IRAQI SHIITE PARLIAMENTARIAN ON EFFORTS TO EASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003863 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/15/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ SUBJECT: IRAQI SHIITE PARLIAMENTARIAN ON EFFORTS TO EASE SUNNI CONCERNS Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Humam Hamoudi, one of the leading Council of Representatives members from the Shiite Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI),told the Ambassador that Sunni Arab leaders in neighboring countries are beginning to understand that the Iraqi Shi'a did not want to divide Iraq. He reiterated SCIRI's stance that oil revenues should be shared by all Iraqis, citing this stance as an example of SCIRI's commitment to a unified Iraq and agreeing with the Ambassador on the importance of moving forward quickly on a national oil law. While predicting that the constitutional review process would not lead to significant changes of a political nature, Hamoudi said he would seek to reaffirm and even annex to the constitution the unifying principles that formed the basis for the constitutional drafting process. END SUMMARY. -------------- ARAB CONCERNS, FEDERALISM AND OIL -------------- ¶2. (C) In an October 10 meeting with the Ambassador, Humam Hamoudi acknowledged that the leaders of neighboring Sunni Arab states are concerned that federalism would lead to a division of Iraq, adding that he had talked about this concern directly with Saud al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister. Hamoudi said that Iraqi Shi'a do not want a Shi'a state, but rather a unified Iraqi state with Sunnis playing an important role. "If we wanted to divide Iraq," he continued, "then we would have accepted the Kurdish proposal on oil during the constitutional negotiations, whereby the majority of the oil revenue would go to the source region." Instead, Hamoudi said, the Shi'a had followed Sistani's lead and insisted that Iraq's oil was for all Iraqi people and that oil revenues should accrue to the federal government. Hamoudi told the Ambassador that "this message has reached King Abdullah himself" and he that the Saudi leadership was becoming increasingly convinced that the Iraqi Shi'a want a unified Iraq. ¶3. (C) The Ambassador urged Hamoudi to develop a public message to convey the positive aspects of federalism so that the regions formation law did not appear divisive. Hamoudi agreed, saying that SCIRI would issue a statement saying that federalism was meant to support the unity of Iraq. He noted that many Sunnis do not want a strong central government presence in Sunni-dominated regions and that some even support "an extreme form of decentralization." Hamoudi commented that "the real debate" on federalism would not take place for two years and that politicians who want a region would first have to educate the population and convince them that a region would benefit them. The first phase in this process, Hamoudi continued, would be developing and implementing provisions for decentralization, i.e. defining through legislation the relationship between the federal government and the governorates in accordance with Article 123 of the constitution. He said the Committee on Regions and Governorate Affairs would begin working on this legislation. ¶4. (C) The Ambassador noted that accelerating work on a strong oil law would also help counter the perception that federalism would lead to the division of Iraq. Hamoudi agreed and related his efforts to address the issue of oil resources during the constitution drafting process. He said that drafters had agreed that oil should be owned by all, that distribution of oil revenues should be based on population, and that administrative procedures should be developed jointly by the federal and regional governments. While last-minute political negotiations had diluted the clarity of these principles in the constitution, Hamoudi continued, they should be reaffirmed in the oil law. The Ambassador noted that Secretary Rice had pressed the Kurds to use the oil law to support the unity of Iraq and that he would continue to push for a joint federal-regional decision-making process on administration and contracting in the oil sector during Nechirvan Barzani's upcoming visit to Baghdad. -------------- Constitutional Review: Limited Expectations -------------- ¶5. (C) Hamoudi, a member of the newly formed Constitutional Review Committee and one of the leading drafters of the constitution, told the Ambassador that the presidency of the committee was not yet determined although the membership was. The Sunni Tawafuq bloc, he said, wanted Ayad Sammarai to be BAGHDAD 00003863 002 OF 002 the president, but SCIRI wanted there to be an elected presidency council of a president (e.g., Hamoudi) and two vice-presidents that would make decisions by consensus. Hamoudi commented that he supported completing the committee's work in an even shorter period than the four months allocated for it and that he hoped the major political leaders would get involved in the process early on, rather than waiting to the last few days to discuss the most difficult issues as had happened in the constitution drafting process. The Ambassador stressed to Hamoudi the importance of broadening support for Iraq's "national compact" through the constitutional review process. Hamoudi noted that he did not foresee significant changes to the constitution of a political nature given the stringent process for ratification. In order that the process promote unity, he said he would seek to reaffirm and annex to the constitution the 14 general principles, one of which was the unity of Iraq, agreed upon before the constitution drafting process started. KHALILZAD