MALIKI ON CONCERNED LOCAL CITIZENS, STRATEGIC

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003721

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2017
TAGS: IZ MARR MCAP MOPS PGOV PINS PNAT PTER
SUBJECT: MALIKI ON CONCERNED LOCAL CITIZENS, STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIP DECLARATION, AND LARGE-SCALE DETAINEE AMNESTY

Classified By: Political Military Minister-Counselor Marcie Ries for re
asons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (S) SUMMARY: During a weekly security meeting, Prime
Minister Maliki emphasized the primacy of Iraqi Security
Forces (ISF) and local police in maintaining law-and-order.
He expressed concern about the sectarian composition of many
Concerned Local Citizens (CLC) groups and urged future CLC
expansion include both Sunni and Shia members with a focus on
mixed neighborhoods. Lieutenant General Odierno assured Prime
Minister Maliki that the CF would not allow the CLCs to
become a threat to the government. General Odierno and Maliki
agreed that security in Sadr City was improving due to
positive involvement of local citizens, but more needed to be
done. Regarding the Strategic Partnership Declaration, Maliki
said he wanted a simple document with clearly stated
principles. Maliki informed General Odierno about his
decision to grant amnesty to a large number of Iraqi-held
detainees and urged MNF-I to do the same. END SUMMARY.


CLCs Are Not a Threat
--------------


2. (S) Discussions about CLCs dominated the weekly security
meeting on November 10 with Prime Minister Maliki, Commanding
General Multi-National Corps Iraq (MNC-I) Odierno, and
Political Military Minister Counselor Ries. Lieutenant
General Odierno opened the meeting by assuring PM Maliki that
Coalition Forces (CF) would not allow these local,
neighborhood-watch groups to become a threat to the national
government. General Odierno also expressed concern that
people with malevolent intent were trying to drive a wedge
between the government and the Multi-National Forces in Iraq
(MNF-I) by spreading unfounded rumors about CF goals
regarding the CLCs.

Maliki Fears Sectarian-based CLCs
--------------


3. (S) Prime Minister Maliki dismissed these rumors saying
Iraqis love conspiracy theories. He emphasized that the Iraqi
people owed a debt of gratitude to the CF for liberating them
from a terrible dictator, but some groups still opposed the
democratically elected government. In this regard, Maliki
expressed concern that CLC groups were growing in numbers so
rapidly that they could become a lucrative target for
extremist infiltration. If that occurred, he feared it would
lead to resurgence in sectarian bloodshed.


4. (S) General Odierno pointed out that the 67,000 CLC
members who have already volunteered are necessary because
these people live in areas without CF or ISF protection. He
noted that MNF-I was not arming them--they already had
weapons--but was primarily helping them organize effective
neighborhood watch programs. General Odierno emphasized that
MNF-I strictly vetted all CLC applicants--including
collection of biometric data--and that the applicant lists
are forwarded to the government.

CLCs: Security Necessity or Jobs Program?
--------------


5. (S) Maliki advised caution in expanding this program. He
assessed that many of these applicants were looking for jobs,
not security, since many new CLC groups were forming in areas
with little or no violence. He asked General Odierno if there
was a map showing all current and proposed CLCs which might
verify this assessment. Maliki added that security was the
responsibility of the government and expressed pleasure that
CLC groups in Anbar province were now integrating into the
ISF. He lamented this might not be possible in other
provinces which already had adequate numbers of police.
Maliki praised Ambassador Crocker's recent proposal for a
large-scale vocational training program as an alternative
which could absorb many of these unemployed youth. The Prime
Minister also expressed concern at reports that some CLC
groups had recently prevented displaced Iraqi citizens from
returning to their homes. He said this raised doubts as to
their true nature and purpose.


6. (S) General Odierno answered that he had personally
visited many of these neighborhoods and the security concerns
of the local citizens were real. He reiterated that Coalition
Forces only helped establish CLCs in areas with inadequate
numbers of government security forces. General Odierno agreed
to provide the Prime Minister with a map showing CLC
locations and expressed confidence it would confirm this

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assessment. He assured the Prime Minister that CLC members
caught breaking the law against displaced citizens--or in any
other fashion--would be arrested by the CF and turned over to
the Iraqi authorities. General Odierno also agreed that a
vocational training program would provide unemployed Iraqi
youth was an essential alternative to violent activity.

Non-Sectarian CLC Success in Baghdad
--------------


7. (S) Maliki concluded this discussion by saying he was not
against CLC groups per se, but against those with unbalanced
sectarian composition. He noted the great success in Baghdad
of CLC groups which had mixed religious composition,
especially in the southern neighborhood of Jihad. The Prime
Minister urged General Odierno to focus CLC expansion in
mixed neighborhoods and make sure their composition was
balanced. General Odierno agreed and called these
non-sectarian CLCs the most promising way-ahead for Baghdad.

Improved Sadr City Security
--------------


8. (S) Both Prime Minister Maliki and General Odierno agreed
that the time was right to work with local leaders in Sadr
City to improve the security environment. General Odierno
noted that he recently provided the government with the
identities of six individuals in Sadr City who were
intimidating local citizens against cooperating with MNF-I.
He said he was pleased to report that recent intelligence
reports confirmed that at least three, maybe more, had
immediately fled the country when the government and local
citizens groups chased them out. General Odierno urged Maliki
to arrest the remaining leaders of Jaysh al-Mahki (JAM)
Special Groups in Sadr City and work with local leaders to
improve security there. Maliki promised to hunt down the rest
with the renewed help of local Sadr City leaders, and noted
he had an ongoing "project" under negotiation with the
Sadrist leaders there (note: Maliki did not elaborate
further, end note).

Strategic Partnership Declaration
--------------


9. (S) Turning to negotiations on the Security Partnership
Declaration (SPD),the PolMilCoun told the Prime Minister
that she appreciated the cooperative spirit of the ongoing
discussions and expressed hope they would soon have a
mutually agreed document. Maliki concurred and said he
wanted the SPD to be a simple and clear statement of
principles. He added that it should not contain excessive
details which might blur its meaning and could be negotiated
later. Maliki said that lawyers from both sides must work
closely together to ensure the language is unambiguous.
PolMilCoun said she would work to make it as simple as
possible, but still carry forward all the principles of the
August 27 statement made by the Iraqi political leadership.

Maliki Proposes Wide-Ranging Amnesty Program
--------------


10. (S) Prime Minister Maliki advised General Odierno that he
had decided to release a large number of detainees held by
the Iraqi government as part of a wide-ranging amnesty
program, but he had not yet resolved the timing. The Prime
Minister added that this would be an important step in
national reconciliation. He urged General Odierno to consider
a nearly simultaneous release of detainees held by the MNF-I
who did not pose a threat. General Odierno said this would
require a comprehensive review of detainee records, which
could take some time. Maliki said he understood, but asked
the General to move as quickly as possible in this direction
(note: while the exact mix of Iraqi-held detainees is
unknown, about 85% of MNF-I detainees are Sunni, end note.)
CROCKER