Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD1950
2007-06-13 12:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

READ OUT FROM JUNE 10 MCNS

Tags:  PREL MOPS MARR PNAT PINS IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO3866
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1950/01 1641203
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 131203Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1669
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001950 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR PNAT PINS IZ
SUBJECT: READ OUT FROM JUNE 10 MCNS

REF: BAGHDAD 1887

Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001950

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2017
TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR PNAT PINS IZ
SUBJECT: READ OUT FROM JUNE 10 MCNS

REF: BAGHDAD 1887

Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C/MNF-I) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Maliki presided over the
June 10 meeting of the Ministerial Committee for National
Security, during which:

-- Minister of Defense Abdul Qadir summarized his proposal to
address the shortage of officers in the Iraqi armed forces.
Minister of Interior Jawad Bulani said he had a similar
officer development plan for the Ministry of Interior.

-- Abdul Qadir discussed the Iraqi dam security issue (for
the fifth consecutive week). General Petraeus said Coalition
forces had built a dirt bypass of the destroyed Aski-Mosul
bridge (to take pressure off the Mosul dam) and would be
building a bridge across the Tigris near the Samarra dam.
Maliki stressed the need to rebuild the Safariyah bridge in a
timely manner.

--Maliki discussed the ongoing trouble in Basrah. He said
that in order to address the grave security situation he
would appoint MOD's Major General Khaluf Shwayid Jalil to
oversee security and send more troops to Basrah, including an
armored battalion, and remove the existing Basrah Emergency
Security Council. Qadir recommended that the Maliki set up a
joint operation command, as in Diyala, led by Major General
Jalil. UK Ambassador Dominic Asquith stressed that the
"political chaos" should be addressed in parallel with the
security situation.

--Maliki raised his continued concern over coalition support
to tribes and other groups to fight with the GOI and the
Coalition against al Qaeda. He said that to ensure
accountability and allegiance to the state, he had
established a federal oversight committee to vet and manage
all such volunteers. This committee would work closely with
MNF-I.

--Maliki approved the recommend re-structuring of the
Ministry of Interior as part of the larger MoI reform
process. DPM Zoubaie requested a review of hiring practices
to ensure Sunni representation among high level MoI posts.

--Minister of Interior raised the importance of resolving the

Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK) issue in cooperation with the US. He
said he was waiting a response from the Deputy Chief of
Mission to a letter he recently sent him on the MEK issue.
(NOTE: Mission has no record of receiving such a letter and
will seek another copy.)

Overcoming the MOD and MOI Officer Deficiency - Take II
-------------- --------------


2. (MNF-I/REL MNF-I) For the second week in a row (ref),
Ministers of Defense Qadir and Interior Jawad Bulani
described their efforts to address the officer and
noncommissioned officers deficiency in both the police and
military services. Abdul Qadir said his study concluded the
shortfall was approximately 6370. Abdul Qadir said MOD plans
to bridge the gap by recruiting college graduates to join the
officer rank through an accelerated training program. Abdul
Qadir also discussed his plan to welcome back some former
regime military personnel and individuals who had graduated
from military school during that era. Bulani said he was
working on a similar plan for both college and high school
graduates.

Dam Security Discussion - Take V
--------------


3. (C/MNF-I) Dam security was discussed for the fifth
consecutive week (ref). This week, Minister of Defense Abdul
Qadir limited the discussion to the status of the Mosul dam
and the importance of addressing its acute vulnerability to
attack. General Petraeus said no traffic was currently
allowed to go over the Mosul Dam and that Coalition forces
have completed a low-water ford bypass of the Aski-Mosul
Bridge to take pressure off traffic wanting to use the Mosul
Dam road. Coalition forces will also build a military bridge
downstream of the Samarra Dam to alleviate the need for
civilian traffic to cross that dam as well. Maliki and
Deputy Prime Minister Zubaie also stressed the urgency of
rebuilding the Sarafiyah bridge in Baghdad and the Maliki
directed that the job not be left to the Ministry of Housing
and Construction or it would never get done.

Plan to Bring Security to Basrah- Take II

BAGHDAD 00001950 002 OF 002


--------------


4. (C/MNF-I) Maliki said he was committed to securing Basrah,
the "heart of Iraq." He said that based on a recent study
prepared by MOD's Major General Jalil Khaluf Shwayid, he was
making some changes. Maliki said he will appoint Jalil to
immediately replace the current chief of police and oversee
all security in the province. Maliki said he would also send
additional Iraqi army forces to the province, including an
armored battalion. (COMMENT: In order to create such a force,
the Prime Minister has already directed the formation of the
5th Brigade of 10th IA Division and it is being formed by
cross-leveling companies from other 10th IA Battalions. No
immediate fix is available to otherwise build this force,
though the PM and MoD may choose to reposition 10th IA units.)


5. (C/MNF-I) Abdul Qadir strongly recommended the Prime
Minister establish a joint operation center like the one in
Diyala and appoint MG Jalil as the overall commander. When
asked to whom Jalil would report, Maliki said, if
established, the commander would report through the Iraqi
Ground Force Command to the Minister of Defense. Abdul Qadir
and Maliki also agreed that they should dismiss the current
emergency council. (COMMENT: No one mentioned the need to
officially remove the governor from his position since he was
voted out by the provincial council a few weeks ago.)


6. (C/MNF-I) UK Ambassador Dominic Asquith stressed that
Maliki should address the "political chaos" at the same time
as he focuses security issues.

Maliki's New Oversight Committee for Volunteer Fighters
-------------- --------------


7. (C/REL MNF-I) Maliki raised his continued uneasiness with
the current trend of arming and paying tribes and other
groups to fight against al Qaeda without federal oversight.
He said, to alleviate this concern, he had just established a
national committee to vet and manage this "volunteer"
program. Zoubaie said this was an important step and noted
that many former 1920 Revolutionary Brigade members are now
interested in joining the state in its fight against Al
Qaeda. Abdul Qadir was also supportive of the oversight
committee, noting this will guard against accepting enemies
of the state. Maliki stressed that this committee will work
closely with Coalition forces to which General Petraeus
responded positively.

Status of MEK
--------------


8. (C/REL MNF-I) Bulani said his committee had completed the
study directed by the Prime Minister to resolve the MEK
issue. He mentioned his recent meeting with the DCM and
said he would continue to work closely with the US Embassy to
end the "MEK file." Bulani also said he was waiting for a
response from the DCM to a letter he recently sent to him on
the subject. (NOTE: Since the MCNS, embassy staff has no
record of receiving a letter from Bulani on the MEK. We are
requesting that Bulani resubmit the letter.)
CROCKER