IRAQI VP HASHIMI ON CABINET CHANGES, BSP, AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000790

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2017
TAGS: PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQI VP HASHIMI ON CABINET CHANGES, BSP, AND
DISCUSSIONS WITH IRAQIYAH

Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad per 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with the Ambassador on February
28, VP Tariq al-Hashimi said he had met with the Prime
Minister on February 27. The VP professed his support to the
PM and asked the PM to view him as a contributor to the GOI's
policies. According to VP Hashimi, he and PM discussed
cabinet changes, with the VP relaying his desire to change
MOD Abdul Qader al-Mufriji as soon as possible. The PM also
wanted to replace DPM Salam Zawbai and reported that the PM
was open to making this change. The Ambassador and Hashimi
discussed government performance in the Baghdad Security Plan
(BSP),the PM's call to dismiss the director of the Sunni
Endowment, de-Ba'athification, the neighbors conference in
March, and Tawafuq's discussions with Iraqiyah leader Ayad
Allawi. END SUMMARY.

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VP's Meeting With the PM
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2. (C) VP Hashimi said he met with the PM on February 27.
Hashimi said he told the PM that he and his Sunni colleagues
are ready to help and support him, but they want to be
consulted on issues. Hashimi reported that he and the PM
discussed cabinet changes. Hashimi said Tawafuq and others
want MOD Abdul Qader al-Mufriji replaced because the security
situation has deteriorated under his tenure and he is not
bringing in professional people. Hashimi complained that
when he calls Abdul Qader to discuss a security incident, the
MOD does not even know about it. Hashimi said the MOD thinks
Hashimi is concerned that the Ministry of Defense is not
employing enough Sunnis, but Hashimi clarified that his real
issue with Abdul Qader is that he is not hiring professional
employees - Sunni or Shia.


3. (C) Hashimi said the Sunni community and some Arab
countries are not satisfied with DPM Zawbai's performance and
want him replaced. Hashimi said the PM was open to that,
although PM Adviser Sami al-Askari thought they should wait
to replace Zawbai because he was leading the services
committee in the BSP. Hashimi, however, thought they could
proceed because the BSP committee was a separate duty from
the DPM job. When asked if CoR Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani
were going to be replaced, Hashimi replied, "One thing at a
time." Hashimi said Tawafuq would give the PM a list of
possible replacement candidates but noted the final choices
would be a compromise between Tawafaq and the PM.

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Government Performance in the BSP
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4. (C) The Ambassador told the VP he had recently discussed
with the PM the importance of evenhandedness in the BSP
operations. As an example of the PM's fairness, the
Ambassador noted that the Iraqi Security Forces, with the
approval of the PM, arrested an MOI official suspected of
multiple abuses of detainees, including detainees who were at
the MOI Site 4, a high profile case of detainee abuse
uncovered in May 2006. Hashimi said he was concerned about
human rights and said he was hearing stories of people being
taken from their houses and detained, without their families
knowing what happened to them. The Ambassador said the
Executive Steering Committee had formed a subcommittee, with
the Human Rights Minister, to make rules and regulations
about judges, arrest warrants, and other human rights-related
issues.


5. (C) Hashimi said the Sunni community welcomed more
Coalition troops. He said displaced Sunnis are not returning
to their homes yet. He stated that two Sunni families tried
to return to Hurriyah but were attacked. The Ambassador
encouraged Hashimi to consult with the Coalition forces and
said he would work on setting up a Coalition liaison to the
VP's office.

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Dismissal of Sunni Endowment Director Unresolved
-------------- ---


6. (C) Hashimi and the Ambassador agreed that the PM's call
to fire Sunni Endowment head Ahmed Abdul Ghafour al-Samarraie
was an emotional one. The Ambassador relayed that President
Talabani advised the PM not to dismiss Samarraie, but Maliki
did it anyway. The Ambassador said that according to
Talabani, the PM is now admitting his public call for the
dismissal was a hasty decision, but he is asking for Talabani
to help him save face in front of the public. Hashimi said
Samarraie could be replaced at some point, but not now,
because he did not want the replacement to look as though it
were coming at Maliki's request.

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Presidency Council to Work on De-Ba'athification Law
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7. (C) Hashimi said he had looked at the Embassy's proposed
draft for the new de-Ba'athification law and had only made
one slight amendment before sending it to Salim al-Jabbouri,
the Iraqi Islamic Party's point person on the
De-Ba'athification law. The Ambassador asked Hashimi to work
out a compromise draft with VP Abdel Mahdi in the next week,
so that the Presidency Council could take the lead on the law
and present a draft to the CoR. Hashimi agreed on this.

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Neighbors' Conference
--------------


8. (C) Turning to regional affairs, Hashimi said he was going
to Syria on March 5. The Ambassador said a neighbors'
conference is going to be held in Baghdad on March 10. The
conference will include sub-ministerial level representation
from Iraq's neighbors, Egypt, and the permanent five members
of the UN Security Council. The Ambassador explained a
second conference will take place in April at the ministerial
level, and will include representatives from the Group of
Eight in addition to the countries represented at the March
conference. The Ambassador said the venue for the April
conference is still being discussed but noted Istanbul and
Cairo are being considered.

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Tawafuq Discussions with Iraqiyah
--------------


9. (C) Hashimi said Tawafuq is having good discussions with
Iraqiyah leader Ayad Allawi. He said Tawafuq, Iraqiyah,
Hewar, the Turkomen Front, and Fadhila are considering
forming a bloc to promote national unity, but noted there
have been no deals yet. Hashimi was unsure whether Fadhila
would be willing to break from Itilaf, although he said many
Fadhila members tell him they are independent. Hashimi said
that Tawafuq realizes it needs to reach out to other parties
since it has only 44 members, and anyone who joins with
Tawafuq is a bonus.
KHALILZAD