
forming a coalition with the IIP.


6. (C) Comment: Organized and proactive political parties,
like the Diyala IIP, do not seem to have materialized in
Anbar. With the October 21 election commission deadline
for coalition and candidate registration fast approaching,
local politicians will need to finalize their coalitions
and appeal to their (if any) constituents quickly. There
appear to be no alliances among the leading local figures,
another attestation of the divisive and fractured nature of
Sunni Arab politics. The voter turnout in Ramadi and
points west was very low. Focused education and public
political forums may spark voter interest in the next
elections. End Comment.
Khalilzad