Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD887
2007-03-13 14:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

MARCH 10 EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING:

Tags:  PGOV PINS ECON IZ 
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VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHGB #0887/01 0721443
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 131443Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0163
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0164
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000887 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS ECON IZ
SUBJECT: MARCH 10 EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING:
FOCUS ON SERVICES

(U) Classified by Ambassador Khalilzad, reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000887

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/11/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINS ECON IZ
SUBJECT: MARCH 10 EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING:
FOCUS ON SERVICES

(U) Classified by Ambassador Khalilzad, reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: The March 10 Executive Steering Committee
(ESC) of the Baghdad Security Plan had a strong focus on
basics services, notably pharmaceuticals and electricity, as
well as a more assessments-based security update. Other
topics included returning internally displaced persons (IDPs)
and media. There is increasing turnout on the Iraqi side for
these meetings, including by staff of the Prime Minister,s
Office, as well as a growing professionalism of the
presentations. Unfortunately, DPM Barham Salih again was
absent from the meeting, since he is in Jordan with President
Talabani. Vice President Adel Abdul-Mahdi was on pilgrimage
to Karbala for Arba,een. It is clear that Chalabi is
asserting more leadership in the BSP through his role in the
Public Support Committee. End Summary.

--------------
Security Update
--------------


2. (C) The PM began the meeting as in the past by calling on
Lt Gen Abboud Kanbar for a security update, which Abboud
provided in detail, but with more assessment and summary
information than his previous briefings to the ESC. He
touched on the VBIED problem and noted that an issue the
military is grappling with is how to protect pilgrims better
in the wake of the Hillah attack on March 6. He reported the
continuing decline in numbers of kidnappings and extra
judicial killings (EJK,s) but also the continued terrorist
activity in Kharkh district. Abboud noted that a VBIED had
been detected and detonated by a checkpoint in Doura and
listed a number of other incidents involving VBIEDs. He
explained that the number IDP returnees is growing, with some
300 families returning to Kharkh, 400 in Rusafa and almost
1600 families returning to the Baghdad suburbs. The military
showed footage which had been aired on local TV of returning
families in the suburbs, leading to a discussion of whether
the ID 1 million returnee payments offered by the PM were
sufficient, and how the distribution of payments could be
improved.


3. (C) Abboud had the Baghdad traffic director describe

efforts to un-block various streets and remove the t-wall
barriers in front of the headquarters of the political
parties and other public buildings. He listed a number of
markets that had been secured as well as warehouses belonging
to the Amanat which contained goods important for the BSP.
He noted that a large number of the terrorists who had been
detained so far had already confessed, underscoring the need
for quicker trials to keep the judicial process moving
forward. He also called on the Popular Support Committee to
do more to help returning IDPs. Abboud criticized the
federal ministries in general for not supporting the Fardh
al-Qanoon project more seriously, and called on the Baghdad
city administration to help support his efforts to secure
markets by making better use of available parking lots. He
announced his intent to focus on relieving traffic congestion
in the city by re-opening 11 main roads that are presently
largely blocked for security chokepoint purposes. Ten other
main roads will be repaired as a pilot program. Overall as
many as 90 roads in Baghdad have been blocked for security
purposes

--------------
Political Committee
--------------


4. (C) In the absence of VP Abdul-Mahdi, the Political
Committee report was presented by former CoR member Hajem
al-Hasani, who described his efforts to engage in a broader
discussion with political leaders on ways to expedite
national reconciliation.


5. (C) He cited the various drafts of a de-Baathification
law and how he was trying to find a way consolidate the
drafts. He pointed to the hydrocarbon law as a particularly
important part of the reconciliation effort, saying he was
consulting with the CoR to ensure that the law was passed
quickly and by an overwhelming majority to show its broad
support. He also cited the March 10 Neighbors, Conference
as helping to contribute to the reconciliation process. PM
Maliki mentioned that he wanted to see Iraq,s ambassadors
engage in more active lobbying to promote awareness of the
BSP after the Neighbors, Conference. National Security
Adviser Rubaie queried the Baghdad governor if a way could
not be found to appoint distinguished Sunnis as ex officio
members of the Baghdad Provincial Council. The governor
replied to general amusement that he had no idea which
members of the Council were Sunni and which were Shia.


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


6. (C) DPM Zowbaie presented an update on services asking
the Minister of Health to make a presentation on the
ministry,s needs and calling on the Minister of Interior to
focus on the problems the Health Ministry faced from
infiltrations in its facilities protection service forces.
The Minister of Health then outlined his concerns about
security, saying it was more important to protect the
pharmaceutical warehouses than delivery trucks since
otherwise the staff of the warehouses would not be able to do
their jobs. The Electricity Minister gave an extensive
presentation on the plan to acquire solar-powered street
lights, as well as discussing security problems at Bayji
Refinery and the need to secure crude oil transport for Doura
refinery. He told the ministers that he will begin
participating in a joint Iraqi-CF working group to better
coordinate repairs to electrical infrastructure. Interior
Minister Bolani noted that the problems with Bayji were more
complex than security but went deeper into the whole issue of
corruption resulting from theft of crude oil as well as
refined product. DPM Zawbaie called for a greater focus on
providing power to BIAP airport which has not had reliable
power for months. The Interior Minister asserted that the
time was right to address electricity theft and that he had
sufficient forces available to do so, to which the
Electricity Minister replied that the problem was so
ingrained that it would require concerted efforts to address
since the power thieves had constructed their own network of
power lines to draw off power from the distribution points.


7. (C) The mayor of Baghdad launched into an extremely
lengthy presentation of various infrastructure projects he
had been carrying out, overall the city had some 1000
projects of varying scope underway. He highlighted that in
Sadr City there was a particular set of problems with illegal
buildings on easements and other land needed for
infrastructure use. These illegal structures were a major
impediment to sorting out the infrastructure problems in Sadr
City and required sensitive political solutions.

--------------
Media
--------------


8. (C) On Media Committee issues there was a discussion of
how to present the IDP returnee situation in the best
possible light, highlighting what the government was doing
without creating unrealistic expectations. Committee Chair
Majid called on the security forces to provide actual footage
of weapons seized in illegal caches as well as material on
detainees that could be aired so that the populace had a
better picture ) literally ) of the accomplishments of the
FAQ program. Majid also talked about how to do a better job
with the regional Arab TV stations, a recurring theme in ESC
discussions. General Petraeus assured the committee that
Coalition Forces were able and willing to provide media
material for airing as requested and also offered to rebuild
the book market recently destroyed by a suicide bomber. The
Minister of Health sought authorization to be allowed to
discuss with media and NGOs the steep decline in numbers of
EJK,s, which are now in the daily range of 5-10, vice the
over 100 EJK,s showing up in morgues around the city only a
few weeks ago. MoI Bulani disagreed and said that because
MoH gives the media the total number of dead on a daily
basis, the media will make the assumption that they were all
killed due to sectarian violence and thus exacerbate the
negative portrayal of security efforts in regional media.
The Prosecutor General weighed in with a report on his
efforts to accelerate the rate at which special commissions
could do field investigations of detainees. He said that in
as many as 50% of the cases of detainees there was
insufficient evidence to hold them, and in fact they were
being released. He added that his judges were reporting that
in all cases there were reasonable grounds for suspicion, but
that even where there was smoke, but no fire8 high
evidentiary standards were being maintained.


9. (C) Comment: The latest ESC reflected a further
maturation of the Iraqi internal interagency process. The
turnout by ministers and staff is increasing. Presentations
are more focused ) with some exceptions ) and in general
the discussions are more conducive to decision-making. While
much work from the embassy side has gone into helping prepare
the issues and agenda for these meetings, the process seems
to be gradually gaining its own momentum, though it is clear
that the momentum still results in extremely lengthy meetings
with more digressions than might be wished for.
Nevertheless, just as the FAQ is going better than many had
feared, the ESC is gradually developing into a more coherent

decision-making and information exchange mechanism that
should allow the PM to lead the interagency response. The
fact that the Iraqis continue to place importance on the
exchange with Coalition representatives is also to be noted.
End Comment.
SPECKHARD