NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR RUBAIE ON DDR

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003928 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2016 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS IZ SUBJECT: NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR RUBAIE ON DDR Classified By: Charge d,Affaires Daniel Speckhard for reasons 1.4 (b) a nd (d). ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: National Security Advisor Muwafak al-Rubaie told MNF-I and Emboffs on October 14 that Prime Minister Maliki has mandated a new committee to address security sector reform and DDR issues. The committee has been charged with producing a report with recommendations on security sector reform by November 15, after which it will plan a way forward for the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Iraqi militias. While the formation of a new structure to study these issues can be construed as a step forward, we are concerned by reports of a plan to "reform" the security sector by instituting a quota system, which likely would lead to Shia control of the Ministry of Defense and Iraq's National Intelligence Service. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- A NEW COMMITTEE FOR DDR AND SECURITY SECTOR REFORM -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) MNF-I and Emboffs met with National Security Adviser Muwafak al-Rubaie on October 14 to offer the US assistance to Iraq's Demilitarize, Demobilize, and Reintegrate (DDR) program and to determine whether the GoI intends to re-establish the Transition Reintegration Implementation Committee (TRIC) -- an administrative body called for by CPA Order 91 to oversee DDR implementation. (NOTE: The Ambassador wrote to Prime Minister Maliki in late September to stress its importance. END NOTE.) ¶3. (C) Rubaie conceded that no progress has been made on re-establishing the TRIC, but asserted that the Prime Minister had decided earlier in the week to move forward with DDR and national security sector reform. He said that PM Maliki has signed a directive establishing a new group -- the "Committee for MoI and MoD Reform" -- which will oversee implementation of (1) MoD, MoI, and INIS reform, and (2) DDR issues. The committee is comprised of the Ministers of Defense and Interior, the Minister of State for National Security, and chaired by the NSA. In addition, it will be supported by four sub-committees (yet to be established) that will review and make recommendations on the following reform and DDR-related issues: -- The "balancing" of Shia-Sunni-Kurd employment by quota within the security ministries; -- "Political and security" vetting of employees; -- "Training, supplying, and rehabilitating the security forces"; and -- The charters for, and organization of, the MoD, MoI, and INIS. ¶4. (C) The committee's first order of business will be reaching agreement on how best to reform the national security sector. Its findings and recommendations will be presented to the Ministerial Committee for National Security on November 15. The committee then will consider DDR. The reason for this sequential approach, according to Rubaie, is that the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) must be reformed so that its bad elements are removed and prevented from obstructing future DDR efforts from within the government's very own corridors. Only when decisions have been made on security sector reform will the committee take up DDR. Rubaie indicated that the DDR effort will cover CPA Order 91 militias, but provided no clarity on whether it will cover other armed formations as well. -------------- LEVERAGING US DDR SUPPORT -------------- ¶5. (C) MNF-I and Emboffs reviewed with Rubaie the preparatory work that the US has accomplished on DDR, including: -- Establishing a notional multi-year DDR budget; -- Organizing a USAID office to assist with future DDR activities; -- Coordinating with Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on vocational training opportunities. MNF-I's Rear Admiral Van Buskirk stressed to Rubaie that the GoI should capitalize on the US Mission's hard work to ensure that the current momentum on DDR is not lost. Van Buskirk emphasized that re-establishing the TRIC, along with a secretariat, could serve as a useful vehicle to coordinate SIPDIS all DDR-related issues. -------------- THE BADR CORPS -------------- BAGHDAD 00003928 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Acknowledging that the GoI will have to be more pro-active on DDR, Rubaie directed the discussion towards Badr Corps, and the need for the MoI, MoD, and the Coalition Forces to honor their agreements with Badr Corps leader, Hadi al-Amiri, to admit 627 Badr officers into the ISF ranks. Despite USG concerns over admitting large numbers of Badr Corps militia into the ISF, Rubaie stressed that it was essential that we honor this commitment lest al-Amiri pull the Badr Corps out of CPA Order 91 entirely, leaving both the GoI and Coalition Forces with a bigger problem. Interestingly, Rubaie added that al-Amiri's recent push to incorporate Badr forces into the ISF did not merely reflect his own interest, but equally, if not more so, those of his Badr Corps lieutenants, who have been pressing al-Amiri for the agreed upon ISF positions that they believe is their due. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (S) While the formation of a new committee to move forward reform in the security ministries as well as DDR efforts is a positive step, the intent to create a sub-committee with the stated purpose of establishing a Shia-Sunni-Kurd quota system within security sector ministries seems likely to foster further sectarian tension. This quota system will ensure that Shia interests are paramount within the security ministries, and could shift control of the MoD and INIS towards Shia parties. This could damage relations with Sunni and Kurd parties and national reconciliation efforts and is likely to further delay DDR progress. SPECKHARD