PRT TIKRIT: TRIBAL SHEIKHS DISCUSS RECONCILIATION;

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001754 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM IZ SUBJECT: PRT TIKRIT: TRIBAL SHEIKHS DISCUSS RECONCILIATION; GOVERNOR AND DEPUTY DISCUSS TRIBAL SECURITY PLANS REF: BAGHDAD 220 Classified By: PRT Team Lead Steven R. Buckler for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Tikrit, Salah ad Din cable. ¶2. (C //REL TO USA, ACGU) SUMMARY. At a May 23 Salah ad Din (SaD) Sheikhs' Council meeting, the thirty plus assembled tribal sheikhs discussed the lack of tangible progress on national reconciliation, recommended a national conference for tribal sheikhs from throughout Iraq, and called for ethnic balance on government bodies such as the Central Criminal Court of Iraq. The Council also elected as Interim Council President Sheikh Khamees Ahmed Naji Ajbarah al Jabouri, son of the kidnapped Council President Sheikh Ahmed "Naji" Hussein Ajabarah al Jabouri (reftel). In the wake of a May 24 announcement by some tribal sheikhs that they had formed an "Awakening Council" in the province, SaD Deputy Governor Abdullah H. M. Ajbarah said on Salah ad Din TV News that the Awakening Council does not represent the province's tribes and that SaD is not in need of such a council. He called for each tribe to protect its own area in support of the Iraq security forces (ISF),as the provincial government will take care of security on the provincial level. SaD Governor Hamad Hamoud al Shakti al Qaisi echoed similar sentiments in a meeting also on May 24. As Salah ad Din has a relatively functional provincial government that coordinates well with both the ISF and the Coalition Forces (CF),any support to tribes should be coordinated through the provincial government. END SUMMARY. -------------- Sheikhs' Council on Reconciliation -------------- ¶2. (C //REL TO USA, ACGU) At a May 23 tribal Sheikhs' Council meeting in Salah ad Din, more than 30 sheikhs from through out the province lamented the lack of tangible action on the reconciliation process. They said, "reconciliation is not only an issue for Salah ad Din, but for all of Iraq. It's a national issue." They suggested that the GOI host a national conference for all tribal sheikhs throughout Iraq in order to communicate its seriousness on reconciliation and to begin the process on the tribal level. They also called for ethnic balance on the GOI's national governance bodies, such as the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCCI). Without the full involvement of tribal institutions throughout Iraq, they suggested, reconciliation on the village level would be impossible. -------------- A New Interim President -------------- ¶3. (C //REL TO USA, ACGU) The SaD Sheikhs' Council also elected Sheikh Khamees Ahmed Naji Ajbarah al Jabouri as the Council's Interim President. Khamees is the son of the Council's President, Sheikh Ahmed "Naji" Hussein Ajabarah al Jabouri, who was kidnapped on January 8 by AQIZ-affiliates (reftel). He is the nephew and close-associate of SaD Deputy Governor Abdullah Ajbarah. -------------- Forming an "Awakening Council" -------------- ¶4. (C //REL TO USA, ACGU) On May 24, several tribal sheikhs announced on SaD TV that they were forming an "Awakening Council" in the province to combat extremist groups through tribal means. The announcement was made without the endorsement of the Sheikhs' Council. -------------- DepGov Supports Local Tribal Security -------------- ¶5. (C //REL TO USA, ACGU) Later on the same day, SaD Deputy Governor Abdullah H. M. Ajbarah said on Salah ad Din TV News that the Awakening Council does not represent the province's tribes and that SaD does not need such a council. He said the province does not want to form "militias." He called for each tribe to protect its own area in support of the Iraq security forces (ISF),as the provincial government will take care of security on the provincial level. -------------- Gov Calls for Cooperation with Tribes -------------- ¶6. (C//REL TO USA, ACGU) Also on May 24 in a private meeting, SaD Governor Hamad Hamoud al Shakti al Qaisi said the provincial government and the Coalition Forces need to "cooperate" with the tribes. He said that he did not think the tribes in the province could effectively coalesce to fight extremist groups. He said it was more realistic to assist the tribes in policing their own areas and neighborhoods, while leaving provincial security to the ISF. BAGHDAD 00001754 002 OF 002 -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. (C//REL TO USA, ACGU) We agree with the Governor and Deputy Governor's assessment. Given that Salah ad Din has a relatively functional provincial government, a partnership between the provincial government and the tribes to cooperate in securing each tribe's area would be the most effective and sustainable model for provincial security. Backing one tribal sheikh in an effort to unify the tribes against extremist has the potential to undermine the provincial government and to cede power to some dubious characters. Additionally, it also begs the question as to whom the tribes will fight once they consider their work against extremist groups done, in a province already rife with insurgency problems. END COMMENT. ¶8. (U) For additional reporting from PRT Tikrit, Salah ad Din, please see our SIPRNET Reporting Blog: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Tikrit. CROCKER