COMSEC'S DHIA REQUESTS ASSISTANCE TO

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 001210

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/I

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ

SUBJECT: COMSEC'S DHIA REQUESTS ASSISTANCE TO
ENHANCE FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL COORDINATION


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On April 5, IRMO Director
Speckhard met with Secretary General for the Council
of Ministers Secretariat (CoMSec) Emad Dhia to
discuss the Dhia's request for USG assistance. Dhia
emphasized the need for assistance in building up
CoMSec's federal provincial coordination capability
and stated that the Iraqi Government considers this
a significant issue that must be addressed
satisfactorily. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) IRMO Director Speckhard met with the ComSec
Secretary General Emad Dhia on April 5 at Dhia's

SIPDIS
request. Dhia cited increasingly deteriorating
relations between Iraq's central and provincial
governments. As an example, Dhia related how
provincial officials are seizing federal stores,
including foodstuffs, and disrupting national
inventory and distribution systems. Dhia also
lamented what he considers a lack of constitutional
clarity on the division of responsibilities and
authorities between the central and provincial
governments. Provincial governments, he added, are
ignorant about national budget processes that
provinces must follow in order to access central
government funds allocated for them.


3. (SBU) Dhia stressed the linchpin role that the
CoMSec must play in the. According to Dhia,
Planning Minister Barham Salih agreed to provide
Dhia with Planning Ministry expertise, which Dhia
said he favors bringing in "to strengthen CoMSec's
center of mass." The Planning Ministry, Dhia
explained, is set to begin a program to bring
provincial leaders to Baghdad to discuss the
National Development Strategy (NDS) and to help them
devise provincial development strategies tied to the
NDS. In addition, Dhia said, the Planning Ministry
is ready to link this program to CoMSec efforts to
improve federal relations. Dhia said he would like
to expand this program in order to strengthen the
CoMSec's ties to the Governors.


4. (SBU) Dhia thanked Mission for providing him with
an advisor to build capacity in his immediate
office, but he stressed his need for significant
additional USG assistance to close the center-
provincial gap. Dhia said he wants USG assistance
to help him craft a strategic plan of action "road
map" and specific programs, which include building
local governance capacity in order to improve
provincial/federal relations. First, Dhia requested
technical assistance to conduct a diagnostic of the
CoMSec. Second, he asked for advisers to help him
set up sectoral committees, such as in energy. He
expressed a preference for Iraqi-American advisers
and wants them to twin with existing staff in a
mentoring relationship.


5. (SBU) Mission explained its willingness to assist
CoMSec in strengthening its capacity as part of its
larger national capacity development initiative.
(NOTE: The UK Department for International
Development (DFID) operates a contractor within the
CoMSec to work on improving CoMSec operational
capability. Mission is coordinating its efforts
closely with DFID. END NOTE.)

KHALILZAD