KIRKUK OFFICIALS ON SECURITY, SERVICES, AND TURKEY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000414

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON IZ
SUBJECT: KIRKUK OFFICIALS ON SECURITY, SERVICES, AND TURKEY

Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met with Kirkuk Governor
Abdulrahman Mustafa Fatah and Provincial Council Chair Rizgar
Ali Hamajan on February 5. Other members of the governor's
office and the provincial council also attended. The
officials thanked the Ambassador for his support of Kirkuk,
and emphasized the current problems with security, services,
and Turkish interference. The Ambassador told them that he
looks forward to visiting Kirkuk before departing post, and
invited the officials to present proposals for assistance.
PRT Kirkuk and the National Coordination Team have set up
several Baghdad meetings for the group to facilitate better
relations between the central government and Kirkuk
officials. End summary.

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Article 140 and Security
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2. (C) Ambassador Khalilzad met with the Kirkuk Governor,
Provincial Council Chair, Provincial Council Member Qassem Al
Bayaty, Director General of Kirkuk Municipality and the
Governor's CFO to Baghdad on February 5. In a trip
facilitated by PRT Kirkuk, the group came to Baghdad to meet
with several ministers, and had just met with the Minister of
Defense. Both the Governor and the Provincial Council Chair
asked for the Ambassador's continued support for the
implementation of Article 140 of the constitution. The
Governor noted that an implementation committee had issued
four directives related to Article 140, and they wanted the
process to be fair and transparent. He said that security in
Kirkuk is already bad, and is worried that instability will
increase. "We need a comprehensive security plan for the
city," the Governor said.


3. (C) Governor Fatah complained that the Iraqi security
forces were both infiltrated by terrorists and incompetent,
and said that they operated without consulting or informing
his office. He said that he had raised this issue during the
meeting with the Minister of Defense earlier that day, and
the Minister had promised his support. "Now we have to see
what happens on the ground," the Governor said.

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Services and the 2007 Budget
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4. (C) The Governor noted that the 2007 budget for Kirkuk
had gone down, from 122 billion Iraqi dinars to 114 billion
Iraqi dinars (about 88 million USD),and that this amount
would not be enough to begin the major projects needed by the
city. He said that he had requested allocations from line
ministries to supplement this amount, but the ministers say
that it is too late to change the budget. (Note: The 2007
budget is still under review at the Council of
Representatives, and it would be difficult for ministries to
request more money. End note.) "We feel that Kirkuk is
being neglected," he said, although he did mention that the
Ministry of Oil had requested land to build a new refinery.
He also said that there was a shortage of fuel products and
electricity in Kirkuk.


5. (C) Provincial Council Chair Rizgar Ali Hamajan
reiterated Kirkuk's needs in terms of reconstruction, and
thanked Ambassador Khalilzad for the help that the U.S. has
already given. "I tell people all of the time that in the
past three years the U.S. has given us three times as much
assistance as the central government." Still, he said,
Kirkuk has many problems that are not caused by the current
leadership. Hamajan requested more support from the U.S.,
and highlighted the needs of the new university. The
Ambassador noted that the university was one of his
priorities, and invited him to present a formal proposal at
their next meeting.

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"We're Not a Turkish Village"
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6. (C) Hamajan also requested the Ambassador's support in
telling neighboring countries not to interfere in Iraq's
issues. "Turkish officials want to treat us like a Turkish
village," he said. Hamajan considers some of the official
statements from Turkish leaders as violating the sovereignty
and constitution of Iraq.

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Continued U.S. Support
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7. (C) Ambassador Khalilzad said that he would check on the
Ministry of Oil's plans for a new refinery in Kirkuk. He

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emphasized that the U.S. is committed to working with
everyone during the process of implementing Article 140,
allowing the Iraqis to determine the outcome based on a
constitutional process. He encouraged the officials to
continue to work with the PRT, and said the he looked forward
to visiting Kirkuk again before leaving post.
KHALILZAD