BABIL GOVERNOR'S RENEWED EFFORTS TO OUST BABIL POLICE CHIEF

C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000125 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/27/2016 TAGS: PTER MARR PGOV ASEC IZ SUBJECT: BABIL GOVERNOR'S RENEWED EFFORTS TO OUST BABIL POLICE CHIEF QAIS REF: HILLAH 117 CLASSIFIED BY: Douglas Meurs, Acting Regional Coordinator, REO Al Hillah, Dept of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph four. ¶2. (C) REO staff met with Babil Iraqi Police (IP) Deputy Chief Colonel Abbas Al-Gebory on July 26 to discuss the latest effort on the part of the Babil Provincial Council (PC) and Babil Governor Al-Musalamawi to oust General Qais Hamza Aboud Al-Momouri as Chief of Police in Babil Province. Colonel Abbas presented a letter delivered to General Qais from Governor Al-Musalamawi. The letter formally requests the General's presence at a June 27 meeting with the PC and Governor and states that the purpose of the meeting is to begin the implementation of the Minister of Interior's (MOI) signed order removing Qais as Chief of Police (REFTEL) and to commence with the transition of General Qais' responsibilities over to newly named Babil Police Chief Adad. ¶3. (C) General Qais and REO staff had- been verbally informed that the original order from the MOI had been rescinded and that General Qais is to remain in his post for at least the next six months, per the order of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The Governor, in absence of an official written order from the MOI, believes that the original order from the MOI stands. ¶4. (C) Action Request: REO asks for Embassy's assistance in quickly procuring official written instructions from the MOI, instructions which clearly rescind the previous MOI order and states that General Qais is to remain in his position as Babil Police Chief. MEURS