MOD REINSTATEMENT INITIATIVE BRINGS IN THOUSANDS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003038 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINS IZ SUBJECT: MOD REINSTATEMENT INITIATIVE BRINGS IN THOUSANDS OF FORMER OFFICERS, NCOS Classified By: Political-Military Minister-Counselor Michael Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Iraqi Ministry of Defense initiated September 6 a program to reinstate or retire remaining officers and NCO's from the pre-2003 Iraqi Army. The initiative is being administered jointly by the Ministry of Defense and the Prime Minister's Implementation and Follow-up Committee for National Reconciliation (IFCNR). Applicants residing in Iraq have 8 weeks to present themselves to one of eleven reception centers established at Iraqi Army Division headquarters throughout Iraq; those residing outside Iraq have 12 weeks to do so. Applicants age 49 and above and/or who held a rank of Lieutenant Colonel or above will be retired, a stipulation met by dismay in conversations with senior officers of the former army, some of whom believe the restrictions reflect Iranian influence. Initial results from the program are extremely positive, with 57,457 NCOs and 10,560 former officers registering through September 19. The initiative is being billed by the PM's staff as a major reconciliation initiative to move the country beyond issues lingering from the 2003 dissolution of the Iraqi Army and to draw away remaining support from former officers for the Sunni insurgency. It may achieve that with some lower-ranked applicants, but failure to resolve the fate of senior officers of the former Army -- some of whom desire a symbolic return to service through appointment to advisory positions within the MOD -- may deny this initiative the full and positive impact intended by the GOI. End Summary. -------------- "Closing the File" -------------- ¶2. (U) On September 6, the Iraqi MOD began its largest initiative to date to facilitate the reinstatement or formal retirement of former officers and NCOs of the pre-2003 Army. Those living inside Iraq have 8 weeks from September 6 to appear at one of 11 IA Divisional reception centers established by the MOD, while those outside the country have been given an additional 4 weeks to appear. The Prime Minister's Implementation and Follow-up Committee for National Reconciliation (IFCNR) and the Ministry of Defense are administering the program and directing an information campaign to notify those eligible through Iraqi and regional media outlets as well as through direct engagement with groups of former military throughout Iraq. Letters have also been issued to Iraqi Military Attaches posted to neighboring states outlining the process. Press reports announcing the initiative noted that it reflects Prime Minister Maliki's instruction to "close the file" of the former army. Long anticipated, it appears to have been driven in part by the PM's positive interaction with former officers during ISF operations in Mosul, in which a number of former officers were enlisted to bolster IA units. ¶3. (U) Once registered at a reception center, former officers and NCOs will be paid an interim monthly salary until a final decision has been taken whether to reinstate to active duty or reserve status or to retire the applicant. Age, health condition and Baath party rank are figured into the decision, with a stipulation that those above age 49 and/or above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel would be immediately processed for retirement. Membership in certain notorious organizations (the Fedayeen Saddam, and certain pre-2003 intelligence agencies, for instance) are grounds for denial of any benefits. -------------- Senior Officers Balk at Age Restrictions -------------- ¶4. (C) Age and rank restrictions have been met with strong criticism by some former officers. Lt. General Raad Hamdani, a former Republican Guard Corps Commander and leader of a group of former officers negotiating reinstatement issues with the GOI (brokered by MNFI's Force Strategic Engagement Cell) since late 2007, told FSEC officers in Amman September 12 that the restrictions are a major disappointment and reflect an Iranian hand. Hamdani believes age and rank restrictions are intended to prevent the return senior officers with service experience from the Iran-Iraq war and to block the presence of Sunnis among the ranks of senior Army officers. (Note: Hamdani has been working with the GOI to gain reinstatement of senior officers to advisory, staff college and other non-combat appointments. Resistance to this notion has emerged notably within the MOD, both on grounds that former regime officers were absent during the critical post-2003 fighting to save the government and among some who fear losing senior positions to returnees from the former army. End note.) According to IFCNR officials, the age restriction can be waived for certain technical skill BAGHDAD 00003038 002 OF 002 sets, in particular those associated with Air Force specialties. ¶5. (C) Many of those eligible for the program reside in neighboring states and are reportedly suffering badly after 5 years without pay or benefits. Hamdani noted the concerns many of these officers would have in trying to return to Iraq to register, including the fear of being denied re-entry to Jordan or other neighboring states where many reside without legal status. IFCNR figures indicate there are approximately 140,000 officers and NCOs from the former army whose service status remains unresolved. This figure does not include regular soldiers and includes many that IFCNR suspects to be "ghost" or duplicate names. At an IFCNR meeting September 10, Colonel Ali al-Hisabi, Director of IFCNR's Office of Dissolved Entities, estimated the maximum that might apply at 80,000. Through September 19, IFCNR reports 57,457 registrations among NCOs and 10,560 among former officers (lieutenant and above),exceeding IFCNR's expectations to date. IFCNR figures show that prior to initiation of this new initiative, 142,293 former officers and NCOs have been processed for reinstatement or retirement since 2003, with 12,460 officers brought back to active duty. ¶6. (C) Comment: The reinstatement initiative is an important and positive step for PM Maliki in reaching out to veterans of the former army. Early results indicate broad willingness among veterans to register and settle their status, though their motivation -- whether a desire to reconcile or a reflection of material need -- remains unclear. The inclusion of age and rank restrictions (that may, it must be said, reflect current operational requirements of the new Iraqi Army),very likely does reflect continued deep suspicion within the GOI towards Sunnis associated with the former regime. A failure to more aggressively engage former high-ranking officers, a community whose reconciliation remains important symbolically for many Sunnis, may ultimately diminish the positive effect of this and other GOI reconciliation initiatives. End Comment. CROCKER