NEW SADR CITY DAC CHAIR PLANS TO END CORRUPTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000895

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: NEW SADR CITY DAC CHAIR PLANS TO END CORRUPTION


Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD FOR
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) Summary: On March 9, the Sadr City District
Advisory Council (DAC) voted 22-17 to replace Hassan Shama
as the DAC chair with Jawad Khadum. Khadum told PolOff on
March 13 that he wants to make the DAC a robust body that
serves the needs of the people of Sadr City. To accomplish
this, he plans to set up three more committees in the Sadr
City DAC to help improve the way the DAC serves the people
of Sadr City. These committees would address complaints
from local residents about essential services and
corruption. He also wants to set up a committee to foster
connections to foreign embassies and international aid
donors. Khadum got the job in part because the DAC, which
has an anti-Sadrist current, thinks he can stand up better
to the Sadrists and can ensure the DAC takes credit for its
accomplishments instead of passively watching the Sadrists
claim credit for local improvements. Hassan Shama, for his
part, told PolOff on March 15 that he plans to run again
for the position of DAC chair. End Summary

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Khadum's Three Committees for Success
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2. (C) In a March 13 conversation with PolOff, newly-
elected Sadr City DAC chair Jawad Khadum laid out his plans
to set up three committees to better serve the people of
Sadr City. Khadum wants the DAC to better coordinate all
essential services in Sadr City, and so plans to set up a
committee to deal with problems with essential services.
This committee would investigate complaints about essential
services, such as water and sewerage, and report these
problems to the DAC.


3. (C) Khadum sees corruption as a major hindrance to
reconstructing Sadr City. He therefore plans to set up an
anti-corruption committee in the DAC. This committee would
investigate claims of corruption, primarily within the DAC
itself but with an eye toward expanding its scope to
include all of Sadr City, and report the findings to the
DAC. Any corruption uncovered would be publicly announced.


4. (C) Khadum recognizes that the Sadr City DAC cannot fix
all of Sadr City's problems by itself, so he wants to
internationalize the effort. To this end, he plans to set
up a foreign relations committee. This committee would
coordinate Sadr City reconstruction with embassies, foreign
NGOs, and ministries in the Iraqi government. By reaching
out and encouraging foreign direct investment in Sadr City,
he hopes to quicken the pace of reconstruction in Sadr
City. (Comment: the legal and security climate in Sadr
City suggests attracting foreign investment into that
district directly will be exceptionally challenging. End
Comment.)

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Hassan Shama, Once and Future King?
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5. (C) In a March 15 conversation with PolOff, former Sadr
City DAC chair Hassan Shama said he plans to take a one-
month vacation to Egypt with some of his DAC allies. While
in Egypt, they intend to plot a strategy for Shama to win
the next DAC chair election, due in two months. "Jawad
Khadum is doomed to failure," Shama predicted. "The DAC
needs a chair who can properly balance all the political
parties in Sadr City," he said. Shama predicted that
Khadum will not be able to strike the necessary balance
because he is a member of SCIRI (Note: Jawad Khadum denies
this. End Note.) Shama, however, said that he will not
run for Sadr City DAC chair until a national government is
formed.

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Comment
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6. (C) Hassan Shama's popularity in the DAC has been
steadily decreasing for the past few months, due in large
part to the perception that he is corrupt and unable to
stand up to the Sadrists. Jawad Khadum apparently has
learned from his predecessor's mistakes. While Khadum does
not plan to needlessly antagonize the Sadrists, he does
plan to assert the DAC's independence from their
interference. His proposed committees, if robust, could
help address problems facing Sadr City. If Khadum can
fight corruption, bring in new project assistance, and
better publicize the DAC's reconstruction efforts instead
of letting the Sadrists take credit for them, as has

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happened in the past, he could prove a successful DAC
chair.
SATTERFIELD