PM MEDIA ADVISOR TALKS ABOUT TV STATION SHUTDOWNS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000350 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV KDEM PREL PHUM IZ SUBJECT: PM MEDIA ADVISOR TALKS ABOUT TV STATION SHUTDOWNS, AL JAZEERA ENGLISH, AND BAGHDAD SECURITY PLAN Classified By: DEPUTY POLCOUNS ROBERT GILCHRIST FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. In a meeting Janaury 29, the Prime Minister's advisor on Media Affairs Yasseen Majid told Emboffs that the Prime Minister's Office had not been involved in the decision to close down al Sharqiya TV station in Baghdad (ref),saying instead that the decision had been taken solely by the Ministry of Interior under the auspices of the anti- terrorism law. He complained about the Communications and Media Commission (CMC) - and particularly its chairman's - ineffectiveness in fulfilling its role as media content watchdog, and said that legislation was being proposed to devolve some of the Commission's current responsibility to the Ministry of Communications. In other news, Majid acknowledged that his office had signed off on the agreement to grant al Jazeera English provisional one month clearance to broadcast from Baghdad, and that as head of the media committee for the Baghdad Security Plan, he was making progress developing guidelines for the committee's work. End Summary. ¶2. (C) On January 29, PM office media advisor Yassen Majid told EmbOffs that the decision to close down al Sharqiya TV station had rested solely with the Ministry of Interior under the authority of Article 3 of the anti-terrorism law (Law 13, 2005). When asked whether the Ministry had consulted with anyone from the PM's office on this closure, Majid claimed that it had not, and pleaded a lack of knowledge of the specifics or background leading to this decision, simply saying that the PM's office had not been involved. (Note: numerous calls to MoI's Minister's office and media office have not yielded any answers.). ¶3. (C) Majid placed partial blame for the MoI's growing role in media closure at the doorstep of Siyamend Othman, head of the CMC. Majid argued that under CPA order 65, the CMC had a valid role in playing media watchdog, but had been unwilling to do so. Majid complained about the CMC's lack of involvement in addressing al Zawra's TV sat station - which was now showing coverage of how to produce explosive devices. He also complained that Siyamend Othman rarely if ever deigned to meet with anyone from the Prime Minister's office. Majeed took comfort in proposed legislation that he said would devolve some of the CMC's role to the Ministry of Communications. He said that this particular piece of legislation had been sanctioned by the PM's office and Council of Ministers and was currently at the Council of Representatives. ¶4. (C) In other news, Majid noted that he had authorized, in consultation with National Security Advisor Mowaffuq al Rubaiee and other PM advisors an agreement to allow al Jazeera English to work out of Baghdad. He confirmed that this agreement was currently for a provisional time period of one month. He noted that the Baghdad Security Plan committee on media/public relations was making progress and as the chair, he had developed goals for the committee. These guidelines included media coverage to show a united front between different political parties, media coverage that would promote public goodwill towards Iraqi Security Forces by highlighting their role in reconstruction and security, and outreach activities to promote unity such as distribution of Iraqi flags and T-shirts. ¶5. (C) Comment: As a satellite channel with a base in Dubai, al Sharqiya continues to broadcast in Iraq despite its ban. However, we understand that MoI has raided its Baghdad office, confiscated materials such as computers in that office, and has issued warnings of arrest for those Sharqiya-affiliated reporters still working in Baghdad. The closure of Sharqiya, the fourth closure of a TV station over the past five months, is distinct in that it appears that the Ministry of Interior led the way in calling for and enforcing this action. Previous closures, including a month long shut down of al Arabiya in September, and the November shutdowns of Salahadin and al Zawra TV stations, involved either a vote from the Council of Ministers or an order from the Prime Minister's Office. Sharqiya's coverage is generally considered to be independent though some have complained that its news is "Sunni-Arab slanted". KHALILZAD