SUNNI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS HE HAS MALIKI'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000095

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2017
TAGS: PGOV PTER ECON IZ
SUBJECT: SUNNI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SAYS HE HAS MALIKI'S
SUPPORT


Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Daniel V. Speckhard for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: The Deputy Chief of Mission discussed the
new security and economic plan with Deputy Prime Minister
Salam Al-Zubai (Sunni - Tawafuq) on January 10. Dr. Al-Zubai
said that the new strategy was a step in the right direction,
and that he had the full confidence of Prime Minister
al-Maliki to be the lead Iraqi official on services issues
within the overall plan for Baghdad. The DCM described
assistance available to help Dr. Al-Zubai tracking
implementation of projects, and invited him to use the Joint
Reconstruction Operation Center (JROC) as his own instrument
to synchronize services projects with the security effort in
Baghdad. Al-Zubai agreed to convene a joint Iraqi-U.S.
working group the following day and to visit the JROC. End
Summary.

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"I am supported by the PM"
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2. (C) In a meeting with the DCM, the Director of the
National Coordination Team (NCT) and Emboffs, the Deputy
Prime Minister for Services emphasized his support from the
Prime Minister. "He has said that I am in charge of services
in the country, and I am also the Deputy Chair of the
Ministerial Committee for Security". (Note: The PM's Chief
of Staff, Dr. Tariq Abdullah, also told the DCM during a
January 7 meeting that the Dr. Al-Zubai, a Sunni, was the
lead on services in the context of the Baghdad security plan,
and that he should be the first point of contact on this
issue. Dr. Tariq stressed the Prime Minister's desire to
ensure that Al-Zubai had serious work to accomplish in the
context of the Baghdad security plan, and asked that we not
perceive DPM Barham Salih as the lead on this component. End
Note.) Dr. Al-Zubai noted that the United States deserved
more credit for the reconstruction work it has already done.
It is better to work with the United States on reconstruction
and development, he said, than with 'other nations.'


3. (C) The DCM said that the JROC was a fully functioning
operation s center for reconstruction to track projects, and
invited Dr. Al-Zubai to visit the facility and use it. Dr.
Al-Zubai welcomed this invitation, and suggested that they
set up a working group to handle services projects related to
the new security plan. He said he had engineers and
consultants on his staff ready to do this work. Post is
arranging Dr. Al-Zubai's visit to the JROC for January 11.

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Comment
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4. (C) Dr. Al-Zubai's statement about feeling supported by
the Prime Minister is very unusual. Senior Sunni politicians
have rarely, if ever, made similar statements to Embassy
officials. It likely reflects the Prime Minister's desire to
build cross-sectarian support and demonstrate his
impartiality. Al-Zubai repeated his desire to work with the
United States several times in the conversation. We will
work closely with Dr. Al-Zubai in his capacity as the GOI's
lead on services in the context of the new security and
economic effort in Baghdad. The PM has told the Ambassador
that Barham Salih will remain the leading GOI interlocutor on
the economic elements of the joint economic transition plan,
while Al-Zubai leads on services in the Baghdad Security Plan.
KHALILZAD