ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON INTERMEDIATE RECONCILIATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001511 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON INTERMEDIATE RECONCILIATION MEASURES FOR PM MALIKI REF: BAGHDAD 1499 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Daniel V. Speckhard for reasons 1.4 (b ) and (d). ¶1. (C) Reftel identified intermediate measures PM Maliki could take to keep momentum on reconciliation. We offer three additional thoughts. First, the PM's office should focus on making certain all reconciliation efforts are announced publicly and well-publicized when they happen, both in national and regional media. The PM has tended to downplay details of his reconciliation efforts in order to avoid antagonizing his Shia followers; however, national reconciliation requires broad public support, and regional governments need to see evidence of the GOI's outreach to Sunnis. For example, GOI disbursal of funds to a province should be accompanied by an announcement including the amount, the province for which funds are destined, and the use to which they will be put. The GOI should also draw attention to the GOI's national-level works in heavily-Sunni provinces. ¶2. (C) Second, the PM should consider appointing an ombudsman who could help citizens seek exemptions or other remedies currently available to those who have been subject to de-Baathification orders. While the PM could not overturn de-Baathification orders, he could lend the support of his office to identifying procedural remedies that could help in some cases. ¶3. (C) Third, the PM should accelerate -- and of course publicize -- ongoing measures to compensate victims of the Saddam regime, including Shia, Sunni, and Kurds, reminding Iraqi citizens that they all suffered under Saddam. It should also help condition Iraqis to accept the reversal of some de-Baathification measures if they see that Saddam's victims were receiving help as well as those that benefited from Baath Party membership. SPECKHARD