VP HASHIMI DISCUSSES MALIKI VISIT TO SAUDI ARABIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002363 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS PTER IZ SUBJECT: VP HASHIMI DISCUSSES MALIKI VISIT TO SAUDI ARABIA Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) On June 29, Vice President Tarik al-Hashimi and the Ambassador discussed PM Maliki's upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia. The Ambassador pointed to the trip as a prelude to improved Iraqi-Saudi and Iraqi-Arab relations. The Ambassador also highlighted the KSA's preoccupation with Iranian influence in the region and noted that Iraqi foreign policy should assert Iraq's traditional role as the regional counter-balance to Iran. Hashimi deemed as "a good sign" both Maliki's desire to make KSA his first foreign trip as PM and Riyadh's willingness to receive him. Hashimi added that he is considering making his own trip to Saudi Arabia at some point following Maliki's visit. ¶2. (C) Hashimi raised the issue of Council of Representatives committee leadership. He lamented that lack of coordination and communication among Tawafuq leaders led to "mistakes" in the appointment of Shia Coalition members to the chairmanship of key committees -- in particular SCIRI's Humam Hammudi as head of the Foreign Relations Committee and Badr Organization's Hadi al-Amiri as the head of the Security and Defense Committee. Hashimi noted that there still is no agreement among the political blocs for leadership of the GOI Policy Council. He expressed his support for Allawi's candidacy for the post instead of Jafari's. ¶3. (C) On security, Hashimi noted that emerging "loopholes" in the Baghdad security plan should be addressed, in particular the lack of manpower. He recommended that MNF-I and Iraqi Security Forces secure the six major bridges of Baghdad. (NOTE: This point was echoed at a meeting the same day between Tawafuq bloc leader Adnan Dulaimi and PolCouns. END NOTE.) Hashimi stated that extra focus should be placed on securing Ministry of Health facilities, such as the main hospital in Baghdad, the Shu'ulan Hospital, and the Baghdad morgue. He noted reports that family members are attacked at the morgue when they go to identify and retrieve bodies. Minister of Higher Education and Iraqi Islamic Party member Dr. Abd Dhiyab al Ajili, who also was present at the meeting, raised his own concerns about security at universities, charging that the Jaysh al-Mahdi is kidnapping students in Basra and Mostansaria Universities. SATTERFIELD