Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD1441
2006-05-01 22:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

CABINET FORMATION AND PM OFFICE UPDATE

Tags:  PGOV PNAT PINR IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0030
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHGB #1441/01 1212202
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 012202Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4217
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001441 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT PINR IZ
SUBJECT: CABINET FORMATION AND PM OFFICE UPDATE

Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR MICHAEL J. ADLER FOR REASONS
1.4 (B) AND (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001441

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT PINR IZ
SUBJECT: CABINET FORMATION AND PM OFFICE UPDATE

Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR MICHAEL J. ADLER FOR REASONS
1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary. In an April 30 meeting with PolOffs, Shia
Coalition independent Sami al-Askari reported that
PM-designate Nuri Kamil al-Maliki has named Ahmad al-Saadawi
as his private office director. Al-Maliki's inner circle is
moving forward with re-organization and expansion plans for
the PM's Office. Shia Independent Qassim Daoud told poloffs
that seven key ministerial positions should be exempt from
the UIC-proposed point selection system. Tawafuq ministerial
selection negotiator Ali Baban said that Tawafuq, Hewar and
Iraqiya had failed to reach agreement on how to fill the
"Sunni" deputy prime minister (DPM) position. Baban said
that Tawafuq had refused a UIC proposal that the Sunni bloc
get the MFA in exchange for the MOD. End Summary.

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MALIKI ADVISER ON GOVERNMENT AND PM OFFICE TRANSITION
-------------- --------------


2. (C) In an April 30 meeting with PolOffs, Maliki adviser
Sami al-Askari expressed confidence that the GOI can form a
new government by May 10. However, he would not confirm
whether or not the blocs have agreed to exempt any of the
sovereign ministries from the point selection system.
Al-Askari said the three positions in the PM Office
configuration who will answer directly to the PM are the
Private Office Director, Senior Policy Advisor and
Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers. Al-Askari

SIPDIS
said that al-Maliki has chosen Ahmad al-Sadawi to be his new
Private Office Director. (NOTE: Ahmed al-Sadawi is an Iraqi
Canadian who returned to Iraq in 2003. According to
al-Askari, al-Sadawi has vast management experience and
speaks excellent English. Others have suggested, however,
that al-Sadawi has a far less extensive management
background. We understand that this appointment has been
made on a four-month trial basis.) Al-Askari intimated to
PolFSN that he expects to be named Secretary-General of the
Council of Ministers. Al-Askari claimed the PM-designate's
team was reviewing resumes for senior policy advisors from
all political blocs. He asserted that the policy advisors in

the PM office would not have executive power over any
ministry. PolOff cautioned that the policy advisor-ministry
relationship will need to be clearly defined. (NOTE: PolOff
also heard on May 1 that Salam Abd al-Razzaq was named the
PM-designates temporary spokesperson. END NOTE) Regarding
the PM's security plan, Al-Askari said the U.S. should work
to dissolve the Kurdish Peshmerga and Tariq al-Hashimi's
"private militia" (sic). He made no mention, however, of the
Sadrist Jaysh al-Mahdi.

--------------
DAOUD: NURI BETTER LISTENER THAN JAFARI
--------------


3. (C) In an April 30 meeting with PolOffs and VP Abd
al-Mahdi advisors Fareed Yaseen and Zuhair Humadi, Shia
independent Qassim Daoud asserted that the difference between
PM Ibrahim Jafari and PM-designate Nuri al-Maliki is that
Nuri is a good listener, has an open mind and would welcome
USG suggestions for strategic posts and PM office
organization to guarantee success. PolOff reiterated that
the U.S. is interested in experienced, competent and honest
candidates for government positions. Daoud urged the Embassy
to be as direct as possible in expressing this view.


4. (C) Daoud proposed that seven key ministerial positions
(Interior, Defense, Oil, Finance, Electricity,
Transportation, and Health) be exempt from the UIC-proposed
point selection system and instead have the selection based
on competence and relevant experience. Daoud claimed that the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not important to the Shia
Coalition; the UIC is willing to let the Sunnis and Kurds
fight over the Foreign Minister position. In contrast, he
argued that the Ministry of Oil is extremely important and
insisted that Fadhila should not be granted control. Daoud
said there is no contest between prospective MoO candidates
Thamer Ghadban and Hussein al-Shahristani. He argued that
both men are honest, but claimed that former nuclear
physicist Shahristani cannot compete with Ghadban's 30 years
in the oil business. Fareed Yasseen added that quick
decisions are needed in the oil sector and it would take
Shahristani too long to ramp up no matter how intelligent he
is.


5. (C) Daoud said that al-Maliki considers the security
situation his top priority. Daoud commented that al-Maliki's
recent press statement on militia disbandment, supported by
Grand Ayatollah al-SISTANI's statement, was a good sign.
However, he warned that the relationship between Muqtada

BAGHDAD 00001441 002 OF 002


al-Sadr and al-Maliki remains "unknown." Daoud said that the
question of disbanding the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia could
become a sore point in the Da'wa-Sadrist alliance.

-------------- --------------
No Deputy PM resolution between Sunnis and Iraqqiya
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Tawafuq's ministerial selection committee leader Ali
Baban told PolOff April 30 that a meeting earlier in the day
with Iraqqiya and Hewar representatives failed to reach
agreement on the question of how to fill the "Sunni" deputy
prime minister (DPM) position. Baban maintained there had
been agreement between these parties in late March that
Tawafuq would get the DPM position. But he said that
agreement had now fallen apart. Baban said the April 30
meeting ended with no resolution in sight, but he added the
three parties would continue negotiations. Baban said
Tawafuq's top nominee for DPM would be Rafe'a al-Isawi, a
Fallujan and head of the Ministry of Health's Fallujah
office. Baban said Tawafuq's second choice for DPM would be
Dr. Salam Zaygam. A member of Adnan Dulaymi's party, Zaygam
has a Ph.D. in agriculture and is a university professor.
Baban said that all parties -- not just Tawafuq -- should
work together to make room for positions for Hewar's Saleh
Mutlaq and Iraqqiya's Ayad Allawi.

--------------
MOD Tawafuq's Top Priority
--------------


7. (C) Baban ranked Tawafuq's ministerial wish list, in
descending order: Defense, Finance, Planning, Education,
Human Rights, and Youth and Sports. He said Tawafuq has just
begun to discuss specific candidates internally and had yet
to provide the Shia Coalition with names. He explained that
until Tawafuq members can agree among themselves, and then
with Hewar and Iraqqiya, there would be no such meeting.
Baban said that Tawafuq refused the Shia Coalition's offer of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in exchange for the Ministry
of Defense. (NOTE: In his April 30 meeting with poloffs,
al-Askari asked for USG help in securing the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs for the Sunni Arabs, claiming that an MFA
under continued Kurdish leadership could not be as successful
as a Sunni-led ministry in "opening doors" to Iraq's
neighboring countries.)


8. (C) Baban said that Tawafuq does not want to fill the
Minister of Interior (MOI) position because it will be
"impossible" to rid the MOI of corruption. Baban added that
Tawafuq will press the Shia to nominate a truly independent
person to clean up the MOI. As a back-up, Tawafuq's MOI
candidate would be Tawfiq al-Yasiri. Baban discounted Qassam
Daoud as too sectarian for the MOI position. Baban said he
would like to be Minister of State for Security Affairs or
Minister of Planning. (BIONOTE: Ali Baban lived in Iraq
until 1977. He then lived in Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, and the
UAE, where he was a university professor in statistics and
finance. END NOTE)
KHALILZAD