KARBALA PROVINCE GOES PIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HILLAH 000145

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/2/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL MARR IZ
SUBJECT: KARBALA PROVINCE GOES PIC

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CLASSIFIED BY: Angus T. Simmons, Provincial Team Leader, PRT
Najaf, DOS.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (U) This is a PRT Karbala Cable


2. (SBU) Summary: On October 29, Karbala Province became a
Province under Iraqi control (PIC). The arrival of PIC status
was celebrated in a three-hour ceremony hosted by Karbala
Province and attended by the Prime Minister and Karbala
notables, 3ID MG Lynch, PRTOffs, foreign and domestic media, and
Embassy press officer. The event included a parade at the
Karbala stadium by all of the Karbala security and public safety
units, and a signing ceremony which formalized the transfer of
security authority from the coalition to the Karbala government
and operations center. End Summary.


3. (U) The ceremony began with a parade review by Karbala's
security and public safety units for the Prime Minister and
attending dignitaries. The Iraqi Army, police, the SWAT team,
river patrol, ambulance service (featuring Japanese ambulances
donated by Iran),the special shrine protection force marching
with shields and riot control gear rather than long guns, women
police units, and the fire fighting units. The parade was
punctuated by sporadic cries from tribal leaders on the dais
calling out with traditional chants of support. The parade also
featured an enactment of a SWAT unit rescuing hostages from a
bus and arresting the malefactors.


4. (U) Prime Minister Maliki, Governor Aqeel, and MG Lynch
spoke at the ceremony. Prime Minister Maliki emphasized
reconciliation. "Iraq has entered a tunnel, but can get out only
by wisdom and preparedness. It can not break out by
unconsciousness, ignorance, and terrorism and killing
sentiments. Those features cannot build the country." He noted
that Iraq should be built on the basis of reconciliation ,
mutual understanding, efficiency, and willing to give others
their rights~reconciliation is one of the biggest achievements.
He also aid that Iraq had to combat corruption in the same way
it was combating terrorism.


5. (U) Governor Aqeel followed, also stressing the theme of
reconciliation, saying that Karbala had opened its doors to IDPs
- both Sunni and Shi'a. He maintained that Karbala had taken a
united stand on reconciliation supported by citizens, the
hawzas, and civil society. He called preparation for PIC a
"project presented by the Prime Minister." The Governor noted
that the Prime Minister had asked that Karbala become a city
empty of weapons - that they needed to be out of the hands of
anyone who did not represent the government. Only the armed
forces and law enforcement should have weapons. This would clear
the way to start on other projects leading to a prosperous and
peaceful Iraq. He also added that his remarks did not mean that
Karbala had reached his expectations of readiness, and that
training, equipping and recruiting for the security forces would
continue.


6. (U) MG Lynch praised the work of the Iraqi security forces,
particularly during recent months during the Shabania incident
of September 27-28, and a recent security operation in north
Karbala after mortar rounds had landed in a residential
district. The 3ID commanding general noted that the Karbala
forces had handled these incidents themselves and praised the
professionalism of 8th Iraqi Division Command MG Uthman,
Operations Center head LTG Kassem, Police head BG Ri'ad, and
Husseiniya City Iraqi Army brigad commander BG Amad. MG Lynch
noted that the Iraqi security forces had been planning and
preparing for the handing over of the security file for the last
eight months. He stressed that the fact of handing over the
security file did not mean that the coalition no longer cares
about Karbala, and that we would continue training and
reconstruction activities.


7. (C) Comment: This was a proud day for the Iraqi and
Karbala government and the mood in the stadium was buoyant.
The Prime Minister and the Governor both made positive
statements on reconciliation and the role of the security forces
in bringing stability and public safety to all Iraqis. While
some, even many Iraqis privately may not yet believe all of the
Iraqi security forces are entirely ready to enforce the law in
an even handed way for all Iraqis, such is the strength of
nationalistic feeling that no Iraqi wishes to publicly voice
sentiment to slow PIC processes down once they have been
announced. In fact, PM Maliki took MG Lynch aside briefly after
the ceremony to register unhappiness with a provision in the
text of the transfer document on access for coalition forces to
Karbala post PIC, which the PM clearly thought should be more
formal and stringent rather than language promising best efforts
to notify. This, despite the language having been agreed to by
the Joint Committee for Security Transition Readiness (JCSTR)

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PIC process and approved by the GOI and the provincial
government. Even so, it is clear that the Karbala (and central
government) authorities will continue to want support from 3ID
and the PRT in Karbala, while at the same time expecting that
USG representatives remain sensitive to Iraqi sensitivities on
sovereignty issues. Overall, the surge has clearly lowered
levels of violence in many parts Iraq, and the Karbala security
forces have developed their capability to the point where they
have recently weathered two challenges to security in the last
two months with steadfast determination and arrested large
numbers of malefactors. The security situation is far better
than it has been is some time in Karbala after the Shabania
riots and subsequent arrests of militia members who took part,
but obviously, far from perfect.


SIMMONS
SCOTT