ANBAR LEADERS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT CREATING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004224 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ SUBJECT: ANBAR LEADERS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT CREATING "ANBAR HIGHER COMMITTEE" REF: BAGHDAD 4192 Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Ellen Germain for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Anbar reporting Cable. ¶2. (C) Summary: Five Anbar political leaders agreed to establish the Anbar Higher Committee (AHC) at a meeting in Amman, Jordan on December 23. (Note: This meeting was a follow-up to the December 18 meeting (reftel),where the idea was originally discussed among four of the leaders, absent Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, head of the Iraq Awakening Movement. End Note). The AHC will be a conflict resolution mechanism between the various political entities developing in the province. The five Anbar politicians publicized this new agreement on December 24 in Ramadi in a full court press conference. The Anbar leaders will seek a meeting with PM Maliki soon to explain the AHC's role and purpose. End Summary. AGREEMENT FROM SHEIKH AHMED ON THE ANBAR HIGHER COMMITTEE -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Provincial Council (PC) Chairman Dr. Abdulsalam Abdullah; Governor Ma'moun Sami Rasheed; Sheikh Hameed Turki Shouka, Chairman of the Anbar Sheikhs Council; Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha, President of the Iraq Awakening Movement Sahawa Al-Iraq (SAI); and Sheikh Tariq Al-Halbusi, President of the Anbar Central Committee (Anbar expatriates in Jordan); along with former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Rafe al-Essawi, met on December 23 to firm up the idea of an Anbar Higher Committee (AHC) as a forum for conflict resolution in the province. The main objective of this meeting was to obtain buy-in from Sheikh Ahmed Abu Risha and establish a process for moving forward from the decision made at the initial planning meeting December 18. ¶4. (C) During the discussion, Sheikh Ahmed produced a letter from the SAI with eight stipulations or requests. Sheikh Abu Risha emphasized these are not demands. The list of the SAI requests included: -- Restructuring Anbar Province based on a consensus method; -- Reviewing the structure of district councils; -- Reviewing directors general (DGs) of all government offices controlled by sectarian influences; -- Reviewing the distribution of 6000 civil service positions; -- Restructuring the Higher Commission for Elections to become non-political and unbiased; -- Non-politicization of internal security, including the army and the restructuring of the police force; -- No security or political statements to be released until all parties agree to its contents; -- All members of the Awakening Boards should attend conferences and seminars to discuss various projects. ¶5. (C) The meeting concluded with agreement to form the AHC, draft a set of bylaws, and to define the new body's relationship with the Provincial Council. In this regard, the AHC members drafted the following statement of principles: In the name of God, the Most Merciful and Gracious Subject: Statement of Principles A meeting took place on 23 December 2007 with the presence of the individuals mentioned in section 3 and the following was concluded: Step 1: The Anbar Higher Committee was formed after the full approval by the Provincial Council of Anbar. Step 2: The committee will put forward an internal policy after each member presents their input/recommendations on the internal procedures of the committee. Step 3: The approval of the internal policy as mentioned in Step 2 by the members of the committee. (Signed by Provincial Council Chairman: Dr. Abdulsalam Abdullah Al Ani; Governor of Anbar Engineer Ma'amoun Sami Al-Alwani; President of Sahwat Al Iraq, Sheikh Ahmed Bezia Abu Risha; Secretary General of Sheikhs Council, Sheikh Hameed Turki Al-Shouka; Chairman of Al-Anbar Central Committee, Sheikh Tareq Khalaf Al Abdullah; and Secretary General and non-voting member, Dr. Rafe Al-Essawi) COMMITTEE PORTFOLIOS AND EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ROLE -------------- -------------- BAGHDAD 00004224 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) The five agreed the AHC will focus in the short term on resolving conflict between the various political entities growing in the province, particularly between the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP),which controls the Provincial Council, and Sheikh Ahmed's SAI. The membership represents a cross-section of Anbar society, with representatives of provincial government's executive and legislative Branches, the SAI, the Anbar Sheikhs' Council, and the expatriate community. ¶7. (C) The Anbar leaders decided that Dr. Rafe, Al-Essawi (IIP),the former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, should participate in the AHC in a non-voting or observatory role. The group asked him to serve as executive secretary, spokesman, advisor and consultant to the AHC and the Provincial Council. Sheikh Ahmed later commented that Rafe's non-voting role makes the AHC's membership composition more palatable to the SAI, which would otherwise view the newly created body as having three IIP members. (Note: Both PC Chairman Abdulsalam and Rafe are active IIP members. Governor Ma'moun has IIP roots, but disavowed partisan affiliation upon assuming the governorship. Nonetheless, the SAI counts him as an IIP partisan. End note.) Dr. Rafe suggested, and the members accepted, the principle focus of the AHC's work would be in the areas of security, economic development and resource allocation, political issues, and administration. PRESS CONFERENCE -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The members held a press conference in Ramadi on December 24 to announce the agreement. Several Arab media outlets and a Newsweek reporter were present. Dr. Rafe made brief introductory remarks, and then introduced Sheikh Ahmed who read the jointly drafted public statement. All AHC members fielded questions. In particular, Abdulsalam emphasized the collective belief that the AHC will not only be good for the province, but also essential in creating a stronger relationship with the central GOI. He added that the AHC intends to call on PM Maliki soon to explain its role. "This will eliminate," he said, "the constant stream of Anbaris seeking the PM's ear on minute issues or for support on single issue agendas." At the conclusion of the press conference, all AHC members joined hands in a gesture of accomplishment to the applause of the assembled media. ¶9. (U) The text of the public statement reads as follows: In the name of God, the Most Merciful and Gracious "Work together through compassion and purity and not through evil work and animosity" (Verse from the Koran) To the sons of Anbar who conquered the insurgents, the Takfiris and the forces of evil and darkness; to our fellow citizens who hope for a brighter future, As we trust in God, we would like to announce the forming of "Anbar Higher Committee" which takes upon it self to designate the policies of the province in security, administration, economy and political sectors in order to support both legislative and executive government institutions and also to support enforcing the rule of law and to continue to work and represent the province at the central government. This will guarantee the establishment of strong government institutions with a solid base that will fairly guarantee the participation of all the sons of Anbar. We promise God first and our people second, to improve our province so it would become a national example in stability, reconstruction and reconciliation for the great Iraq. May God be our witness. Written in Anbar on 24 December 2007 (Signed by the six AHC members.) CROCKER