CODEL WARNER MEETING AT MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001040

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

CODEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2016
TAGS: MOPS MARR PHUM PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: CODEL WARNER MEETING AT MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

Classified By: ACTING POLMIL COUNS Evan G. Reade for
reasons 1.4 (a) and (d)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: In a meeting March 21 with
CODEL Warner, Defense Ministry,s Lieutenant
General Nasir Abadi reported the Iraqi military
is making great progress and increasingly
taking the lead in field operations.
He took exception to CODEL Warner,s suggestion
that ethno-sectarian violence poses a greater
threat to Iraq than terrorism and denied that
Iraq is headed toward a civil war. He assured
the CODEL that the Iraqi Army is in control
of Baghdad, including Sadr City. While
admitting militias are a threat,
Abadi stressed that efforts are being made
to integrate them into the Iraqi Security Forces
(ISF). He also believes that as the ISF
gains the confidence of the people and the
economy picks up, the militias will "go away."
When asked what he sees as the primary challenges
to securing Iraq, Abadi pointed to the
police forces and the judicial system.
END SUMMARY.

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Iraqi Military Making Great Strides
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2. (SBU) On March 21, 2006, Sen. John Warner
(R-VA),Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI),Sen. Jeff Sessions
(R-AL),Sen. Jesse Bingaman (D-NM),Sen. Craig
Thomas (R-WY),and Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO)
called on Commander of the Iraqi Joint Forces
LTG Nasir Abadi. Sen. Warner began by
noting that most U.S. news coverage on
Iraq is negative and increasing numbers of
Americans want our forces to withdraw
from Iraq sooner rather than later. Abadi
responded by focusing on what he believes
are the positive developments. He outlined
the progress being made by the Iraqi Armed
Forces in terms of training, leading
operations, and occupying their own battle
space. He stressed that most of Iraq is
secure, as fourteen of the eighteen
provinces are considered safe. Abadi said
the Ministry of Defense (MoD) stands ready
for the USG to draw down a substantial number
of troops by the end of the year.

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State of Ethno-Sectarian Violence
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3. (SBU) Sen. Warner asked Abadi what
he thought of U.S. CENTCOM Commanding
General Abizaid,s recent statement that
ethno-sectarian violence is a source of
greater concern than the insurgency in Iraq.
Abadi responded that the media is exaggerating
the situation. The real problems faced
by Iraqis are not sectarian, but al-Qaida
elements who are trying to foment civil war.
They are the ones responsible for such acts
of terror as the Samarra mosque bombing that
led to reprisal attacks against Sunni
Arabs and their religious sites. He further
surmised that a civil war is not likely in
Iraq as all the major Iraqi tribes consist
of both Sunni and Shia. Abadi described how
Sunni and Shia live together as neighbors in
many parts of Iraq. Many Iraqi families have
intermarried, meaning that Sunni and Shia live
under the same roofs. He, himself, is a Sunni-Shia
from a mixed village in the south.

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State of Baghdad Violence
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4. (SBU) When asked if the violence in
Baghdad is out of control as reported in the
media, Abadi responded no. He claimed violence
raged in parts of the city immediately
after the bombing of the Samarra mosque,
but now things are returning to normal.
He said crime statistics kept by Ministry
of Interior (MoI) bear this out. Abadi
went on to stress that the Iraqi Army is
in complete control of Baghdad, including
Sadr City, and mans 136 checkpoints on the
periphery of Baghdad and 112 within Baghdad.
When askedif the army works well
with the police, Abadi said cooperation
and coordination are improving.

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Status of Militias
--------------


5. (SBU) Sen. Levin asked Abadi about the
threat posed by militias. Abadi replied
militias are a concern, particularly Moqtada
al-Sadr's Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM). However,
he was confident that the ISF and Coalition
Forces (CF) are strong enough to handle any
problems that might arise from the militias.
He further believes that as the economy picks
up and people gain confidence in the ISF,
militias will go away.

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Challenges to a Secure Iraq
--------------


6. (SBU) When asked what were the major
challenges to creating a secure Iraq,
Abadi pointed to the police service
and the judicial system. He stated
the police are under trained, overwhelmed
and need much more Coalition supervision.
He is hopeful that in this year, the Year of
the Police as announced by Commanding General
Casey, the necessary training, equipment,
and mentorship will be provided to bring
the police up to standard. Abadi sees
the judicial system as "broken." He went
on to describe Iraqi judges as corrupt,
incompetent, and easily intimidated.
He opined that the judicial system is slow
in investigating and prosecuting MoD cases,
and that in general, Ministry of Justice
(MoJ) officials are
uncooperative partners in security.

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


7. (C) Abadi's comments about the state
of Baghdad security,ethno-sectarian violence,
and militias were overly optimistic. He
somewhat misled the CODEL when he stated
the Iraqi Army is in charge of Baghdad,
as this simply is not the case. Responsibility
for patrolling different sectors
of Baghdad is shared among MoD, MoI, and
MNF-I forces. And security in Sadr City
remains problematic with the presence of JAM.


8. (SBU) Several of the senators were
disappointed that MinDef Dulime did not
host the meeting, and were further mystified
to find the Ministry building practically
empty of staff during the middle of the work
week. When Sen. Warner asked why the place
was like a "mausoleum", EmbOff explained
it was a holiday for both Shia and Kurds.
Warner did not seem to accept this as
rationale, responding that Iraq is in
the middle of a war and those at the heart of
its defense establishment should not be taking
days off.


9. (SBU) CODEL Warner did not have the
opportunity to clear this cable before departing
Iraq.


KHALILZAD