ADMIRAL FALLON URGES SIIC LEADER TO FOCUS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001646 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS IZ SUBJECT: ADMIRAL FALLON URGES SIIC LEADER TO FOCUS ON POLITICAL PROGRESS Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In a May 12 meeting with Abdelaziz al-Hakim, leader of the newly renamed Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC),CENTCOM Commander Admiral William J. Fallon urged al-Hakim to use his leadership position to work toward reconciliation. Al-Hakim promised to do so, but noted that Iraq's problems sprang from Al-Qaeda terrorists, takfiris, and Saddamists, who would never be reconciled. Al-Hakim offered several observations on the Baghdad Security Plan and shared his concern with the security situation even in his own neighborhood. End summary. ¶2. (C) Al-Hakim told Admiral Fallon that the Baghdad Security Plan had achieved some progress, "but if current conditions persist the plan will not achieve all its goals." He repeated familiar calls for building a ring around Baghdad with better checks at entrance points and for accelerating the training and equipping of Iraqi forces. Admiral Fallon noted that building a ring around Baghdad might be premature before neighborhoods inside Baghdad were cleared and asked al-Hakim whether he thought security had improved in at least some neighborhoods. Al-Hakim said that there had been some improvements but then turned to his neighborhood of Karada, an area geographically protected with additional security forces protecting the compounds of SIIC and President Talabani. Despite these additional forces, al-Hakim continued, "until now it is not safe - sometimes you see six car bombs in a day." ¶3. (C) Admiral Fallon observed that the real solution to Iraq's problems must be political. The central question, he said, is whether Iraq's people believe Iraqis can live together. Al-Hakim replied that Iraqis had lived together without social conflict for hundreds of years. The basic problem of Iraq today, he continued, is the presence of Al-Qaeda, takfiris, and Saddamists. These elements, he said, will always oppose the new Iraq regardless of progress on the hydrocarbon law or deBaathification. Al-Hakim said that political efforts toward reconciliation would continue, with representatives of the three major communities in Iraq discussing what each community hoped to achieve. He argued that the Sunnis were at the root of the problem, claiming that the Shi'a had given up a great deal to convince the Sunnis to participate in the political process, but with only mixed results to date. ¶4. (C) Admiral Fallon urged al-Hakim to be a leader in the process of reconciliation, noting that Shi'a leaders, as representatives of the majority, had to lead this process. He agreed with al-Hakim that Al-Qaeda and the Saddamists would not accept the new Iraq, but noted that only a small number of people belonged to these groups. With many Sunnis who had insisted on resistance now rethinking their position, Admiral Fallon continued, the time was ripe to renew the push to reconciliation. He noted that while some countries in the region, such as Oman, Kuwait, and Egypt, were supportive of the Maliki government, others, such as Saudi Arabia, were quite skeptical. He asked al-Hakim to use his leadership position to take the first steps toward Iraq's skeptics and convince them to reciprocate with steps toward supporting the Government of Iraq. ¶5. (U) This message was reviewed by Admiral William J. Fallon. CROCKER