Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD562
2007-02-18 10:53:00
SECRET
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

FORMER IRAQI DPM DISCUSSES MODERATE FRONT

Tags:  PREL PGOV IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1133
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #0562/01 0491053
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 181053Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9700
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC//NSC// PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000562 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: FORMER IRAQI DPM DISCUSSES MODERATE FRONT


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

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000562

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: FORMER IRAQI DPM DISCUSSES MODERATE FRONT


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


1. (S) SUMMARY: Former Deputy Prime Minister Rowsch Shaways
and the Ambassador discussed on February 10 the status of the
moderate front. The Ambassador encouraged Shaways to play an
active role in its formation. Shaways said he favored
transferring de-Ba'athification to the judiciary and
punishing only those that had committed crimes. He said the
Kirkuk referendum should come before KRG provincial
elections, but the rest of the provinces could proceed with
elections separately. He and the Ambassador also briefly
discussed next steps on the hydrocarbons law. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Moderate Front
--------------


2. (S) The Ambassador and Shaways discussed KRG President and
KDP leader Massoud Barzani's month-long stay in Baghdad late
last year during the original push to form a moderate front.
They discussed the front's current "virtual" status and
composition - PUK, KDP, IIP, and SCIRI, plus the PM (not
Da'wa). They discussed how to assure the KDP was involved in
the drafting of a program for the moderate front, and the
Ambassador encouraged Shaways to get involved. He told
Shaways that Barzani had designated Shaways as his
representative Baghdad.


3. (S) Shaways said he had been involved in previous
iterations of the proposed front and had drafted several
documents on it in conjunction with Vice-President Mehdi. He
said Vice-President Hashemi did not want the front. The
Ambassador told Shaways that Hashemi had changed his mind.
Shaways said Hashemi still wants to gain authority, prisoner
release, and money before joining. The Ambassador said these
could be part of the program for the moderate front, which
Shaways accepted.


4. (S) The Ambassador passed to Shaways a copy of Deputy
Prime Minister Barham Salih's draft memo on forming an
Executive Council. Shaways said it is not enough to work
with just the Presidency Council and the PM. He suggested
expanding the moderate front to eight main players, including
Talabani, Barzani, Hakim, Hashemi, Maliki, and Jafari with
rotating leadership. He said the other alternative was
something official but "quiet." Shaways said Talabani wanted
to bring the PM under control of the Presidency.

--------------
De-Ba'athification Law
--------------


5. (S) The Ambassador pressed Shaways to help move along the
de-Ba'athification law as part of the moderate front.
Shaways said that de-Ba'athification should be transferred to
the judiciary, and those who have committed crimes should be
punished. He said the categories of Ba'ath party membership
that fall under the law should be reduced. Barzani had made
these points at the London reconciliation conference, he
said. The Ambassador told Shaways he would pass the Arabic
language version of the Embassy's draft de-Ba'athification
law to Shaways the next day for his review. They briefly
discussed the other three drafts from the HNDBC (Chalabi
draft),IIP, and Allawi/Iraqiya.

--------------
Hydrocarbons Law
--------------


6. (S) The Ambassador said he would send Shaways a draft of
the agreements from the Salah ad-Din meetings with February
3-5. Shaways said KRG PM Nechirvan Barzani would need to
come to Baghdad to finalize an agreement. In the meantime
KRG oil minister Ashti should come to Baghdad to work out the
details. He told the Ambassador that Nechirvan had said the
law cannot go to the CoR until the entire package is decided.

-------------- --------------
Shaways: Kirkuk Referendum Before Provincial Elections
-------------- --------------


7. (S) Shaways conceded that the date for holding a
referendum on Kirkuk and other disputed territories could
slip until January 2008, as long as a specific date was set.
He said they did not intend for this to happen but some Kurds
were thinking about it and preparing for such a contingency.
He said the Ambassador should speak to Barzani about it. The
Ambassador suggested they both engage Barzani on this issue
and then meet again to discuss it. (Note: In a separate
meeting February 10 Shaways told PolCouns that they must
conduct a census before a referendum or people would say the

BAGHDAD 00000562 002 OF 002


referendum had been manipulated. He also said Nechirvan
Barzani was adamant about meeting the December 31 deadline to
hold the referendum. End Note).


8. (C) Shaways said that elections could be held in the other
provinces prior to the Kirkuk referendum with the
understanding that the make-up of provincial councils may
change after Kirkuk holds elections. In fact, he said other
provinces could hold elections immediately.
KHALILZAD