PRT BAGHDAD: BIOGRAPHIC NOTE ON BAGHDAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000893

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR IZ
SUBJECT: PRT BAGHDAD: BIOGRAPHIC NOTE ON BAGHDAD
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL DEPUTY CHAIRMAN MOHAN HASHEM AL-SAIDI

Classified By: Joe Gregoire for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (U) In late December 2005, the Baghdad Provincial Council
(PC) elected Mohan Hashem Al-Saidi to replace Mueen Hameed as
the Deputy Chairman of the PC. Mueen replaced Mazin Makiya
as the council's chairman.


2. (C) Mohan is a member of the National Independent Cadre of
Elites, a Sadrist, and was elected to the PC during the 30
January 2005 provincial elections. Mohan handles much of the
administrative load at the council and previously chaired the
Baghdad Essential Services Committee (ESC),a position
usually reserved for the third-ranking member of the PC.


3. (C) Mohan, a Shiite, resides in the Sadr City district of
Baghdad. In early 2006, he attended the Hajj in Saudi
Arabia. Mohan is married and has three children (two girls
and an infant son). Another son who was killed some time
ago.


4. (C) Before joining the PC, Mohan worked for the Ministry
of Health as an administrator. He still maintains strong
ties to that ministry. Mohan has taken much interest in the
weekly meetings between members of the PC and the 15 district
and qada councils. (A qada is a geographical unit similar to
a county in the United States.)


5. (C) The relationship between Mohan and Chairman Mueen is
friendly and professional. Mohan seems to complement Mueen.
He understands that much of the political decision making of
the PC is driven by the Supreme Council for the Islamic
Revolution in Iraq.


6. (C) From a party perspective, Mohan is not a member of the
PC majority. He is the only member of his party list. Since
he is a Sadrist, a movement with political leverage at the
national level, he wields influence disproportionate to his
party's standing on the council.


7. (C) Mohan's brother, Nasser Al-Saidi, was elected to the
national Council of Representatives in December 2005. He is
a member of the 555 (UIA) list. This will likely add to
Mohan's influence on the PC. Mohan believes that Sadrists
will likely make a stronger showing in future provincial
council elections than in January 2005.


8. (C) Mohan has demonstrated a firm understanding of many
issues at the PC and, based on his past position as the
chairman of the ESC, he is familiar with essential services
developments in Baghdad. He actively supports the Provincial
Reconstruction Development Committee, a committee that seeks
to build governance capacity through the execution of
projects in Baghdad Province. Mohan has also been a driving
force behind the establishment of a PC Regional Essential
Services Committee. It aims to coordinate the development of
essential services in the six qadas of the province and to do
so under the Governorate's control.


9. (C) We have seen no indication that Mohan's elevation to
the deputy chairmanship will negatively affect U.S.
interests. In fact, he seems willing to cooperate and
interact with Coalition Forces and Embassy officials. Though
likely intended to influence our view of him, Mohan told PRT
representatives that he believes support from the "west" is
much more beneficial to Iraq than aid from its "neighbors"
(possible reference to Iran and Syria).
SATTERFIELD