FUTURE OF I-ESC IN QUESTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002277

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER IR IZ
SUBJECT: FUTURE OF I-ESC IN QUESTION

Classified By: Economic Minister Charles Ries. Reasons 1.4 (b,d).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) The National Security Adviser (NSA) formally proposed
that the Prime Minister dissolve the weekly Baghdad-focused
"Executive Steering Committee" (I-ESC) meeting of service
ministries and senior coalition representatives. The NSA
plan is to replace the I-ESC with an expanded forum on
post-kinetic essential services and reconstruction in Basra,
Mosul, Maysan, and Baghdad. The NSA's office decided to take
this action after the PM told the NSA the I-ESC had become
too "routine," and canceled five consecutive meetings. The
I-ESC Secretariat told us the Prime Minister accepted the
proposal on July 3, but subsequently returned it to the NSA's
office, requesting further studies on the nature of the
forum. I-ESC is suspended pending the submission of this
study. End Summary.

MALIKI REPORTEDLY CALLS I-ESC "ENDLESS, WITHOUT REASON"
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2. (C) Saeed Al-Jaiashy of the Iraq Executive Steering
Committee (I-ESC) Secretariat told us on July 2 that National
Security Adviser (NSA) Muwafuk Rubaie formally proposed that
Prime Minister Maliki scrap the I-ESC and replace it with a
new forum to focus on post-kinetic essential services and
reconstruction throughout the country. Saeed said the NSA's
office decided to take this action after the PM told Rubaie
the I-ESC had become too "routine" and was no longer
necessary. On July 13, Al-Jaiashy reported the PM had sent
the proposal back to the NSA's office, asking for a "deeper"
study, adding that the PM wrote the I-ESC was "endless and
without reason" on the returned proposal. The NSA's office
is currently undertaking the study, which seeks to define
responsibilities of the committee members, decide whether the
forum should conduct project execution or merely assessment,
and determine the limits of civil-military coordination. The
I-ESC is suspended pending the submission of this study. The
last I-ESC meeting took place on May 23, with the PM's office
canceling the five subsequent meetings, often on short
notice.


3. (C) According to Al-Jaiashy, the proposed national level
forum would expand the GOI focus from exclusively Baghdad to
the provinces of Basra, Mosul, and Maysan. The forum might
subsequently expand from the four provinces to other areas,
as large-scale Iraqi ARMY operations allow for the return of
services. He said security concerns have stalled over 60
reconstruction projects throughout Iraq, and this new meeting
could help coordinate security efforts to support the restart
of these initiatives. He also stressed the need for the
Iraqi ARMY to cede control of areas to Iraqi Police as soon
as possible and said the new meeting would help facilitate
that as well. The new forum would meet on a bi-weekly basis,
as opposed to the weekly I-ESC format, but similarly include
the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, the NSA, and
other ministries involved with essential services in the four
focus provinces. Al-Jaiashy said USG participation in the
meeting would be welcome.

I-ESC BACKGROUND
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4. (U) The GOI established the I-ESC as a forum for the Prime
Minister and senior cabinet members to make strategic
decisions in support of "Fardh al-Qanoon," the Baghdad
Security Plan. I-ESC discussions encompassed varied subject
matters, such as economics, security, politics, and essential
services, as such topics related to Baghdad. In addition to
cabinet members, I-ESC participants included local leaders
such as the Provincial Council Chairman, the Mayor's Office,
and the Governor's Office. Ambassador Crocker, Economic
Minister Charles Ries, Commanding General Petreaus, and other
senior MNF-I officers often represented MNF-I and the Embassy
at the weekly I-ESC. A weekly "Deputy I-ESC" meeting
identified future agenda topics, with input from Embassy and
MNF-I personnel. Six I-ESC "Supporting Committees," such as
the Essential Services Committee chaired by Ahmed Chalabi,
also met to address concerns in specific areas.

COMMENT
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5. (C) We are not surprised by the dissolution of the I-ESC.
The Prime Minister has questioned its utility before. Over
the past few months, he disbanded the supporting committees,
reduced the scope and members of the Deputy I-ESC, and
limited USG participation in the weekly I-ESC. Cabinet
members have appeared at times to grow impatient of having to
involve themselves so closely in local issues or defend

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themselves in open sessions. That said, the I-ESC has proven
successful in keeping the GOI focused on strategic issues in
Baghdad, while holding local officials and ministers
accountable to the PM. In addition, our active participation
in the Deputy I-ESC offered the opportunity for the USG to
shape the agenda of the I-ESC. Our representation in the
I-ESC then gave us the chance to engage the highest levels of
the GOI on these issues. While the post-kinetic
reconstruction challenges facing Baghdad, especially with
regard to Sadr City reconstruction, are far from resolution,
the new meeting format might reinvigorate the forum and help
ensure the GOI not lose sight of the importance of "winning
the peace."
CROCKER