SCIRI DEPUTY SEEKS CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE FROM ARAB

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000827

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: SCIRI DEPUTY SEEKS CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE FROM ARAB
STATES


Classified By: Political Counselor Margaret Scobey for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).

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Neighbors Conference Presents Opportunity
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1. (C) In a March 7 meeting with PolCouns, SCIRI CoR member
and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Humam Hamoudi
expressed his optimism about the March 10 Neighbors
Conference, saying that if approached in the right way it
could be an important step in confirming the new role of Iraq
in the region and in enlisting cooperation and support from
neighboring countries. At the same time, Hamoudi expressed
his fear that recent statements from Amre Mousa and from Arab
Foreign Ministers indicated that Sunni Arab states were not
yet ready to support the new Iraq but instead were seeking to
internationalize Iraq's problems. "We had elections and
wrote a constitution," Hamoudi said, with a twinkle in his
eye. "If they want the UN Security Council to revise what we
have done, then why just interfere in Iraq? Why shouldn't
the Security Council also look at the problem of the Shi'a in
Saudi Arabia or the Kurds in Syria, and at how those states
are governed?" He criticized Arab states for not doing
anything constructive to fight the terrorism plaguing Iraq,
but instead for taking steps in "a sectarian direction."
PolCouns told Hamoudi that she hoped the March 10 conference
would lead other states to be more supportive of Iraq's
government and democratic process.

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Improving the CoR Institutionally
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2. (C) Turning to the CoR, Hamoudi said that the CoR needed
to improve in both its oversight and legislative functions.
While the committees could serve as objective, non-partisan
focal points for development and review of legislation, he
argued, they lacked expertise, and the CoR's leadership, i.e.
Speaker Mashhadani, was incapable of effectively managing the
legislative process. He proposed that the CoR vote on a
yearly basis to renew the mandate of the Speaker, as well as
the committee heads. To improve the CoR's oversight
function, Hamoudi said he would work to ensure that "one
Minister a week" was invited to the CoR for questioning on
their performance.

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Upcoming Legislation
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3. (C) Hamoudi said he expected the oil law to be passed by
the CoR with perhaps some minor modifications, but that it
would take time: "We need to study it, to debate it, to help
the people understand it." He agreed with PolCouns that the
provincial powers law needed further work to clarify the
authorities between the governors and the provincial
councils. Because of Iraq's experience with dictatorship,
Hamoudi said, it was important not to give too much power to
an executive at this point, be it at the national or
provincial level. PolCouns told Hamoudi of the Presidency
Council's efforts to draft a compromise deBaathification law
and of the proposal to suspend new deBaathification orders
until reform legislation was passed. Hamoudi expressed
surprise that schoolteachers in Salah al-Din who had received
exemptions from deBaathification orders had been unable to
return to their employment and suggested that the provincial
council find a means of employing them.
KHALILZAD