HOW TO GET A JOB AT THE BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001648 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINR PINS KDEM IZ SUBJECT: HOW TO GET A JOB AT THE BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL COUNCIL Classified by Deputy Political Counselor Charles O. Blaha for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is a Baghdad PRT reporting cable. ¶2. (C) Summary: Young men and women in Baghdad struggle with the challenges of finding jobs, starting families and living in a violent city. Ali Dabbagh, an office manager for the Baghdad Provincial Council (PC) Chairman, claims he did not get his job through political connections but worries he will lose it after another round of elections. Rasha al-Zubaidy recently quit her job as a secretary at the PC because religious employees constantly pressured her to dress and behave more conservatively. Both of these young people told PRToff about their experiences working for Baghdad's provincial government and shared their thoughts on careers, family, violence and real estate in Baghdad. End summary. -------------- Working for 'the man' in Baghdad -------------- ¶3. (C) Ali Dabbagh, a 28-year old Shia, was hired by the Baghdad PC in August 2006. He manages the office of Mueen al-Khademi (SCIRI),the PC Chairman, and is responsible for managing Mueen's appointments and keeping track of official correspondence coming in and out of the Chairman's office. Ali claimed that he has no familial or political connections to Mueen or to the SCIRI party. Ali had been looking for work, submitting his CV to employment services, when a friend of his working at the PC brought Ali's CV to the right people in the General Secretary's office at the Baghdad PC. ¶4. (C) Ali makes 300,000 ID a month (about $200 USD). His position is not authorized any benefits and is not contractual for a set period of time. He could be fired at any time; Ali said that many workers at the PC fear another round of elections because they believe they will all lose their jobs. Ali is familiar with provincial politics and the business of the Council, but feels that he is really not privy to all of Mueen's business and does not consider himself an insider. His duties are strictly administrative. -------------- - Plans for family business thwarted by al-Qaeda -------------- - ¶5. (C) Ali went through some dark days before he was hired by the PC. He was a business student in 2003 and worked in a shop in Kadhamiya prior to the fall of the previous regime. Upon graduation later that year he secured a loan from a bank for $60,000 USD and bought a clothes store in Doura. Initially hopeful in the aftermath of the war, he and his family found their fortunes change as security in Baghdad worsened. ¶6. (C) In early 2006 (prior to the February bombing of the al-Askari Mosque in Samarra) Ali's family found a threatening letter posted on the door of their Mansour home (Hayy Khadra),giving them 72 hours to leave or be killed. Ali claims that al-Qaeda was responsible for the letter. Ali's family immediately fled to Karadah and found an apartment to rent for 600,000 ID a month (about $400 USD). About a month later, Ali found a similar letter at his shop in Doura. Ali said that al-Qaeda waged an intimidation campaign against many Shia and Christian shop owners in that area. He closed the shop and discovered it looted fter a short time. The family home (owned for several generations) in Mansour remains vacant and Ali says that he asks friends to check in on it periodically. -------------- Working to make ends meet -------------- ¶7. (C) Ali told PRToff that he started looking for a job in government because he wanted to do something productive for his community. He says he is not an idealist; he just feels better having a job that may contribute in some way to making Baghdad more livable. Ali said that many young people like himself struggle to find jobs and start families in Baghdad. Ali is married and is expecting a child. The expense of renting an apartment in Karadah (shared with his parents) has made it difficult to make ends meet, but the family doesn't feel that it is safe enough to move back to Mansour. Ali hopes that he might get a promotion, but says he is just thankful for the job he has. Someday, he'd like to get back into running a business. -------------- Not 'religious enough' for government service -------------- BAGHDAD 00001648 002 OF 002 ¶8. (C) Rasha al-Zubaidy quit her job at the Baghdad Provincial Council because female members of the Council constantly pressured her about wearing clothing styles and makeup that weren't conservative enough for their tastes. Rasha told PRToff that these 'religious' members never threatened to fire her outright, but criticized her so much that she began to look for work elsewhere. She took a position as a translator with PRT earlier this month. ¶9. (C) Rasha worked as a secretary for the Civil Society Committee of the PC from June 2006 ) April 2007. She did administrative and clerical work for the committee chairman, Tariq al-Mondalawy (Da'wa) and assisted in his outreach to non-governmental organizations in Baghdad. Each committee of the PC is authorized several administrative positions and Rasha said that many PC members hire relatives or children of friends to fill those positions. A senior PC staff member is a neighbor and a friend of her father's and this connection helped her get the job. ¶10. (C) Rasha said working at the PC was her first job. She graduated from Mustansiriya University in 2006 with a degree in English. She said that upon graduation her CV was submitted to the Ministry of Education with those of all of her classmates; the Ministry chooses new teachers from this pool and assigns them to schools across Iraq. Because she might get an assignment far away from home, Rasha chose to look for work in another field. -------------- Dress for success -------------- ¶11. (C) Rasha was paid 300,000 ID a month by the PC. She said that occasional firings of fellow workers made everyone feel insecure about their jobs. Talking about politics is common among staff workers, Rasha said, but she refrained in order to stay out of trouble. Female PC members often criticized her for wearing colorful clothing (she was told to wear white or very subdued colors) and for wearing 'Western style' make-up. Rasha says her family is 'normal Shia Muslim' and not particularly liberal or conservative, she thinks. Rasha said she would never be able to get away with wearing trousers or other normal parts of her wardrobe at the PC. She always wears a headscarf in public. Rasha decided to quit her job at the PC and look for another job. Rasha was hired as a translator by PRT, and now assists in facilitating meetings between the PRT and the committee she departed. -------------- Danger pay for working with Americans -------------- ¶12. (C) Rasha says she prefers her job at the PRT; there is a considerable raise in her pay (about $1200/month) and she is permitted to dress as she likes (although, by Western standards her attire would still be considered very conservative); however, she told PRToff that there are additional security concerns about working in the International Zone (IZ). She has not told any of her five sisters that she works with Americans; her parents and fianc are the only ones who know. Employees of USG entities and their families are often targeted for kidnapping; anyone who knows where she works may be able to use this information against her family. ¶13. (C) Rasha is 23 years old, is engaged and plans to get married later this summer. Her fianc works at a sports center; his sister was a friend of Rasha's sister and played matchmaker. Rasha and her fianc are searching for an affordable apartment to rent and hope to start raising a family soon. Rasha said that looking for real estate in Baghdad is a real challenge. Many landlords in the safer neighborhoods have raised their rents considerably. Until they find something affordable, Rasha will continue to live with her parents and two of her married sisters in the family house in Kadhamiya. CROCKER