FEBRUARY 16 BAGHDAD SECURITY PLAN EXECUTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000616

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS ECON IZ
SUBJECT: FEBRUARY 16 BAGHDAD SECURITY PLAN EXECUTIVE
STEERING COMMITTEE


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


1. (C) Summary: At the February 16 Baghdad Security Plan
(BSP) Executive Steering Committee (ESC) meeting, Iraqi
General Abboud reported that BSP had begun successfully
February 14. MNF-I Commanding General (CG) Petraeus
cautioned that BSP is still in the early stages and that
public expectations should be managed. Iraqi Ground Forces
Commander Babakir highlighted Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)
problems in obtaining armored vests, helmets and weapons; CG
suggested using FMS. Political support committee head VP
Abdel Mehdi identified reconciliation-focused legislation as
a political priority. FM Zebari briefed on efforts to build
regional political support for BSP. GOI officials expressed
concern over fuel supplies for electrical generation and for
the ISF. End Summary.

Security
--------------


2. (C) General Abboud reported that the security side of BSP
began February 14 and so far is successful. Abboud recounted
several inspection tours he had made of cleared areas,
including streets, markets, checkpoints and mosques. He
reported that Karkh Maternity Hospital had been cleared and
is secure, and he asked the Ministry of Health (MoH) to take
steps to provide services there. He also reported that some
families had returned to cleared areas and suggested that the
BSP media support committee look into whether this would be
an appropriate media opportunity.


3. (C) Abboud identified fuel supplies for Iraqi Security
Forces (ISF) as a problem. He also asked for more
cooperation from officials with personal security detail
(PSD) convoys, and asked that the Ministry of Electricity
(MoE) to provide more nighttime street lighting.


4. (C) CG Petraeus began the meeting by informing the Prime
Minister that the Coalition Forces will call the BSP by the
Iraqi name, Operation Fardh al Qanoon. He agreed security
operations are off to a good start, adding that USG and GOI
officials should remind the public that BSP is in the very
early stages, will take several months to be fully in place,
and will probably not result in a complete cessation of
violence in Baghdad. However, the goal of BSP is to create
an environment in which Baghdad residents can resume normal
activity, including economic activity. The CG noted that all
forces had not yet arrived and emphasized need for full
strength units from the Iraqis. CG also recounted his
travels during the past week to several areas outside
Baghdad, expressing particular concern about the situation in
Diyala governorate.


5. (C) The CG stressed that the popular mobilization
committees should coordinate with local government using the
existing Neighborhood and District Advisory Councils, rather
than trying to create new structures that would duplicate
local government.

ISF Supplies
--------------


6. (C) CG urged that the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and
Ministry of Defense (MOD) use their FMS funds for equipment
and operating costs, and ensure quick, reliable and
transparent delivery of supplies to ISF.


7. (C) Iraqi Baghdad ground forces commander General Babakir
asked for the PM's support in purchasing supplies for ISF,
particularly protective vests, helmets, weapons and fuel.
The PM said ISF procurement processes for BSP should be
expedited; these processes must not be allowed to delay BSP.
CG pointed out that vests could quickly be obtained through
FMS.

Political Support Committee
--------------


8. (C) BSP political support committee head VP Abdel Mehdi
reported that FM Zebari and Hashim al-Hasseini are developing
national and regional BSP political support goals. Abdel
Mehdi identified reconciliation as BSP's chief political
goal, and several reconciliation measures are now before the
Council of Representatives (CoR): constitutional review,
de-Ba'athification reform, and hydrocarbons legislation. The
VP also urged better implementation of the investment law and
consideration of amnesty and detainee releases.


9. (C) Abdel Mehdi said he had met with religious authorities
in Najaf to urge their support for BSP. FM Zebari would work

BAGHDAD 00000616 002 OF 002


on developing regional support, and Hasseini would work with
GOI ministers. Abdel Mehdi announced he planned to travel to
Turkey in the next week.


10. (C) FM Zebari said he had explained BSP's goals to
Jordanian and SAUDI officials, who had privately expressed
support; Zebari had asked for public statements of support.
Zebari said he had received a better reception on his recent
trip to SAUDI ARABIA than on his previous trip. Zebari
reported that he is discussing with neighboring states a
March 11-12 regional conference in Baghdad. The Baghdad
conference was originally intended to be ministerial-level,
but due to attendance problems now would probably be at the
DFM or envoy level, followed by a second meeting at the
ministerial level.


11. (C) National Security Advisor Rubaie urged more political
focus on the Sunni community to reduce Sunni fears that BSP
targets them. He urged Abdel Mehdi to focus on that instead
of traveling to Turkey. Rubaie suggested that the political
support committee also focus on developing support for BSP in
Europe. Next, he expressed disappointment that he did not
hear priorities and timelines at this meeting. He also urged
the political support committee to draft letters to regional
leaders explaining BSP.


12. (C) Former DPM Ahmed Chalabi disagreed with NSA Rubaie
and said that engagement with Turkey and SAUDI ARABIA on the
new political situation is very important.

Services
--------------


13. (C) BSP services support committee head DPM Zawbai said
his office is working "as one team" with Embassy IRMO
Director Saloom and presented a slides showing the status and
budgets of ongoing projects (Embassy e-mailed Zawbai's slides
to NEA/I February 16).


14. (C) Zawbai expressed concern about fuel supplies, noting
inefficiencies at one depot. Zawbai said that attempted
trash collection in Mansour district had been stopped due to
terrorist threats to workers, and asked that the area be
secured. Zawbai criticized the Ministries of Agriculture and
Transportation as "paralyzed." Zawbai reported that he had
visited the Beyji refinery with IRMO Director and found
substandard conditions, poor security foremost among them.
Zawbai claimed that thousands of Salah ad Din governorate
citizens had volunteered to form Iraqi security forces but
had not been used. National Security Advisor Rubaie said
these problems should be discussed in another forum.

Popular Mobilization
--------------


15. (C) BSP popular mobilization support committee co-chair
Nasr Alaa'ni reported that the committee had overseen the
re-opening of a Sunni mosque in heavily Shiite Sadr City in
the past week and hopes to re-open another February 17.
Alaa'ni reported that the committee is in the process of
selecting members for the "popular committees" that Alaa'ni
and co-chair Ahmed Chalabi hope will lead the popular
mobilization effort. According to Alaa'ni, local government
officials in some districts are not the de facto community
leaders. VP Abdel Mehdi reiterated that the popular
committees must not become "new bodies" to replace government.


16. (C) Support committee co-chair Chalabi told the ESC he
had received reports of ISF stealing from homes they raided,
in particular about special operations group "Battalion 36."
General Abboud said he had heard no such complaints; Babakir
noted that this battalion only carries out targeted
operations, not general sweeps of homes.


17. (C) Baghdad Mayor expressed a similarly negative tone and
said that the new BSP looks very much like the failed
Operation Together Forward from last August. He expressed
hope in technical solutions like car scanners to help with
roadblocks.
KHALILZAD