Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD1554
2006-05-10 06:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
CABINET NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE, MISSING
how-toVZCZCXRO9161 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHGB #1554/01 1300645 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 100645Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4370 RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001554
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT ECON ENRG EPET ETRD KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: CABINET NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE, MISSING
PM-DESIGNATE'S PROPOSED DEADLINE OF MAY 10.
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001554
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT ECON ENRG EPET ETRD KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: CABINET NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE, MISSING
PM-DESIGNATE'S PROPOSED DEADLINE OF MAY 10.
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Summary. Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki
told reporters May 9 that he might take all the time allotted
to form his cabinet. He told the Ambassador May 8 that he
would bend to the Kurds' insistence that Barham Salah become
DPM but considered it an uncooperative beginning to their
partnership in governance. Maliki was still reviewing
candidates for the interior and defense ministries. SCIRI
continued to push Bayan Jabr for the Minister of Interior and
the Fadhila party still sought to cling to control over the
Ministry of Oil. The agreement among the political parties
that the Shia Coalition will use one of its ministerial slots
to appoint a Turcoman and the Kurds will use one of theirs to
appoint a Christian allows the Kurds to kill two birds with
one stone by nominating KDP Christian Kurd Fawzi Hariri to
minister. This leaves Assyrian Christian leader Yonadam Kanna
angry and out in the cold. The Kurds expressed dismay over
the ministries the Shia Coalition plans to dole out, bringing
them back into a huddle for serious counter-offer
negotiations. Meanwhile there was a second-hand report that
the National Dialogue Front (Hewar)leader Saleh Mutlak would
settle for the Ministry of Culture despite his earlier
demands for the Foreign Ministry. End Summary.
--------------
Maliki Announces New Timetable
--------------
2. (C) Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki told reporters
May 9 that he might take all the time allotted to form his
cabinet. He told the Ambassador May 8 that he would bend to
the Kurds' insistence that Barham Salah become DPM and
Hoshyar Zebari remain Foreign Minister. Maliki remarked
however that he considered it an uncooperative beginning to
their partnership in governance. Maliki was still reviewing
candidates for the interior and defense ministries.
--------------
The Sequel - Badr and Bayan
--------------
3. (C) In a May 9 phone conversation with PolFSN, Badr
Organization CoR member Sheikh Dhiya al-Fayyad said the
Ministry of Interior will most likely go to the Shia Islamist
Coalition, with Bayan Jabr as the Shia Coalition's nominee
for the post. (Sadrist negotiator Baha al-Araji confirmed
this to us late May 9, adding that the Sadrists will not
support Jabr.) Al-Fayyad said the Fadhila Party still
coveted the Ministry of Oil (MoO) despite the efforts of the
rest of the Shia Coalition in support of Shia independent
Hussein Shahristani whom Fayyad said was an honest
politician. According to al-Fayyad, it was even suggested
that Fadhila nominate Shahristani as the party's candidate to
lead the MoO, but Fadhila declined to do so. The Shia
Coalition would oppose Thamir al-Ghadban's MoO candidacy,
al-Fayyad said, because he was too close to former PM Ayad
Allawi.
--------------
Christian CoR Member Complains
--------------
4. (C) Christian CoR member Yonadam Kanna called Poloff on
May 9 to complain vigorously about the presumed process by
which Christians and Turcomen were to be represented in the
National Unity government. According to an agreement among
the political parties, the UIA will use one of its
ministerial slots to appoint a Turcoman and the Kurds will
use one of theirs to appoint a Christian. Kanna said he had
no quarrel with this method but was incensed that the Kurds
did not consult him on who should be the Christian
ministerial nominee (Note: Kanna is the designated appointee
of the Iraqi Minorities Council to the Iraq National
Security/Policy Council. End Note) Kanna said he was
especially upset that Fawzi Hariri (current chief of staff to
FM Zebari) reportedly would be the Kurd "Christian"
ministerial nominee for the Ministry of Transportation)
since, according to Kanna, Hariri has never been involved in
Christian issues.
--------------
Christian, Kurd or Both?
--------------
5. (C) On May 9 KDP Council of Representatives (CoR)
member Fawzi Hariri confirmed that the Kurdish Alliance
announced that he would be one of their official ministerial
nominees. Hariri also confirmed that the Kurds agreed to
BAGHDAD 00001554 002 OF 002
give one of its ministries to a Christian. Kurdish Christian
Hariri said was not comfortable with being the "Christian"
nominee and may refuse a ministerial nomination on that
basis. Hariri told PolOff that the Kurds are not likely to
accept the ministerial distribution doled out by Shia
Coalition that gave them women's affairs, civil society,
foreign affairs, water resources, industry, environment and
housing. Hariri exclaimed that he had no knowledge that a
ministry of civil society even existed.
6. (C) A 15-year ex-British Airways executive, Hariri said
he aspires to be Minister of Transportation. But with Fadhila
capturing the Ministry of Trade in combination with the
Sadrists retaining control of Transportation, Hariri warned
that the 'wrong' Shia would completely control the Basrah
port, creating a corrupt, mafia-like situation for any goods
and services entering the country. Hariri said the Kurds
would have to meet and decide what they will bargain for to
try to end Sadrist control over the Ministry of
Transportation. Hariri said if the Kurds are unable to
secure the Ministry of Transportation, he would consider the
Ministry of Construction and Housing.
--------------
MUTLAK MAY SETTLE FOR CULTURE
--------------
7. (C) Saad al-Janabi of the Iraqiya List told Poloff on May
9 that Hewar's Salih Mutlaq may join forces with Iraqiya for
government ministry negotiations. Al-Janabi said Mutlak
would accept the post of Minister of Culture rather than go
into opposition despite Mutlak's private and public demands
to be named the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Many of our
contacts, including Shia Coalition negotiators, presume that
Hoshyar Zebari will remain Foreign Minister and that a new
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, technically
subordinate to the Minister, will be created for an Arab.
SATTERFIELD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT ECON ENRG EPET ETRD KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: CABINET NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE, MISSING
PM-DESIGNATE'S PROPOSED DEADLINE OF MAY 10.
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4 (b) a
nd (d).
1. (C) Summary. Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki
told reporters May 9 that he might take all the time allotted
to form his cabinet. He told the Ambassador May 8 that he
would bend to the Kurds' insistence that Barham Salah become
DPM but considered it an uncooperative beginning to their
partnership in governance. Maliki was still reviewing
candidates for the interior and defense ministries. SCIRI
continued to push Bayan Jabr for the Minister of Interior and
the Fadhila party still sought to cling to control over the
Ministry of Oil. The agreement among the political parties
that the Shia Coalition will use one of its ministerial slots
to appoint a Turcoman and the Kurds will use one of theirs to
appoint a Christian allows the Kurds to kill two birds with
one stone by nominating KDP Christian Kurd Fawzi Hariri to
minister. This leaves Assyrian Christian leader Yonadam Kanna
angry and out in the cold. The Kurds expressed dismay over
the ministries the Shia Coalition plans to dole out, bringing
them back into a huddle for serious counter-offer
negotiations. Meanwhile there was a second-hand report that
the National Dialogue Front (Hewar)leader Saleh Mutlak would
settle for the Ministry of Culture despite his earlier
demands for the Foreign Ministry. End Summary.
--------------
Maliki Announces New Timetable
--------------
2. (C) Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki told reporters
May 9 that he might take all the time allotted to form his
cabinet. He told the Ambassador May 8 that he would bend to
the Kurds' insistence that Barham Salah become DPM and
Hoshyar Zebari remain Foreign Minister. Maliki remarked
however that he considered it an uncooperative beginning to
their partnership in governance. Maliki was still reviewing
candidates for the interior and defense ministries.
--------------
The Sequel - Badr and Bayan
--------------
3. (C) In a May 9 phone conversation with PolFSN, Badr
Organization CoR member Sheikh Dhiya al-Fayyad said the
Ministry of Interior will most likely go to the Shia Islamist
Coalition, with Bayan Jabr as the Shia Coalition's nominee
for the post. (Sadrist negotiator Baha al-Araji confirmed
this to us late May 9, adding that the Sadrists will not
support Jabr.) Al-Fayyad said the Fadhila Party still
coveted the Ministry of Oil (MoO) despite the efforts of the
rest of the Shia Coalition in support of Shia independent
Hussein Shahristani whom Fayyad said was an honest
politician. According to al-Fayyad, it was even suggested
that Fadhila nominate Shahristani as the party's candidate to
lead the MoO, but Fadhila declined to do so. The Shia
Coalition would oppose Thamir al-Ghadban's MoO candidacy,
al-Fayyad said, because he was too close to former PM Ayad
Allawi.
--------------
Christian CoR Member Complains
--------------
4. (C) Christian CoR member Yonadam Kanna called Poloff on
May 9 to complain vigorously about the presumed process by
which Christians and Turcomen were to be represented in the
National Unity government. According to an agreement among
the political parties, the UIA will use one of its
ministerial slots to appoint a Turcoman and the Kurds will
use one of theirs to appoint a Christian. Kanna said he had
no quarrel with this method but was incensed that the Kurds
did not consult him on who should be the Christian
ministerial nominee (Note: Kanna is the designated appointee
of the Iraqi Minorities Council to the Iraq National
Security/Policy Council. End Note) Kanna said he was
especially upset that Fawzi Hariri (current chief of staff to
FM Zebari) reportedly would be the Kurd "Christian"
ministerial nominee for the Ministry of Transportation)
since, according to Kanna, Hariri has never been involved in
Christian issues.
--------------
Christian, Kurd or Both?
--------------
5. (C) On May 9 KDP Council of Representatives (CoR)
member Fawzi Hariri confirmed that the Kurdish Alliance
announced that he would be one of their official ministerial
nominees. Hariri also confirmed that the Kurds agreed to
BAGHDAD 00001554 002 OF 002
give one of its ministries to a Christian. Kurdish Christian
Hariri said was not comfortable with being the "Christian"
nominee and may refuse a ministerial nomination on that
basis. Hariri told PolOff that the Kurds are not likely to
accept the ministerial distribution doled out by Shia
Coalition that gave them women's affairs, civil society,
foreign affairs, water resources, industry, environment and
housing. Hariri exclaimed that he had no knowledge that a
ministry of civil society even existed.
6. (C) A 15-year ex-British Airways executive, Hariri said
he aspires to be Minister of Transportation. But with Fadhila
capturing the Ministry of Trade in combination with the
Sadrists retaining control of Transportation, Hariri warned
that the 'wrong' Shia would completely control the Basrah
port, creating a corrupt, mafia-like situation for any goods
and services entering the country. Hariri said the Kurds
would have to meet and decide what they will bargain for to
try to end Sadrist control over the Ministry of
Transportation. Hariri said if the Kurds are unable to
secure the Ministry of Transportation, he would consider the
Ministry of Construction and Housing.
--------------
MUTLAK MAY SETTLE FOR CULTURE
--------------
7. (C) Saad al-Janabi of the Iraqiya List told Poloff on May
9 that Hewar's Salih Mutlaq may join forces with Iraqiya for
government ministry negotiations. Al-Janabi said Mutlak
would accept the post of Minister of Culture rather than go
into opposition despite Mutlak's private and public demands
to be named the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Many of our
contacts, including Shia Coalition negotiators, presume that
Hoshyar Zebari will remain Foreign Minister and that a new
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, technically
subordinate to the Minister, will be created for an Arab.
SATTERFIELD