VP ADEL ON LTSR AND PENDING LEGISLATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000250

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2023
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: VP ADEL ON LTSR AND PENDING LEGISLATION

REF: BAGHDAD 224 (ADEL ON LTSR)

Classified By: PolCounselor Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Vice President Adel Abdel Mehdi told
Political Counselor on January 28 that the GOI Political
Committee for National Security (PCNS) discussed the GOI
long-term strategic partnership (LTSR) negotiating framework
during a January 26 meeting, agreeing that negotiations would
be handled at the deputy minister level under supervision by
Prime Minister Maliki and top-tier GOI officials with
frequent PCNS consultation. He noted Iraqi unease over
recent American media reports of preliminary opposition to
LTSR expressed by some members of the U.S. Congress. On
legislative issues, Adel predicted the 2008 budget would be
passed after "useless delay" caused by Maliki; complained
that progress on the Provincial Powers law has been slowed by
unresolved disputes between Adel's Islamic Supreme Council of
Iraq (ISCI) and Maliki's Dawa Party; and said fellow VP Tariq
al-Hashemi had sent him a letter regarding the
De-Baathification Law. End Summary.

LTSR
--------------


2. (C) Adel characterized the January 26 PCNS as a productive
meeting attended by all major political blocs and players
except for the Sadrists, who are "boycotting" the PCNS
(reftel),and former PM al-Jaffri. The only topic discussed
was the GOI long-term strategic partnership (LTSR)
negotiating framework, with agreement that day-to-day
negotiations would be led by the Deputy Foreign Minister and
his team of deputy minister-level officials. This team will
be supervised by the Prime Minister, members of the
Presidency Council, and Ministers. The PCNS will be briefed
and consulted regularly on developments. A PCNS
"secretariat" likely to be headed by senior KDP official
Rawsch Shways will support this advisory function. Adel
stressed that all political parties will be encouraged to
actively participate in this PCNS advisory role so that the
agreement will gain CoR ratification and popular support.
Adel said all party blocs present at the January 26 PCNS were
positive about the LTSR. He dismissed likely Sadrist
opposition by stating that the GOI will never get 100 percent
support for any project but will have to persuade the Iraqi
people, the Sadrists, and the Iranians, that the agreement is
in Iraq's interests and does not merely provide legal cover
for a continued presence of foreign forces. The PCNS did not
discuss substantive LTSR issues.


3. (C) Adel once again praised S/I Satterfield's statements
to the Arab media that the USG will not seek bases, adding
that this helped dispel speculation and rumors among Iraqi
politicians. He said it would be useful if a more senior USG
official would go on record with similar assurances. Adel
voiced concern over recent American media reports of
preliminary opposition to LTSR expressed by some members of
the U.S. Congress. He said the GOI needs assurance that an
agreement will reflect the will of the entire USG, not just
part of it. We noted our wish that the agreement process be
handled with maximum transparency throughout.

Budget, Provincial Powers, De-Baath
--------------


4. (C) Adel said budget discussions are "not mature" but
predicted the CoR will eventually pass the budget "after more
useless delay, and no one will be the winner." He described
the holdup as a "small game played by the Prime Minister,"
adding that "Maliki sent a budget to parliament and then
conspired against it." On the pending Provincial Powers
bill, he noted unresolved disputes between his ISCI bloc and
Maliki's Dawa Party over several items including the date
upon which the enacted bill should take effect and the manner
in which a provincial governor can be removed from office.
In a separate January 27 meeting, senior Dawa CoR member
Haidar al-Abadi told us the latter issue had been resolved in
a "stormy" meeting between ISCI and Dawa, but the date of
implementation issue was a new dispute that had not yet been
bridged. Adel said the ISCI view is that the law should take
effect when published, like any other law, while Abadi told
us Dawa favors a delayed implementation date effective upon
seating of new provincial councils. Both claim the Iraqi
constitution is on their side.


5. (C) Adel said his office had not yet received a copy of
the De-Baath law, and we related our understanding that the
law was sent to him and the other two Presidency Council
members on January 24, thus triggering the ten-day period
(note: 15 day period according to an alternative legal
reading) in which bills must be signed by the three Council
members. Adel said he would sign upon receipt and would
endeavor to persuade VP Hashemi to follow suit. He noted

BAGHDAD 00000250 002 OF 002


that Hashemi had sent him a letter outlining "comments" on
the De-Baath law. In a subsequent conversation with Hashemi,
he indicated that while he favors returning the law to the
CoR for amendments, he would sign if both President Talabani
and VP Abdel Mehdi held to the view that returning the law to
the CoR would create problems.
BUTENIS