COUNCIL OF MINISTERS SYG REQUESTS USG HELP TO HIRE

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000519

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2016
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: COUNCIL OF MINISTERS SYG REQUESTS USG HELP TO HIRE
TECHNOCRATS

REF: BAGHDAD 444

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


1. (S) SUMMARY: On February 13, the day after the United
Iraqi Coalition (UIC) nominated Ibrahim Jafari for Prime
Minister, Council of Ministers Secretary-General (SYG) Emad
Dhia al-Khirsan told PolOffs that Jafari knows there were
weaknesses in his administration. Dhia said that he is
trying to find ways to strengthen the office of the PM by
strengthening the capacity of the Council of Ministers
Secretariat (CoMSec). He asked the USG to fund a program by

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which Iraqi-American technocrats would work in the CoMSec's
office to assist the PM in working effectively with the Iraqi
ministries. END SUMMARY.


2. (S) On February 13, Council of Ministers
Secretary-General (SYG) Emad Dhia al-Khirsan told PolOffs

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that Jafari recognizes weaknesses in his administration.
Dhia, who was head of the CPA Iraqi Reconstruction and
Development Council (IRDC),described how he had been
recruited by PM Jafari as an economic adviser. Dhia was one
many Iraqi-Americans who served in PM Jafari's office, and he
implied that he helped balance out Dawa loyalists like Jawad
al-Malaki and 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Tamimi -- who Dhia said had
served with Jafari since opposition days and whose loyalty
Jafari valued, but who did not have sufficient experience in
management. Dhia said he also believes that Iraq needs a
change in its governmental culture and that efficient and
effective ministries are a key to success in Iraq both for
Iraqi and for U.S. interests. Such a change will take years,
he said, and needs to start with an infusion of the right
kind of expertise.


3. (C) Dhia asked the USG to fund Iraqi-American
professionals to come to work in the PM's office. Dhia also
referred to the Iraqi Reconstruction and Development Council
(IRDC) as an example of how Iraqi-Americans could improve
organizational culture and capacity in Iraqi ministries.
Dhia said he regards it as essential that the people brought
in be fluent in Arabic, that they have practical professional
or business experience in their areas of specialty, and that
their heritage be Iraqi (since other Arabic nationalities
would raise political sensitivities for the GOI). Initially,
Dhia explained, about four or five Iraqi-Americans would be
responsible for coordinating with three or four ministries
each. He said he would like to see the program expand, if
resources are available, in order to have one Iraqi-American
in the PM's office responsible for tracking the work of each
ministry.


4. (C) Dhia said he is requesting USG funding for the
program because he does not believe the GOI could afford to
hire Iraqi-Americans to work in Iraq. Dhia revealed that he
was offered a salary of 1500 USD per month to be one of PM
Jafari's top advisers -- generous by Iraqi standards (Iraqi
university professors earn 600 USD a month). Dhia said that
health insurance alone for his family in the United States is
1200 USD per month, and therefore works pro bono and is
selling off his personal property in the United States to
fund his service in Iraq. From his IRDC and Future of Iraq
experience, Dhia said he knows that the USG could pay
Iraqi-Americans at a rate of around 120,000 USD to 130,000
USD per year, as was done by the IRDC. Dhia offered to find
housing in the International Zone for up to 40 people working
under this program. (NOTE: Dhia's position as Council of
Ministers SYG is colloquially referred to by many as the
Mayor of the Green Zone. END NOTE.) Dhia noted that he does
not envision a large support base for this operation, hinting
that he has specific people in mind whom he would like to
hire. Poloffs told Dhia that resources are an obvious
concern and that this idea deserved further study.


6. (S) COMMENT: Jafari may be the leading candidate for PM,
but he does not have the job yet. It is noteworthy that key
aides such as Dhia are thinking of ways to improve the
professionalism of the PM's office. Dhia and other
Western-oriented aides to Jafari are not the only ones
competing for Jafari's ear. If Jafari stays on as PM, he
will need all the help the USG can give him -- in which case
we would want to be in a position to support the effort to
improve the quality of his staff. Indeed, we should move
immediately to have a program ready to implement irrespective
of who emerges as PM, on the assumption that it will be
somebody with whom we can work. END COMMENT.
KHALILZAD