PRT BAGHDAD: SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR BAGHDAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001389

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA-I/POL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/27/2026
TAGS: PGOV ECON SOCI IZ
SUBJECT: PRT BAGHDAD: SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FOR BAGHDAD
RESIDENTS

Classified By: Classified by Baghdad PRT leader Joe Gregoire for reason
s 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) During a recent conversation with a member of the
Baghdad PRT, Provincial Council (PC) staff member Kadheim
Fleiha, the principal staff employee on the PC,s Social
Security Committee, disclosed that social security benefits
are now being distributed to Baghdad residents.


2. (C) Fleiha said representatives of the Ministry of Social
Affairs (MSA) in the Adhamiyah District of Baghdad are
distributing social security benefits to 2,586 families.
These families are receiving their benefits monthly and have
been added to the government payroll for administrative
purposes.


3. (SBU) MSA representatives in Baghdad's Kadhamiyah District
have forwarded the names of 5,016 families to the District
Council (DC) to verify their residency status. These
families have been approved for social security benefits
pending verification of their residency status. The
Kadhamiyah DC is helping the MSA representatives identify
suitable applicants for the program.


4. (SBU) 13,700 additional residents of Baghdad province have
been approved for social security benefits. They will be
notified via local newspapers when they may begin drawing
monthly payments.


5. (C) The Baghdad PC is tracking the distribution of social
security benefits to residents of Baghdad to ensure that the
system runs smoothly within the province.


6. (C) Comment. Funding of the social security benefits
bypasses the PC. Although the MSA is ultimately responsible
for the success of the program, according to Fleiha, the
provincial government will bear the brunt of the anger should
the system falter and qualified social security beneficiaries
not receive their payments. End comment.
KHALILZAD