Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD1965
2006-06-10 17:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
SCIRI CONTACTS SAY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF COUNCIL OF
how-toVZCZCXRO4575 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #1965 1611720 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 101720Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4999 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001965
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: SCIRI CONTACTS SAY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS STILL UP FOR GRABS
Classified By: Political Counselor Margaret Scobey reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001965
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: SCIRI CONTACTS SAY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS STILL UP FOR GRABS
Classified By: Political Counselor Margaret Scobey reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (C) At a June 9 luncheon with PolOffs, SCIRI politburo
member Ridha Jawad Taki reported that Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki had rejected multiple SCIRI-proposed candidates for
the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers position.
According to Taki, Maliki had firmly refused previous
Secretary-General Zuhair Humadi and four other SCIRI
SIPDIS
candidates, of which Taki was one. On June 8, Maliki told
Taki that Moqtada al-Sadr continued to insist that the
position be given to a Sadrist. Taki, however, pointed out
that this directly contradicted the agreement Abdul Aziz
al-Hakim and the PM made two months earlier in which Maliki
promised the position to SCIRI. Taki said he anticipates
Maliki will appoint ex-Dawa and PM insider Sami al-Askari to
the post. He laughed out loud when he mentioned that DPM
Barham Salih told him that Maliki had promised the Kurds
(Farhad Hussen) the position and then slapped his knee when
he described his conversation with Tarik al-Hashimi who said
that Maliki had offered it to the Sunnis.
2 (C) In all, Taki claimed to be pleased that the cabinet
has been formed. He said he considered new Minister of
Interior Shia independent Jawad al-Bolani a better choice
than others but added that Bolani is inexperienced and
questioned whether he would be strong enough to make hard
decisions.
3. (C) Both Taki and SCIRI Chief of Staff Haitham
al-Husseini scoffed at recent rumors that sometime Fadhila
Deputy General Secretary Ali al-Dabbagh may become the new
Minister of Transportation. Taki explained that Moqtada
al-Sadr informed the Shia Coalition leadership committee (G7)
on June 8 that he wanted to switch out the ministers of
Health, Transportation and Tourism for three other Sadrists.
Since al-Dabbagh belongs to the Fadhila party he has little
chance at becoming Minister of Transportation, said Taki. He
added that the G7 had rejected the Sadrist proposal claiming
it would not be good to switch out ministers so soon after
the cabinet was formed. (NOTE: In a separate June 9
conversation, Dabbagh told PolOffs that he did not consider
himself a Fadhila member anymore, and had quietly so advised
party spiritual leader Ayatollah Yaqubi. END NOTE.)
KHALILZAD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: SCIRI CONTACTS SAY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF COUNCIL OF
MINISTERS STILL UP FOR GRABS
Classified By: Political Counselor Margaret Scobey reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).
1. (C) At a June 9 luncheon with PolOffs, SCIRI politburo
member Ridha Jawad Taki reported that Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki had rejected multiple SCIRI-proposed candidates for
the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers position.
According to Taki, Maliki had firmly refused previous
Secretary-General Zuhair Humadi and four other SCIRI
SIPDIS
candidates, of which Taki was one. On June 8, Maliki told
Taki that Moqtada al-Sadr continued to insist that the
position be given to a Sadrist. Taki, however, pointed out
that this directly contradicted the agreement Abdul Aziz
al-Hakim and the PM made two months earlier in which Maliki
promised the position to SCIRI. Taki said he anticipates
Maliki will appoint ex-Dawa and PM insider Sami al-Askari to
the post. He laughed out loud when he mentioned that DPM
Barham Salih told him that Maliki had promised the Kurds
(Farhad Hussen) the position and then slapped his knee when
he described his conversation with Tarik al-Hashimi who said
that Maliki had offered it to the Sunnis.
2 (C) In all, Taki claimed to be pleased that the cabinet
has been formed. He said he considered new Minister of
Interior Shia independent Jawad al-Bolani a better choice
than others but added that Bolani is inexperienced and
questioned whether he would be strong enough to make hard
decisions.
3. (C) Both Taki and SCIRI Chief of Staff Haitham
al-Husseini scoffed at recent rumors that sometime Fadhila
Deputy General Secretary Ali al-Dabbagh may become the new
Minister of Transportation. Taki explained that Moqtada
al-Sadr informed the Shia Coalition leadership committee (G7)
on June 8 that he wanted to switch out the ministers of
Health, Transportation and Tourism for three other Sadrists.
Since al-Dabbagh belongs to the Fadhila party he has little
chance at becoming Minister of Transportation, said Taki. He
added that the G7 had rejected the Sadrist proposal claiming
it would not be good to switch out ministers so soon after
the cabinet was formed. (NOTE: In a separate June 9
conversation, Dabbagh told PolOffs that he did not consider
himself a Fadhila member anymore, and had quietly so advised
party spiritual leader Ayatollah Yaqubi. END NOTE.)
KHALILZAD