PRT TIKRIT: WHERE IS THE RECONCILIATION?

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003947

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2016
TAGS: PGOV ECON PINR KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: PRT TIKRIT: WHERE IS THE RECONCILIATION?

Classified By: Stephanie Miley, PRT Team Leader, for reasons 1.5 (b) an
d (d).


1. (U) This is a PRT Tikrit, Salah ad Din (SaD) cable.


2. (C) SUMMARY. In the wake of the province's first major
episode of sectarian violence, provincial leaders held on
October 19 a reconciliation meeting for Sunni and Shia tribal
sheikhs, where sectarian violence was strongly denounced by
both tribal and provincial leaders. However, noting the
postponement of the next national reconciliation meeting
(since rescheduled to November 4),the dismissal of over 400
re-hired teachers for their former affiliation with the
Ba'ath party, and the Council of Representatives (CoR)
decision to lift the immunity of Sunni MP and SaD native
Mashan al Jabouri, Sunnis in Salad ad Din (SaD) have begun to
question Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's commitment to
national reconciliation. We applaud the provincial
government's efforts to stem sectarian divisions, but
question SaD Sunnis' sustained commitment to reconciliation
if they continue to see a lack of progress on the GOI's part.
END SUMMARY.

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Sectarian Violence Reaches Balad
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3. (C) On October 13 in the Sunni city of Dhuluiya, near the
predominately Shia city of Balad, the bodies of 14
decapitated Shia workers were found. In swift reprisal, Shia
residents from Balad, allegedly assisted by Jaysh al Mahadi
(JAM) members from Baghdad, killed 26 Sunnis from villages
surrounding Balad. Before SaD Governor Hamad Hamoud al
Shakti had instituted a vehicular and pedestrian curfew on
October 16, at least 31 persons in total had been killed.


4. (C) With the curfew largely quelling the violence,
Governor Hamad and the provincial government sponsored a
reconciliation meeting between Sunni and Shia tribal Sheikhs
on October 18 in Tikrit. At the meeting, the leaders
strongly denounced sectarian violence and called for the
communities to return to their previous peaceful states.
While acknowledging the benefit of the positive,
anti-violence messages made at the meetings, several Sunni
Provincial Council (PC) members commented to PRT officers
that they thought the meeting lacked substance and practical
steps forward. They questioned Balad area residents'
commitment to keeping the province free of sectarian
violence, especially with what they perceived as a growing
presence of JAM.

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Questioning the al Maliki Government's Commitment to
Reconciliation
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5. (C) Following the October 15 announcement of the
indefinite postponement of the national reconciliation
process (since resumed),several provincial government
leaders told PRT officers they question the al Maliki
government's commitment to the reconciliation process. Chair
of the Provincial Council Sheikh Rasheed said that al
Maliki's lack of movement on the process indicates that he is
not committed to bring the Sunnis of Salah ad Din into the
political fold.


6. (C) In addition, the SaD Directorate General of Education
received on October 9 a letter from the Minister of Education
ordering the province to dismiss the nearly 400
de-Ba'athified teachers the province had recently re-hired.
Governor Hamad told PRT officers on October 19 that he
questions if the GOI truly intends to re-consider
de-Ba'athification polices, as it had ordered the dismissal
of the teachers.


7. (C) Since the Council of Representative (CoR) lifted
immunity from Sunni MP Mishan al Jabouri on October 8,
several groups made peaceful, public demonstrations.
Demonstrators and Provincial Council members told PRT
officers that they believe it is unlikely that al Jabouri was
involved in corruption because he was a member of the
legislative branch which has no control over money. They
questioned why, if he was corrupt, he was the only CoR member
targeted. They surmised that the CoR decision was taken
because he is outspoken about his position against the GOI's
rapprochement with the Government of Iran and because he is a
Sunni from a former Ba'athist stronghold. (NOTE: The charges

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against al Jabouri relate to the embezzlement of funding
intended for oil pipeline protection during the Allawi
government and do not relate to his duties as a legislator in
the Transitional National Assembly or the Council of
Representatives. END NOTE.)

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Comment
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8. (C) After holding a reconciliation meeting of their own,
Sunnis in SaD are growing more frustrated with the GOI's lack
of movement on national reconciliation. Sectarian violence
is relatively new to the province, and we applaud the
provincial government's efforts to stem the sectarian
divisions. However, we wonder whether SaD Sunnis will
sustain their commitment to reconciliation if they continue
to see a lack of progress on the GOI's part. END COMMENT.


9. (U) For additional reporting from PRT Tikrit, Salah ad
Din, please see our SIPRNET Reporting Blog:
http://blogs.csp.sgov.gov/blojsom/blog/ salahaddin/.
SPECKHARD