INSPECTORS GENERAL HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004400

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2015
TAGS: ECON KCOR KCRM PGOV PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: INSPECTORS GENERAL HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING IN
RESPONSE TO SIX IG DISMISSALS

REF: BAGHDAD 4379

Classified By: Economic Minister Counselor Thomas Delare for reasons 1.
4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. In reaction to the reported removal of
Inspectors General (IG) from five ministries and the Council
of Ministers, an emergency meeting of all the IGs and
representatives from the TNA Committee on Integrity was held
on October 23. The discussions focused on the integrity and
independence of the IG system during which the attendees: 1)
requested draft legislation that would both enhance the IG's
independence and protect them from politically motivated
dismissals; 2) complained about the lack of due process for
those who were removed; and 3) pondered how to handle a
politically sensitive request by the TNA for evaluations of
all Deputy Ministers and Directors General. End summary.


2. (SBU) Over the past six months, IRMO technical advisors
and GOI officials have reported the impending removal or
transfer of several Iraqi IGs. Details of the plan finally
came to light last week. According to IRMO reports, the IGs
from the Ministries of Transportation, Electricity, Finance,
Agriculture, Trade and the IG for the General Secretariat of
the Ministers' Council, are to be removed, while the IG from
the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works will move to
the vacant IG position at Ministry of Defense. A former IG
and current TNA member, Judge Zakia Haaki, will reportedly
return as IG to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs,
which is also currently vacant. We should emphasize,
however, that official notification of these changes has not
yet been confirmed.


3. (SBU) In response to this shake-up, the IGs held an
emergency meeting on October 23, attended by Econoff, to
discuss what they perceive to be major threats to the
integrity and independence of the IG system. Held
immediately after the regular weekly meeting between the IG
Executive Council, headed by Dr. Adel Abdullah, IG for the
Ministry of Health, and the leadership of the TNA Committee
on Integrity, the emergency meeting was attended by a
majority of the IGs, as well as several members of the
Integrity Committee. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy
Chairmen of the Committee on Integrity, Kamal al-Saadi.

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Legislation to Strengthen the IG
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4. (C) Al-Saadi opened the meeting by stressing the need for
a strong and independent IG system in order to build a
stable, prosperous and democratic Iraq. In particular, he
highlighted the IG's dependence on their respective ministers
for funding and resources, as well as the authority that
ministers have to dismiss IGs, which has impeded IG
effectiveness. In order to remedy what they perceive to be
structural weaknesses in the system, the group is preparing
legislation that will clearly establish the IGs as
independent entities whose authority emanates directly from
the TNA. Included in the legislation would
be provisions for "fire walled" budgets and a direct
reporting structure from the IGs to the TNA. Also a
possibility given the recent shake up, would be provisions
reserving the authority for removing an IG from office to the
TNA, President, Deputy Presidents or the Prime Minister.
(Note: According to CPA Order 57 that established the IG
system, IGs are funded by each ministry at the discretion of
the minister. An IG reports directly to the minister, and
that minister may dismiss the IG for cause. The minister
must report the dismissal to the Prime Minister and the TNA,
who can then overturn it. End note.) The plan is to present
the law to the TNA before the end of year. Al-Saadi also
stressed the need for standardized procurement and
contracting procedures in all ministries.

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IG Dismissals and Transfers
--------------


5. (C) The reported dismissal of several IGs prompted a
heated discussion among the attendees. Most of the
participants attributed the firings to Commission on Public
Integrity (CPI) Commissioner Radhi, who they claimed had
overstepped his authority and acted in a non-transparent way
to dismiss rivals for
political purposes. Others criticized that no explanation or
notice had been given for the dismissals. The IG from the
Ministry of Trade (among those relieved of his position)
bitterly complained that "his name and dignity were
insulted," despite his being a valued ministry employee for
32 years and his submission of 970 investigative reports to
the CPI since January 2005. In response, al-Saadi reiterated
his belief that only the TNA had the right to terminate an IG
and that Commissioner Radhi was
establishing a very dangerous precedent by superseding the
legislature. He believes that the terminations were
motivated by politics and religion, and resolved to meet with
Commissioner Radhi to discuss these issues. Many of the
attendees also questioned whether Judge Radhi has the
authority to transfer IGs from one ministry to another, even
if he does not have the ability to terminate them.


6. (C) The IGs also cited U.S. interference with their
independence. Judge Zakia stated that when she had been the
IG for the Ministry of Labor, she was given a letter written
by a U.S. military officer stating that she was being too
tough on U.S. allies at the ministry. The letter recommended
that she be transferred to the Ministry of Justice after
which Zakia found herself "in limbo between Ministries,"
before being sent back to the Ministry of Labor. All of
this, she said, occurred because "I was just
doing my job." (Comment: We are researching this charge to
make sure the Embassy speaks with one voice on this issue.
End comment.)

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TNA Requests Ministry Evaluations
--------------


7. (C) The meeting ended with the IGs voicing their
discomfort with a recent request by the TNA, and possibly the
Council of Ministers, to prepare performance evaluations of
the Deputy Ministers and Director Generals in their
respective ministries. Of particular concern to the IGs was
the lack of performance criteria from the TNA and the
uncertainty regarding their intended use. TNA members at the
meeting stated that the reports would be used as a tool to
decide who stays and who goes during the transition to the
next government, but the IGs fear that the reports will only
further politicize and weaken their efforts to combat
corruption.

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Comment
--------------


8. (C) The IG system is an important part of Iraq's
anti-corruption institutions, but it is still very weak and
prone to the same ills facing all of Iraq's institutions --
corruption and political and sectarian rivalries. While the
IGs lamented the "unfair" dismissal of their colleagues,
there are also credible reports that at least some of the
dismissed IGs were incompetent and/or corrupt (see reftel).
Many of the IGs blame Commissioner Radhi for the firings, but
it has been said that Radhi was merely trying to improve the
effectiveness the IG system by recommending these changes to
the Prime Minister, who made the final decision. Whatever
the motivation, it appears that Radhi played a large role in
the deliberations, adding fuel to the growing tensions
between CPI and many of the IGs. The Embassy will continue
to follow this issue closely to see if there is a political
agenda at play, especially as
replacement IGs are nominated.
Satterfield