MOSUL BENEFITS FROM MAYOR'S VOLUNTARY VISITOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001882 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SCUL KPAO PREL PGOV PHUM EAID PINR IZ SUBJECT: MOSUL BENEFITS FROM MAYOR'S VOLUNTARY VISITOR PROGRAM TO U.S. This is a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Ninewa message. Sensitive but unclassified - please handle accordingly. Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) During a short June 2008 debriefing, Zuhair Muhsin Abdul Aziz Al Aaraji, Mayor of Mosul - one of Iraq's most strategic cities - reported that his trip to the United States was extremely beneficial. Mayor Al Aaraji took part in the US-Arab Cities Forum hosted in May 2008 by the Honorable Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago, and then in a 10-day International Visitor Leadership Voluntary Visitor Program that took him to Minneapolis and Philadelphia. The trip was the first time the Mayor had ever left Iraq. The program focused on critical infrastructure issues that Mosul must tackle and the Mayor returned to Mosul energized by his exposure to numerous new ideas. ¶2. (SBU) Al Aaraji focused his attention on solid waste management, waste water treatment, and neighborhood redevelopment. Al Aaraji indicated that Mosul had already seen direct results from his Voluntary Visitor program. Shortly after returning, he formed a committee to study solid waste treatment issues for the city. The committee has produced a comprehensive solid waste study for the 100 tons of solid waste produced each day in the city of Mosul. The comprehensive study has been submitted to the Provincial Council and includes many ideas that were highlighted during the program. Mayor Maintains Contact with Interlocutors -------------- ¶3. (SBU) While working on the solid waste management plan, Al Aaraji indicated that he received guidance from individuals he met during his 10-day program. He also reported utilizing information from numerous websites he was provided during the program. During the initial five days in Chicago at the US-Arab Cities Forum, Al Aaraji reported meeting many mayors from all over the Arab world and enjoyed the opportunity to exchange views. He indicated that he had continued to correspond with some of the mayors via email. Many Surprises During Visit -------------- ¶4. (SBU) After being in the United States, Al Aaraji reported a new understanding of the value of trash segregation and recycling. He reported exploring creative incentives to encourage families in Mosul to separate their trash. After seeing the efficiency of private sector garbage collection in the United States, Al Aaraji also indicated that he would like to divide the city of Mosul into sectors. Some sectors would have private garbage collection and some would be serviced by the public sector. Al Aaraji thought this approach would provide incentives for the public sector to effectively compete against the private sector and potentially improve the quality of service. Based on information he received in the United States, he also reported an interest in developing an educational campaign to teach people how to recycle and the benefits associated with proper usage of collection and transfer stations. ¶5. (SBU) Al Aaraji indicated that he was most surprised by the great care that cities take to ensure that their water treatment process meets high standards. He was surprised that the cities didn't dump their waste water into the river for the next city to deal with on their own. He has given information he received from water treatment facilities to the Mosul Water Department to improve the water treatment capabilities of the city. ¶6. (SBU) Al Aaraji said that everything ran exactly as it was stated in the program book and he was surprised to find the same well organized systems in every sector of US society. He noticed the well organized systems of planning, implementation, mentoring, and auditing and, as Mosul recovers from the war's devastation, he will attempt to replicate some of the same organizational systems. Comment -------------- ¶7. (SBU) This was the first opportunity for Al Aaraji to travel outside of Iraq. PRT Ninewa congratulates the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) on the excellent organization and the high-quality program. The program was a tremendous success and showed many positive aspects of American society. We will continue to work with the Mayor to BAGHDAD 00001882 002 OF 002 encourage the excitement and attitude he brought out of the program. Since Mosul Reconstruction is one of Iraq's highest priorities, the Mayor's travel to the United States could not have come at a more opportune time. CROCKER