AMBASSADOR PRESSES IRAQI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003728

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR PRESSES IRAQI PARLIAMENT SPEAKER
MASHHADANI FOR TIMELINE ON TOUGH ISSUES

REF: BAGHDAD 3693

Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY. The Ambassador told the Speaker of the
Council of Representatives (CoR) Dr. Mahmoud al-Mashhadani
October 3 that the Policy Committee on National Security
(PCNS) should review the timelines for dealing with the tough
national issues (e.g., de-Baathification, amnesty,
hydrocarbons) that evening and publicly announce the
agreement and the members' commitment to the timelines. The
Speaker informed the Ambassador that the region formation law
would have its second reading that same day, and the
Ambassador encouraged him to work for a broad agreement on
the law that has buy-in from more parties than just Shiite
SCIRI and the Kurdish Alliance. Mashhadani stated that a
joint proposal from secular cross-sectarian Iraqiyya, and
Sunni Hewar, and Tawafuq, on de-Baathification was still
being drafted, but added that Shia Coalition rejection of
reform was weakening. He also expressed his support for the
October 2 four-point agreement and his hope that it is
implemented and succeeds. END SUMMARY

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AMBASSADOR PRESSES FOR TIMELINE
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2. (C) The Ambassador told CoR Speaker Dr. Mahmoud Mashhadani
October 3 that the Policy Committee on National Security
(PCNS) should review the timelines for dealing with the tough
issues (e.g., de-Baathification, amnesty, hydrocarbons, etc.)
that evening and publicly announce the agreement and the
members' commitment to the timelines. The Ambassador
stressed the importance of resolving the hydrocarbons law,
federalism, and de-Baathification soon. The Speaker said he
would gauge the other members' interests in a "package deal"
and in holding a summit to reach a national compact on these
issues. (NOTE: Subsequent meetings October 4 with Vice
President Hashimi and Prime Minister Maliki, Ambassador
learned that the timeline discussion did not take place at
the October 3 PCNS. END NOTE.)

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UPDATE ON REGION FORMATION AND DE-BAATHIFICATION LAWS
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3. (C) The Speaker informed the Ambassador that the second
reading of the region formation law would occur the same day.
Mashhadani added that if there is no broad agreement on the
law, it would fail through voting. The Ambassador encouraged
him to work for a broad agreement that has buy-in from more
parties than just SCIRI and the Kurdish Alliance. The
Speaker assessed that other Shiite coalition members are
still afraid of SCIRI. He predicted that if a secret vote
were held on the region formation law, it would fail. He
added that Kurdish President Massoud Barzani (and the
position of the Kurdish Alliance) is the key to a compromise.
The Speaker agreed with the assessment that a compromise
proposal for a two-region state (Kurdistan and an Arab
region) would shorten the process and be practical.


4. (C) On de-Baathification, the Speaker told the Ambassador
that Iraqiyya, Tawafuq, and Hewar were still discussing a
draft law. He said the de-Baathification issue is being used
a political card, but added that Shia rejection to reform has
weakened. He stated that decisions on de-Baathification need
to be left to the judiciary.

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MASHHADANI SUPPORTS PM'S FOUR-POINT PLAN
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5. (C) The Speaker expressed his support for the October 2
four-point agreement (reftel) and his hope that it is
implemented and succeeds. He added that Sunni leaders had
been pushing for such an agreement. The Speaker also
remarked that the recent MNF-I operations in Hurriya in the
Kadhimiyah district of Baghdad had made the situation
"semi-calm." He added that, if the calm continues, it would
be very positive development. He acknowledged that MNF-I is
a positive factor for security, and that there would be no
control on the violence without them. He added that if Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF) cannot stop the arming of Jaysh
al-Mahdi, then MNF-I will need to be present to deal with it.

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SHIAS AND SUNNIS COMING TO TERMS WITH EACH OTHER
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6. (C) Mashhadani agreed with the assessment that the Shia

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were coming to accept the fact that they cannot rid
themselves of the Sunni, and vice-versa. As for the
relationship between the Sunni Arab political blocs and the
Sadrists, he stated that the situation on the ground was not
helping (i.e., militia violence) but that there was political
harmony (NOTE: They have shared the mutual goal of trying to
stop the SCIRI version of the region formation law from being
enacted. END NOTE).
KHALILZAD