Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD4224
2007-12-31 14:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

ANBAR LEADERS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE AGREEMENT CREATING

Tags:  PREL PGOV IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO2394
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #4224/01 3651428
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 311428Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5056
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
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)

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