HASHIMI WARNS AGAINST WITHDRAWAL, ADVOCATES SUNNI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000201

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: HASHIMI WARNS AGAINST WITHDRAWAL, ADVOCATES SUNNI
ENGAGEMENT

Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad per 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Iraqi Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi told
CODEL Brownback on January 9 that a withdrawal of coalition
forces would send the wrong message to Iraqis and to the
world. He called for a compact for Sunni engagement and
pushed for the call-up of former Iraqi Army reserves as a
way to quickly increase the numbers and abilities of the
IA. He called region formation a "recipe for dividing
Iraq" and said U.S engagement with Iran would be like
"shaking hands with the Devil." END SUMMARY.

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U.S. Making Mistakes, but Pullout Not the Answer
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2. (C) Hashimi warned the Senator a withdrawal of coalition
forces would show the world that the U.S. is making
decisions based on its own interests rather than Iraq's
interests. Iraq was supposed to be the great model for the
Middle East in terms of development, he said, and pulling
out would make that impossQle. He said he tried to press
Washington on a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq but was
told the U.S. cannot pursue a policy that would look like a
defeat. He said President Bush has repeated many times
that he will stay the course - a shift away from that would
not serve U.S. or Iraq interests.


3. (C) Despite that, he told the Senator the U.S. is
committing grave mistakes in Iraq; even Secretary Rice
admitted that the U.S. has made mistakes since the
invasion. He said U.S. actions in Iraq are completely
destroying its image. Brownback asked if this means the
U.S. should pull back. Hashimi said no, the U.S. needs to
share the responsibility of rebuilding the MOI and MOD. As
they stand, he has no confidence in the national security
forces. The problem is not just sectarian, he said,
criminal elements are at pQy as well. The question is who
will shoulder the responsibilities.

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Bringing in the Sunnis
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4. (C) He told the senator that he can question why Sunnis
are killing U.S. troops, but the U.S. has not submitted a
compact to bring in the Sunnis and encourage their
participation. He said he gave President Bush and
Secretary Rice a copy of such a proposal when he was in

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Washington. Its implementation would lead to Sunni buy-in;
the insurgents have told him they are ready to reach an
accommodation. He asked the insurgents why they are
killing Americans when they are not the threat, and they
replied that they are waiting for an offer.


5. (C) CoR member Ayad Samaraie said increasing numbers are
fighting AQ in Al Anbar, but they need encouragement - they
cannot be expected to fight AQ and then be targeted or
arrested by the GOI or Americans the next day. Hashimi
said funding from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Syria would
help in the fight against Al Qaeda.

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Restructuring the Armed Forces
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6. (C) Brownback said he understands Hashimi's position but
urged him to consider the situation in the U.S. He said
many U.S. citizens want to pull out of Iraq. Some see it
as a Sunni-Shia fight and want no part of it. He told
Hashimi that he envisions staying in Iraq no longer than a
year to 18 months. Hashimi said that is enough time to use
a "scientific approach" to restructure the armed forces.
There are many ex-army reserves that could be ready to
fight after a 2-3 month orientation. He said that there
are whole units that could be recalled rather than focusing
on recruiting individuals. He suggested designating a
rendezvous point for the units and then checking their
records and turning away the Saddam loyalists. He said
that this "kills two birds with one stone" because
ex-officers are a major part of the insurgency, in part
because they need jobs and money.


7. (C) When the Senator asked why they had not joined the
army yet if they were interested in fighting Hashimi said
the recruiting centers are run by Shia who turn away Sunnis
or divert them to dangerous assignments. He acknowledged
that there would be hesitation from his colleagues in the

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government who would like the army to remain sectarian.

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Regions Will Divide the Country
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8. (C) Turning to the issue of regions, the Senator said
the Iraqi constitution allows for creating regions, why not
encourage them. Hashimi replied that the Sunnis see this
as a recipe for dividing Iraq. He said there is a
contradiction within the constitution on regional and
central control. He said that oil, gas, water and other
disputes could be exacerbated by forming regions. This
could lead to more chaos and spread to other regions. He
held up Basrah as an example, explaining that they do not
want to share their resources with other provinces that
have none. He admitted that establishing three regions
might improve the security situation.


9. (C) Asked why Baghdad could not become a federal city
like Washington DC, he said there is an ethnic cleansing of
the Sunnis taking place in Baghdad. Soon the whole capital
will be Shia, an unacceptable result for the Sunnis.
Imposing federalism is tantamount to declaring civil war in
any of the mixed areas of the country, he said.

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Negative on U.S. Engagement with Iran
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10. (C) Senator Brownback asked how the U.S. should deal
with the Iranians and suggested options such as a
diplomatic dialogue or economic engagement. Hashimi told
the Senator that engaging the Iranians right now would send
a message that the U.S. is willing to "shake hands with the
Devil" in order to extricate itself from Iraq. This will
shape the Iraqi perspective, he said. He said someone
else, such as the Arab League or the UN, should engage the
Iranians. He said a UN sponsored conference would be more
likely to get participation from the region. Brownback
replied that this avenue had been explored, but the UN
pulled out. Brownback then asked if the GOI would accept
troops from Gulf countries. Hashimi said they would not,
but the U.S. could impose it.


11. (C) Ayad Samaraie warned the Senator that Iran will not
stop with Iraq if the U.S. pulls out of the country. They
will head to Syria, Jordan, the Gulf, and elsewhere. He
said the Sunnis could help Iraq succeed, but they have had
no chance to participate. Hashimi said Iran is still
educating their young people that Iraq was part of Iran.
Asked if Iraq would be better without Iranian influence,
Hashimi said yes.
KHALILZAD