PM PRESENTS NATIONAL RECONCILIATION PLAN TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002203 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ SUBJECT: PM PRESENTS NATIONAL RECONCILIATION PLAN TO PARLIAMENT; REACTION BROADLY SUPPORTIVE REF: A. OSC 20060625607002 ¶B. ESCROGIMA-NEA/I E-MAIL 6/23 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR MARGARET SCOBEY, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. PM Maliki delivered his national reconciliation statement to the Council of Representatives (CoR) June 25. Leaders of political blocs responded in turn, with broadly supportive speeches. Points of contention included de-Baathification and the distinction between terrorists and the insurgency. END SUMMARY -------------- PUBLIC REACTIONS FROM PARTY LEADERS -------------- ¶2. (U) Following PM Maliki's June 25 national reconciliation statement (see ref A for complete text as delivered, also e-mailed to NEA/I),political party leaders took turns at the podium to offer their comments; all were broadly supportive of the PM's plan, but there were clear points of contention. The plan's reconsideration of the De-Baathification Commission provoked a number of reactions. Iraqiyya member Ayad Jamal al-Din stressed the importance of reviewing the de-Baathification law as well as the importance of reintegrating as many insurgents as possible into the political process. In response to questions from Dawa Tanzim members, fellow Iraqiyya member Wael Abdul Latif made it clear that Jamal al-Din was expressing his own views. Abd al-Nasr al-Janabi (National Dialogue Council) said he hoped the reconciliation plan was "for real" and said that de-Baathification was "tearing Iraqi society" apart. The law, he argued, had been a mistake in the first place and should be rescinded. Sadrist Falah Hassan Shenshel said there should be no negotiations with Saddamists, Takfeeris, and Baathists. He added that all Sadrist detainees in "occupation prisons" should be released immediately. SCIRI member Jalal al-Din al Sagheer asked the PM to take a "hard line" on people who targeted violence at Iraqis. ¶3. (C) Despite pressure from VP Tarik al-Hashimi to do so (ref b),the PM's statement made no mention of a distinction between "legitimate resistance" against the "occupation" and terrorism. Speaking in response, Tawafuq's Abdul Nasr al-Janabi argued that the difference should be recognized and that Iraqis should stop hunting people who are fighting the "occupation." Janabi called on Iraqis to use the "correct term" of "occupation," rather than MNF-I, when referring to Coalition Forces. Tawafuq parliamentary bloc leader Adnan al-Dulaimi, while calling for Iraqis to stand behind the reconciliation plan, asked the PM to release all prisoners currently in Iraqi jails who have not been convicted of any crimes. -------------- SHIA INDEPENDENTS CAUTIOUS -------------- ¶4. (C) While acknowledging the necessity of the PM's proposals in post session meetings with poloffs, Shia Coalition Independents Qassim Daoud and Sami al-Askari, and senior Dawa member Ali al-Adeeb, separately expressed doubts that they would really work, with Adeeb describing them as a sign of Shia weakness. Askari said that, since Shia continue to be killed, there cannot be trust between Shia and Sunnis. Without trust, Askari and Adeeb asserted, the Shia must insist that the Sunnis deliver their street, stop the violence, and apologize to the Shia. Daoud said there are two areas upon which the Shia will not be able to agree: amnesty and the definition of insurgents. Adeeb also highlighted the need to better define "resistance" and who should get amnesty. ¶5. (C) Fadhila Party member Basim Sherif Nsaif al-Hechaimi told PolOff that he hoped the plan would succeed in bringing Iraq's various sects together, but admitted that the process will be long and difficult. SCIRI Chief of Staff Haitham al-Husseini gave the PM's plan somewhat lukewarm support. He added that the Shia Coalition had accepted from the outset that one of the core principles had to be that there would be no amnesty for those who had killed Coalition Forces. -------------- POST-STATEMENT REACTION FROM SUNNI MEMBERS -------------- ¶6. (C) Adnan al-Dulaimi reiterated to PolOff the bloc's full support for the plan. He also re-emphasized the need for the GoI and MNF-I to release or prosecute all detainees quickly BAGHDAD 00002203 002 OF 002 as a means of showing the street that the government was effective. He said that innocent detainees should be released, but those who had been responsible for any killing -- whether of Iraqis or Americans -- should be prosecuted by the Iraqi legal system. Fellow IIP member Dr. Ala Mekki told PolOff that it is important to reach out to insurgents now by publicly stating that "resistance is a natural right against the occupiers." He added, though, that he proposed this as a means to bring insurgent leaders into the political process peacefully. ¶7. (C) COR member Mithal al-Alusi told PolOff he supported the reconciliation plan, but said the text did not clearly specify who would receive amnesty. Despite his highly critical speech on the CoR floor, Abdul Nasr al-Janabi told PolOff that he would only give an opinion of the reconciliation plan after he read it carefully. He said the focus should be on Iranian influence in the GOI and Iraqi Police. KHALILZAD