Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
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06BAGHDAD2690 | 2006-07-28 07:30:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Baghdad |
1. (C) Five party leaders from the Iraqiyya list met with Ambassador Khalilzad on July 22 to ask for assistance in reversing De-Ba'thification rulings that prevented three of them from taking their CoR seats. Adnan al-Janabi, Rasim al-Awadi, Saad al-Janabi, (the three who were de-Bathed) joined Iraqiyya CoR member Jamal al-Din and former Minister of Interior Falah al-Nakib to describe their appeal to PM Maliki. Iraqiyya must fill two CoR slots vacated by members who joined the government and would like the seats to go to Adnan al-Janabi and Rashin al-Awadi. They said they asked PM Maliki to reverse the ruling from the Supreme National Committee for De-Ba'thification (SNCD) since neither were ever Ba'th party members and the SNCD never provided any evidence to support its determination (reftel). Maliki told them he had no authority to issue such a decree but would be willing to issue a letter asking the SNCD to review its ruling. He had not yet done so. Jamal al-Din said that the SG of the SNCD told him that the Committee would look favorably on any request from the PM, who was until recently one of the most active members of the SNCD. 2. (C) The Ambassador said he will raise the issue with the PM but also recommended that Iraqiyya develop a coalition to modify the SNCD as called for in the agreement before the vote on the constitution. The Ambassador said he believed that if Tawafuq, the Kurds, Iraqiyya, and Mutlaq's Hawar cooperated; they would have enough votes to abolish the SNCD. The Ambassador raised the Iraqiyya issue with Maliki later in the day. 3. (C) Saad al-Janabi provided Poloff on July 25 with a copy of a handwritten letter from PM Maliki to SNCD asking them to review the ruling for Adnan al-Janabi and Rasim al-Awadi. In the letter, Maliki used ambiguous language and asked the SNCD to either cancel the ruling or report on the ruling - depending on how the phrase is interpreted. PolFSN contacted the Secretary General of the SNCD and was told that a response will be ready in 7-10 days. 4. (C) COMMENT: Prior to becoming Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki strongly supported de-Ba'thification. His willingness to become involved in this case may reflect a shift in his thinking towards resolving contentious de-Ba'thification issue. END COMMENT. SCOBEY |