COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM MEETS IRAQI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 005043

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2015
TAGS: PGOV KISL PTER IZ
SUBJECT: COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM MEETS IRAQI
MINISTER OF DEFENSE AND SUNNI SHEIKHS


Classified By: Acting Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Evan G.
Reade for reason 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (SBU) (SUMMARY) Ambassador Henry A. Crumpton, the
Coordinator for Counterterrorism (S/CT),called on Iraqi
Minister of Defense Saadoun Dulime during a visit to Baghdad
on December 6. Present at the meeting were a group of 17
Sunni sheikhs from the Al Anbar Province. This presented an
opportunity for Ambassador Crumpton to hear first hand the
complaints and concerns the sheikhs have about the situation
in their province. The major complaints dealt with election
issues, detainees, Coalition Force (CF) and Iraqi Security
Forces (ISF) tactics, and the perceived marginalization of
the sheikhs. The sheikhs, who are not happy with the
Governor of the province because they believe he is an
outsider imposed on them by the USG, proposed they be given
responsibility for the conduct of "innocent" detainees, that
they be allowed to help in the election process, that CF and
ISF operations should be conducted based on specific
information, and that their dignity be respected by CF and
ISF. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) When Ambassador Crumpton arrived at the Ministry of
Defense (MOD) for a scheduled meeting with Dulime, the MinDef
was still meeting with a group of Sunni sheikhs from the Al
Anbar province who he had called to Baghdad to discuss the
situation in the province and to hear their complaints and
proposed solutions. Dulime's intent is to bring the sheikhs
into the political process and is part of the Mission's Sunni
outreach initiative. He invited Ambassador Crumpton to join
the meeting in order to meet the sheikhs and to hear, first
hand, of their concerns. Prior to introducing Ambassador
Crumpton, Dulime explained to him that three major themes had
already been discussed with the sheikhs.

-- First, with regard to the elections, the sheikhs were
upset because the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq
(IECI) is bringing in poll workers who are from out of the
area and who are not Sunni. The sheikhs complain that this
intimidates the local voters and also represents a conflict
of interest. Dulime has proposed a compromise, under which
the tribes will be permitted to assign two of their members
at each polling station to act as observers. Dulime hopes
that by making the sheikhs more comfortable with the election
process, more of them will urge their people to participate.

-- Second, the shiekhs asked Dulime why their region has
become a battlefield. They believe the military operations
are intended to stifle Sunni political participation. He
replied to them that the purpose of CF and ISF operations is,
on the contrary, to set the stage for increased participation
by ridding the area of terrorists who would see the
democratic process fail by intimidating voters and election
workers.

-- Third, the sheikhs are concerned that Anbar has become an
incubator for terrorism, fed by foreign fighters who come
from Syria with material and financial resources and who harm
the locals. Dulime assured them the role of the military is
to rid the area of these terrorists and called upon the
sheikhs to help separate the terrorists from the locals who
have been hijacked and convinced to help carry out terrorist
attacks. Dulime has proposed that the sheikhs assist by
pointing out and turning in foreign terrorists and those who
shelter them, and by encouraging their young men to join the
security services to help protect their areas from the
enemies of Iraq.

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DETAINEE ISSUES
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3. (SBU) Dulime introduced Ambassador Crumpton to the sheikhs
and invited them to address their concerns to him. The first
to speak, Sheikh Ali, paramount sheikh of the Dulaymi tribe,
raised the issue of detainees. He complained that previously
there had been an agreement between the sheikhs and the
government that if a person would sponsor and vouch for the
good conduct of a detainee, the detainee would be released
into his custody. The person would then be under the
authority of the tribe and could redeem himself and rejoin
society. Now, this agreement is no longer in effect.


4. (SBU) Sheikh Ali said that many of those detained are
innocent, but in jail they are recruited by the real
insurgents. In addition, this weakens the authority of the
sheikhs, as their people see they can do nothing for them.
He maintained that the sheikhs know who is guilty and will
not vouch for someone who is a criminal or insurgent. And
even if a vouched for person does get into trouble, the
government can always come back and hold the sheikh
accountable. He was also troubled that sometimes he has no
idea what has happened to someone in his tribe who has been
detained, and this makes him look weak in front of his
people. At the very least, CF and ISF should inform the
sheikhs where their people are and on what grounds they are
being held. Echoing Sheikh Ali's concerns, a sheikh from the
Karabila tribe near Al-Qaim complained that CF refused to
release female detainee and that this was a grave affront.
He reiterated that the sheikhs could be trusted and would
only sponsor the innocent.

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IMPOSED OFFICIALS
--------------


5. (SBU) Sheikh Ali next complained that the governor of the
province was a member of a political party from outside the
area who was installed and is supported by CF, without
consulting the local sheikhs. He only goes between his home
and his office, and when he does he is surrounded by humvees
and Suburbans. He is never out among the people. The Sheikh
asked rhetorically for an explanation of what is truly
motivating the CF. "You want security, but you're appointing
people who are not supported by us; his security detail
includes known terrorists."


6. (SBU) Others echoed Ali's point. One complained that the
Coalition claims to bring democracy to the country, but the
democracy the sheikhs understand is the freedom to be able to
think and do things for themselves. "Reality does not
resemble this at all in Al Anbar." He cited two examples.
First, nighttime raids on houses, which appear to the sheikhs
to be indiscriminate, followed by the arrest of innocent
people. He suggested that these raids are based on bad
intelligence or misinformation instead of firm information
about the location of terrorists. Second, he claimed that
outside political parties are allowed to function in the
area. These other parties come from Baghdad, are
well-funded, and strive to create instability to take
advantage of the locals who cannot compete with them. "Al
Anbar," he complained, "is treated like a third class
province. We don't even receive our food rations on time.
All of this creates problems for the people and leads them to
mistrust the central government."

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LACK OF COMPENSATION
--------------


7. (SBU) Another complaint was the slowness or complete lack
of compensation payments for people whose homes had been
destroyed or damaged. One sheikh stressed the need to make
these payments to "innocent" people, whose property was
damaged even though they did not harbor or support the
terrorists.

--------------
LACK OF RESPECT
--------------


8. (SBU) An underlying theme throughout the discussion was
the belief by the sheikhs that Coalition and Iraqi Government
actions had disrespected them and caused them to be
diminished in front of their own people. They are ashamed
because they cannot gain the release of their tribesmen. The
look weak because they do not govern their own areas while
"outsiders" do. Their people are suffering economically and
there is nothing they can do to help them. They complained
that although most of them are targets of well armed
terrorists, they are not permitted to carry their own guns.
They are treated with disrespect in front of their people by
Coalition and ISF soldiers at roadblocks. And they are not
able to defend themselves or their people from the terrorists
because they are not allowed to be armed. Because their
people can not fight the terrorists, they are forced to join
them or suffer the consequences.

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MINISTER OF DEFENSE URGES COOPERATION
--------------


9. (SBU) Dulime invited all the participants to join him for
lunch, where the discussion continued. He responded to the
complaints raised by the sheikhs by stating it is not enough
for them to endlessly recite their problems. Rather, they
need to take action to become part of the solution. First,
he asked them to provide him with the names of 308 of their
members who could act as polling site observers on election
day. This will allow the tribes to observe and participate
in the electoral process to assure themselves that it is
transparent. It will also help to assure their people are not
intimidated when they come to vote. Second, do not let
foreigners and terrorists into their towns and villages.
They are a communicable disease that will spread and cause
more violence and destruction. Third, the sheikhs complain
that raids are conducted on bad intelligence against the
homes of innocents. If that is the case, then help the ISF
to arrest the real terrorists and outsiders by identifying
them to the army. They know who belongs in their villages;
point out those who do not. Failure to help CF and ISF take
action against the terrorists makes it seem as if they
support the terrorists. Finally, the sheikhs constantly
complain that the ISF deployed in their province are composed
of "aliens" and "outsiders." The answer to this is to urge
their young men to join the ISF so that it will become more
representative.


10. (SBU) Ambassador Crumpton thanked Dulime and the sheikhs
for the unique opportunity to meet with them and to hear
their concerns. He reaffirmed that the U.S. supports them
and the people of Iraq in their struggle against terrorism
and said that our success depends upon the strength of our
partnerships, which must be based upon a firm foundation of
trust and understanding. Ambassador Crumpton noted that the
U.S. will use its power to defend U.S. interests and U.S.
citizens, and we need the sheikhs' help, to calibrate this
power, to exercise precision, to defeat those foreign
fighters who have established themselves in Al Anbar province.
KHALILZAD