PRT TIKRIT: SUNNI SAMARRA SECURITY CZAR REPLACED

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002156

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR PTER IZ
SUBJECT: PRT TIKRIT: SUNNI SAMARRA SECURITY CZAR REPLACED
WITH SHIA NATIONAL POLICE COMMANDER

Classified By: PRT Leader Steven R. Buckler for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (U) This is a PRT Tikrit, Salah ad Din cable.


2. (C) In the wake of the June 13 bombing of the Golden Dome
Mosque (AKA Ali al Hadi Shrine, al Askariya Shrine),Prime
Minister Nouri al Maliki fired Samarra security czar General
Adnan Thabit, a Sunni native of the Sunni city of Samarra, at
a June 25 meeting in Baghdad. Thabit had been tapped in late
2006 to lead all security initiatives in the city to allow
for the reconstruction of the Golden Dome Mosque, which was
first bombed in February 22, 2006 and touched off sustained
sectarian violence throughout Iraq.


3. (C) In Thabit's place, the PM installed Major General (MG)
Rashid Flayyih Muhammad al Halifi, National Police (NP) First
Division Commander and a Shia from Baghdad (see bio notes in
para 5). According to other reporting, General Rashid has
known associations with Jaysh al Mahdi (JAM) and was
reportedly involved in the 1996 attempt to overthrow former
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

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COMMENT
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4. (C) The change from Thabit to Rashid is of considerable
concern. Thabit, well liked and respected in Samarra, was
the lynchpin for dispelling sectarian tensions and for
integrating the NP and other security forces into the city.
Samarra residents are deeply mistrustful of outsiders and
believe the coming security elements, especially the NP, will
be Shia-dominated and a vehicle for JAM to gain a foothold in
the city. These perceptions along with the growing pressure
related to the Golden Dome Mosque's reconstruction provide
great potential for sectarian violence in Samarra. With an
already strong al Qaeda (AQI)/Islamic State of Iraq (ISI)
presence in the greater Samarra area (al Jalaam, Motessim, Al
Rugga, Al Qala, Ishaki),it is possible that the city's
residents will become more supportive of AQI/ISI in the face
of sectarian violence. END COMMENT.

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Bio Notes: Rashid Flayyih Muhammad al Halifi
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5. (C) General Rashid Flayyih Muhammad al Halifi, a Shia
Muslim from the al Halifi tribe, is Commander of the First
Division of the National Police. Previously, he has held
commander positions in various units and companies. He holds
a BA in National Security from the Military Academy, a BS in
Media from the College of Culture, and an MA in Political
Science. Born in 1957, he hails from Baghdad. He was
reportedly involved in the 1996 attempt to overthrow former
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and was instrumental in the
organization of a commando unit to fight insurgents,
post-2003. U.S. military officials assess General Rashid as
fiercely loyal and tactically sound, but only moderately
effective due to his lack of organization. According to
numerous reports, General Rashid has associations with and
supports JAM.


6. (U) For additional reporting from PRT Tikrit, Salah ad
Din, please see our SIPRNET Reporting Blog:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Tikrit
CROCKER