BIOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND ON BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 06 BAGHDAD 001854 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR INR/B E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2016 TAGS: PINR PGOV PREL IZ SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND ON BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL COUNCIL LEADERSHIP BAGHDAD 00001854 001.2 OF 006 Classified By: PRT Baghdad Acting Deputy Team Leader LTC Otto Busher for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. The following is a biographic outline of the leadership of the Baghdad Provincial Council (BPC),with background information on each of the committee chairs as well as the senior members. Included as available with each entry is biographic information, perceived views of the United States and coalition forces, telephone contact information and general background comments as applicable. ¶2. (C) Name: Mueen Hameed Abdul Al-Madjid Al-Kadhimi -- Chairman of the BPC -- Shia, SCIRI - Badr Organization -- Personal Information: Mueen is 44 years old, is married and has three children: a son and a daughter in high school, and a baby girl. He has had some training in mechanical engineering at Baghdad University, but has never professionally used his skills. In the 1980,s he lived in Jordan and Syria and eventually moved to Iran where he began an association with SCIRI and the community of Iraqi exiles, working with ex-PM Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Many of his family members were imprisoned by the Saddam regime, and he lost numerous friends and relatives during the Iran-Iraq War. He claims to have received military training from SCIRI during his time in Iran. He returned to Iraq in 2003 and was working with SCIRI political leadership in developing their list of candidates for the 2005 election when they suggested adding his name to the Baghdad list. Mueen owns property in both the Karada and Kadhamiyah Districts of Baghdad and splits his residence between them. -- Contact Information: 07901328283 -- General: Mueen officially assumed duties as the new Provincial Council Chairman after a special session of the council on 19 December 2005 elevated him to that post. He claims to have received military training from SCIRI during his time in Iran. He returned to Iraq in 2003 and was working with SCIRI political leadership in developing their list of candidates for the 2005 election when they suggested adding his name to the Baghdad list. He won a seat on the BPC in the January 2005 national/provincial elections and became the head of the SCIRI bloc. He was chosen to serve as the Deputy Chairman of the PC, and held that position and the chairmanship of the Administration Committee until being selected as Provincial Council Chairman on 19 December 2005. Mueen has expressed a willingness to engage Coalition and Embassy officials and work with other CF elements on a variety of issues, from reconstruction projects to improving the integrity of provincial government institutions. He has proven to be an effective administrator and a competent public servant in his actions as Chairman. He sees himself as a strong advocate for more private investment going into the reconstruction effort. He is also actively seeking ways to increase civilian political control over the police and security forces. ¶3. (C) Name: Mohan Hashem Al-Saidi -- Deputy Chairman of the BPC -- Shia, National Cadre of Independents and Elites (NCIE) (Sadrist) -- Personal Information: Mohan resides in the Sadr City district of Baghdad. He recently traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj. Mohan is married and has 3 children (2 Girls and 1 Boy (two months old). He had another son who was killed some years ago. Prior to joining the Provincial Council, Mohan worked for the Ministry of Health in an unknown position. He still maintains strong ties to that ministry. -- Contact Information: 07901434932 -- General: Mohan,s brother, Nasser variant Nasr Al-Saidi, was recently elected to the national Council of Representatives. He comes from the 555 (UIA) list. Mohan has taken a strong interest in the regular meetings between PC members and the 15 District and Qada leadership representatives. In late December 2005 during a special session of the Provincial Council Mohan was elected to replace SCIRI party member Mueen Hameed, who replaced the charismatic Mazin Makiya as the council,s chairman. Mohan was elected to the Provincial Council during the 30 January 2005 National/Provincial elections. Mohan now handles much BAGHDAD 00001854 002.2 OF 006 of the administrative oversight at the council. Mohan was previously the Chairman of the Baghdad Essential Services Committee, a position which has been loosely reserved for the nominal third ranking member of the Provincial Council. Mohan has been generally supportive of the United States to date in his public and private remarks. ¶4. (C) Name: Dr. Saber Nabat Al-Esawi variant Issawi -- Mayor of Baghdad/BPC member -- Shia, SCIRI (Independent) -- Personal Information: Saber is 37 years old, is married, has 8 children (4 boys and 4 girls) and lives in the Al-Shula neighborhood of Kadhamiyah. Saber has his advanced degree in Agriculture and prior to the fall of the Saddam regime, he worked in the Ministry of Agriculture as a seed inspector. In 2003 and 2004 he worked in administration for seed and agricultural companies. He supports scientific research and exchange. Saber is a secular Shia. -- Contact Information: 07901410969 -- General: He was elected to the Provincial Council during the 30 January 2005 National/Provincial elections. He became Mayor in early October 2005 after his selection by the PC was approved by the Council of Ministers. He is willing to engage the Coalition on a variety of substantial issues which affect the essential services of Baghdad city. Prior to assuming duties as the mayor, Saber was the Chairman of the Essential Services Committee (ESC),a Provincial Council committee appointed to oversee city essential services after the dissolution of the City Council. Saber was proactive and responsive during his time as chairman and could be counted on when certain sectors of city essential services were mired in red tape and signatures were required. Saber has been straightforward, frank and honest in his assessments and opinions. Saber seems genuinely interested in the improvement of essential services in Baghdad. Although obviously politically astute, he does not appear to seek to use his powerful office for personal aggrandizement. In conversations with various members of the PC as well as other influential members of local government, Saber was considered the third ranking person within the PC prior to his Mayoral appointment. Throughout his tenure in public service he has been generally supportive of the United States and the coalition. In September 2005, Saber survived an assassination attempt while traveling through the Kadhamiyah district of Baghdad ¶5. (C) Name: Kamel Mohammed Al-Shabibi -- Chairman of Economic and Finance Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Kamel Mohammed Al-Shabibi was born in 1934. He describes himself as a secular Shia. He has two brothers and one sister. Kamel is married. He has as PSC degree in Economics from the University of Baghdad and a Master,s degree in Banking from the Technical College of London. He resided in London from 1957-61. He speaks passable German and fluent English. Kamel originates from Baghdad, and lives east of the Tigris River. Kamel worked for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil from circa the late 1960,s until 1981. In 1974, he traveled to the United States as an Iraqi representative to OPEC for an OPEC general secretariat meeting. During this time, he traveled to several U.S cities including Miami, and Washington D.C. From 1976-79, Kamel was assigned to the Iraqi Mission to OPEC in Vienna, Austria. In 1981, he left the Ministry of Oil and from that point until circa 2002, he was a private sector oil consultant. He has traveled extensively throughout Europe, the Middle East, and South America on business and as a part of OPEC delegations. Additionally, Kamel has a brother, a U.S citizen, who currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. -- Contact Information: 07901517428; 07802158177 -- General: He is an independent member of the SCIRI party and was elected to his current position in January 2005. Kamel liaises regularly with representatives from the Ministry of Finance. He also maintains a number of contacts at the Ministry of Oil. Kamel,s first cousin is the current Governor of the Iraqi Central Bank. Kamel is forward leaning on economic issues and the need for commercial enterprise in Baghdad Province. He &gets it8 and understands the need for the PC to be better organized and inclusive of district councils and local government. Further, Kamel is articulate BAGHDAD 00001854 003.2 OF 006 and intelligent in his opinions and positions. Without his support, the PC would have difficulty executing the simplest of development agendas. Kamel is now 72 and has commented that he does not have the stamina for work he once did. Kamel has been one of the BPC's strongest voices in support of the US and the coalition. ¶6. (C) Name: Ali Mohammed Al-Attar -- Chairman of the Reconstruction Committee. Member of the Baghdad Essential Services Committee and PRDC. -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Ali Mohammed Al-Attar was born in ¶1963. He has five brothers and two sisters. Ali was married in 2000 and his wife is a pharmacist. He has as degree in Control Systems Engineering from the University of Technology in the Karada District of Baghdad. Ali has two children, both girls aged one and three respectively. He has lived most of his life in the Kadhamiyah District of Baghdad. He speaks basic French and Russian and is mostly fluent in English. He characterizes himself as coming from a typical family background. Both of Ali,s parents are from Karbala, Iraq and his father, now deceased, was a tribal sheikh in Karbala. In the 1980,s, Ali worked for an Iraqi pharmaceutical company as an engineer. In the early 1990,s he returned to school where he completed his degree requirements. In the early 1980,s he was denied the opportunity to graduate because he refused to be conscripted in the Iraqi Army to fight in the Iran-Iraq War. In 1994, Ali went to work for a state-owned factory managed by the Ministry of Trade. He rose to the position of factory manager. In 1999, he was advised by the government that needed to become a Ba,ath Party member or he would lose his job with the factory. Ali refused to join the party and was summarily fired from his job. In late 1999, Ali helped establish the Safa Pharmaceutical Company. He worked for the company until 2004 and achieved the position of Director-Manager. -- Contact Information: 07902573521 -- General: He characterizes himself as an independent member of the SCIRI party. He was elected to his current position in January 2005. From 2003-2005 Ali was a member of the Horriyah Neighborhood Council and the Kadhamiyah District Council. He claims to have a loyal following from the Horriyah area of Baghdad. Ali believes that any person who was a member of the Ba,ath Party during the previous regime should be kept from ever being to serve in all but the most menial positions of government. He makes an exception for Iyad Allawi, but claims that Allawi is tainted because many people in his political party were key Ba,ath Party members. Ali,s only international travel was to Syria where he visited a holy shrine. He also lived in Kurdistan for one year in 1987 while he was hiding from the Iraqi government because of his refusal to join the army. When Ali worked in a state owned factory he worked often with Russian (Soviet) Military advisors and who he characterizes as civilian &KGB8. He notes that Russians were advising Iraqi factories on the production of defense related products. Ali would like to continue working in politics, either at the Provincial level or with the national government. Ali is widely disliked by rank and file members of the PC and often openly insulted by them in meetings. That said, Ali does maintain a certain degree of influence and power which originates from an unknown source. ¶7. (C) Name: Ali Abdul Al-Amer Al-Shamma -- Deputy Chairman of the Baghdad Essential Services Committee. Member of the Reconstruction Committee and PRDC. -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown. -- Contact Information: 07902459474 -- General: Ali is a technocrat and until recently was willing to engage regularly with USG. Several months ago, he was removed from his temporary position as the Chairman of the Essential Services Committee. He is not a risk taker and defers to many of his colleagues rather than take ownership of an issue. That said, he can be a source of good information about the Provincial Council. ¶8. (C) Name: Mohammed Jassim Hamood -- BPC member. Member of the Security Committee. BAGHDAD 00001854 004.2 OF 006 -- Shia, SCIRI - Badr Organization -- Personal Information: Mohammed Jassim Hamood lost two brothers during the Saddam regime. He is married with 4 boys and 1 girl. Prior to the liberation of Iraq, he lived in Iran, residing there for 11 years. Mohammed claims that he does not speak Farsi. Mohammed has a High School degree and technical school diploma. He is working towards his university degree now. He resides in the Rashidiya area of Husseiniyah. Mohammed is close friends of Governor Hussein Al-Tahan. Has a cousin who resides in Detroit. Mohammed calls President George Bush a &Shiite8 and believes his support was crucial in 2003. -- Contact Information: 07902284802 -- General: Director of the Badr Organization on the &Rusafa8 side of the Tigris River. He has been a member of the Badr Corps for the past 20 years. He is currently a Provincial Council representative to the BJCC. ¶9. (C) Name: Mazin Abdul Al-Wahid Makiya -- Former Chairman of the BPC -- Shia, Da,wa Party -- Personal Information: Mazin, who describes himself as a secular Shia, currently resides in the Karadah district of Baghdad. Mazin originates from the Tarmiyah area of Baghdad province. During Saddam's regime, Mazin lived in exile in Iran. Mazin is married with children. -- Contact Information: 07901300102; 07901913091 -- General: In late October 2005, Mazin temporarily changed political allegiances and became a member of the National Democratic Alliance Party (NDAP) where he was currently #2 on the NDAP list for the December elections. The party did not fare well in the elections and Mazin suffered politically as a result. In December 2005, he was removed from his position as Chairman of the PC. Since then, he has been the leader of the opposition on the council. Mazin is openly pro-American and is willing to engage MND-B on a number of substantial political and governance related issues. Mazin has a charismatic and seemingly sincere personality and has demonstrated, at times, a commanding presence in meetings. Conversations with Mazin are generally straight forward yet diplomatic. Mazin understands the political need to carefully control the information he imparts to others. In Spring 2006, Mazin established Ansar Al-Dawa, a break off movement from the Da,wa party. It remains to be seen whether this group will succeed or wither away. ¶10. (C) Name: Kamel Naser Al-Zaidi -- Chairman of the Baghdad Essential Services Committee -- Shia, Da,wa Al-Tanzim Party -- Personal Information: Dr. Kamel Nasr Al-Zaidy is about 50 year old and claims to be from southern Iraq. Kamel is married. He has seven children, four boys and three girls. His oldest child is 18 years old. Kamel does not speak English. Kamel lives in Sector 30 of Sadr City and is an active member of the Sadr Bureau. According to several members of the PC, Kamel is a &fairly famous8 figure in Saddam-era Shia dissident circles. -- Contact Information: 07901653695 -- General: Member of the Sadr Bureau. The Essential Services Committee (ESC),his committee, is one of the most important committees of the PC and its past chairmen have all been regarded as the nominal #3 ranking persons on the PC while serving in that capacity. He was elected to his current position in January 2005. Kamel has served on the committee for his entire tenure on the PC and has in-depth experience with essential services issues. In December 2005, Kamel defended former Provincial Council Chairman Mazin during a special session to oust Mazin and replace him with another PC member. Kamel recently traveled to Mecca to perform the Hajj. He is generally straightforward and frank in conversation. He has expressed a desire to work closely with elements of the U.S Embassy and CF. Kamel is actively working to remove corrupt elements from their position in the Amanat; something which he volunteers is difficult and not easily gauged. ¶11. (C) Name: Riyaad Abdul Allah -- Chairman of the Security Committee -- Shia, Da,wa Party (Al-Islah) -- Personal Information: Chairman of the Al-Islah political BAGHDAD 00001854 005.2 OF 006 party. For a number of years, he was the head of the military wing of the Islamic Work Organization. Riyaad is a naturally secretive and personal security-minded person. Little is known about his background and family. -- Contact Information: 07802158194 -- General: Riad, the committee chairman, has worked in security related positions for the past 25 years. Riad receives a great deal of security information. Riad limits his relationship with Governor Al-Tahan because of Al-Tahan's role a senior Badr commander. Riad has a number of sources throughout the city who provide him with information on current happenings. He has become very active dealing with USG on security matters. He takes his position very seriously and would like to see increased Provincial Council involvement/control over provincial security planning and coordination. ¶12. (C) Name: Nazar Thamer Hatem Al-Tammimi -- Chairman of the Oil Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: N/A -- General: Nazar is active in the oil distribution sector in Baghdad and is reportedly quite responsive to the DAC and NAC concerns vis--vis fuels. He meets regularly with representatives from the Ministry of Oil, ranging from Baghdad Director Generals to senior ministry officials, and has also been willing to meet regularly with PRT and other USG staff. ¶13. (C) Name: Dr. Khaoula Al-Hassany -- Chairwoman of the Legal Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Holds a degree in English literature and speaks passable albeit limited English. -- Contact Information: 07901755621 -- General: Khaoula is outspoken for a woman on the Provincial Council. Although the head of the Legal Committee, she is not a lawyer. Recently, she has become more reluctant to take a leadership role with her committee, and may be the subject of intimidation by other BPC members. ¶14. (C) Name: Dr. Abdul Al-Razzak Kadhum Al-Zubaidy -- Chairman of the Education Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: 914-822-6731 -- General: N/A ¶15. (C) Name: Samer Abdul Razzak Kadhum -- Chairman of the Sports and Youth Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: Unknown -- General: N/A ¶16. (C) Name: Dr. Zeanab Khalel Hussein -- Chairwoman of the Women/Children Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: Unknown -- General: N/A ¶17. (C) Name: Atiyah Al-Ugaily -- Chairman of the Integrity Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: 914-822-6733 -- General: N/A ¶18. (C) Name: Nail Mohammed Hussein Al-Musawi -- Chairman Human Rights/NGO Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: 914-822-6734 -- General: Nail is a Shia cleric. ¶19. (C) Name: Abdul Al-Kader Abdullah -- Chairman Media Committee -- Shia, SCIRI BAGHDAD 00001854 006.2 OF 006 -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: Unknown -- General: N/A ¶20. (C) Name: Laith Hassan Sidiq Al-Hadery -- Chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: Unknown -- General: N/A ¶21. (C) Name: Essa Hamood Al-Saady -- Chairman of the Social Security Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: Unknown -- General: He heads a temporary committee and he liaises regularly with the Ministry of Social Affairs. ¶22. (C) Name: Abdullah Allah Harraz Al-Beadany -- Chairman of the Regional Essential Services Committee -- Shia, SCIRI -- Personal Information: N/A -- Contact Information: 07901988372 -- General: He chairs a fledgling committee which will work closely with Governor's office coordinating essential services delivery outside of the city of Baghdad. He has been outspoken in his criticisms of the US and the coalition. ¶23. (C) Name: Dr. Salah Salem Abdul Razzak -- Chairman Public Relations Committee -- Shia, Da,wa Party -- Personal Information: Unknown -- Contact Information: 914-822-6736 -- General: Although he has not yet formally resigned his position, Salah has left the BPC to serve as spokesman for Iraqi PM Al-Maliki. ¶24. (C) Name: Dr. Jumaa Abdul Hassan Al-Meyahi -- Chairman of the Health and Environment Committee -- Shia, Al-Bayan (Ind) -- Personal Information: Speaks fluent English and is well educated. -- Contact Information: 914-822-6738 -- General: Jumaa recently railed against the USG during a special Provincial Council meeting to boycott contact with the PRT. ¶25. (C) Name: Tarek Jahan Bakash -- Chairman of the Civil Society Committee -- Kurdish, Da,wa Party -- Personal Information: N/A -- U.S View: Neutral -- Contact Information: 07802158157; 914-822-6737 -- General: N/A KHALILZAD