C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSUL 000057

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/31/2016
TAGS: PREL PINS PINT PGOV PHUM IZ MARR
SUBJECT: CHRISTIAN MILITIAS IN NINEWA PLAINS

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CLASSIFIED BY: Cameron Munter, PRT Leader, Provincial
Reconstruction Team Ninewa, State.
REASON: 1.4 (a), (b), (d)



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SUMMARY AND COMMENT
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1. (C) Christian religious and provincial government officials
report Christian militias are operating in minority areas east
of Mosul ("Ninewa Plains"). According to Dr. Lalo, assistant
governor for the province, Christian forces in Ninewa Plains
number approximately 1,250 and are personally being funded by
the Minister of Finance from the Kurdistan Regional Government
(KRG). The presence of Christian militias raises questions
about Kurdish influence in the province, especially in minority
communities, possible complicity by the provincial government
and KRG officials to allow the militias, and the potential
failure of legitimate government security forces with
recruiting, funding, and gaining the confidence of Ninewa's
minority residents. End Summary and Comment.

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MILITIAS: ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS
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2. (C) Father Aimen Paulus (known as "Father Aimen"), Rector of
St. George's Catholic Church (Assyrian Catholic) in Bartallah,
told PRT on May 27 that Christian communities in eastern Ninewa
("Ninewa Plains") had established a guard force for
self-protection. Dr. Lalo, Assistant Governor for
Administration for Ninewa Province, commanded them, claimed
Aimen. On May 30, PRT spoke to Lalo for clarification. Lalo
more than graciously offered his perspective, but clarified that
the forces were "not a militia" since the guards were authorized
by Ninewa Governor Duraid Kashmoula. Lalo went on to say the
guards had no political role and were "absolutely necessary" for
the protection of Christians in the area. He said they numbered

approximately 1,250 total, with 700 in Qaraqash, 350 in
Bartallah, and 200 in Karamlash. There was no formal
headquarters or leadership, said Lalo, but he himself was
appointed leader over the militia by the authority of the
governor. Weapons permits were issued through the provincial
government, and the guards were required to wear civilian
clothes. The role of the force was to protect Christian
districts and churches by searching, detaining and turning armed
non-residents over to local police.


3. (C) Lalo said the guards had strict rules of engagement,
however. Deadly force was not permitted. They could only carry
AK-47 assault rifles, not pistols, heavy weapons, or mortars, he
said. Lalo claimed most guards were volunteers that held normal
jobs. Many worked at least two days at regular jobs, then one
day as a guard. A few, on the other hand, were paid
professional guards, claimed Lalo. Most have training from
previous military or police experience, he said, and ex-Iraqi
Army officers provided regular refresher training. The
principal financial supporter was KRG Minister of Finance
Sarkese Aghjian, a Christian Kurd. Lalo noted that funding came
from Aghjian's personal coffers, and not from the KRG. Local
churches provided limited financial support, he said, and the
guards themselves often paid for their own equipment and
ammunition. Membership was limited to Christians, however, as
no other religious groups could join the force, he said.

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COMMENT
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4. (C) The Christian guard force appears to be the principal
security service in the Christian areas surpassing the police in
numbers and authority: compared to the 1,250 or so guards, there
are no more than 200 Iraqi Police (IP) in the area, Lalo
claimed. According to Lalo, the IP look to the Christian guards
to secure the area, and apparently act as a backup to the guard
force. During our visit to Bartallah to meet with Aimen we
stopped and took pictures of some of the "Bartallah Guards," as
they were identified on their badges (which were written in both
English and Arabic). The guards we spoke to were indeed wearing
civilian clothes and carrying AK-47s.


5. (C) The mere presence of Christian militias in Ninewa Plains
raises very real concerns. It indicates the determination of
local residents to protect themselves by any means necessary;
the failure of provincial police and military officials to build

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the confidence of their constituents outside of Mosul; and the
possibility of the provincial government's complicity with
Kurdish officials from Iraqi Kurdistan to support militias in
Ninewa. Aimen claims the guards are not being trained or
commanded by Peshmerga, but it remains unknown how closely
aligned the forces are to the KRG. To us, allegations that a
single individual is supporting such a large force alone do not
seem credible. Furthermore, if allegations the militias are
being funded by the KRG are true we wonder about the
ramifications of further Kurdish encroachment in Ninewa Plains
and what that means to the future of legitimate security
efforts, as well as questions of which government entity -- the
GOI or KRG -- will ultimately control the area.
MUNTER