MAYSAN: SUB-PROVINCIAL LEADERS ENGAGE WITH PRT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003412



SIPDIS



E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2018

TAGS: PGOV, PINR, IR, IZ

SUBJECT: MAYSAN: SUB-PROVINCIAL LEADERS ENGAGE WITH PRT



Classified By: PRT Leader Dan Foote. Reasons 1.4b,d



(U) This is a PRT Maysan reporting cable.



1. (C/REL MCFI) Summary: Representatives from Al Gharbi, Al

Maimouna and Qalat al Saleh, three of Maysan province's six

rural Qadas, traveled to Camp Garry Owen to discuss current

challenges confronting their districts with members of the

Maysan PRT. They reported that district councils are

functional but decried limited interaction with provincial

officials. The sub-provincial officials lauded improved

security and upcoming elections, and expressed typical

concern about shortfalls in water, electricity, schools, and

roads. The three Qadas invited PRT members to visit their

areas to develop a better perspective and continue

discussions. End Summary.



2. (C/REL MCFI) In an effort to expand engagements in Maysan

province, PRT members arranged a series of meetings with

sub-provincial government leaders October 20-22 at Camp Garry

Owen. Maysan Province consists of six Qadas: Al Gharbi, Al

Maimouna, Qalat el Saleh, Al Amarah, Al Kahla, and Majar al

Kabir. The PRT invited the Qaim maqams (Mayors) and Qada

Council Chairman from the six Qadas to Camp Garry Owen to

discuss local issues in the Qadas. Leaders from Al Maimouna,

Al Gharbi and Qalat al Saleh were able to travel to Amarah

for separate PRT engagements. Attendees included:



-Al Maimouna (southwest corner of Maysan province)- Qada

Council Chairman Adnan Khalaf Tabor, Deputy Qada Council

Chairmman Ali.



-Al Gharbi (northern part of Maysan, borders Iran)- Qada Qaim

Maqam Jawad Kadhum



-Qalat al Saleh (southeast corner of Maysan province, borders

Iran)- Qada Qaim Maqam's Advisor Madam Rehab



Leaders from Al Amarah, Al Kahla and Al Mejar al Kabir were

unable to come to Camp Garry Owen to meet.



3. (C/REL MCFI) According to the Al Maimouna, Al Gharbi and

Qalat al Saleh leaders, each of these three rural Qadas

consist of a population center (Al Gharbi - 24,000 residents,

Al Maimouna - 65,000 residents and Qalat al Saleh - 50,000

residents) with outlying towns, rural areas and desert areas.
<br /> All three said that their Qada councils consisted of 21

elected members that meet once a week. Schools are

operational in each Qada, though they lack adequate numbers

of schools and therefore have to run shifts with separate

classes in the mornings, afternoons, and sometimes in the

evenings.



4. (C/REL MCFI) Each Qada reported an operational courthouse

with two judges. Qada leaders unanimously viewed upcoming

provincial elections as a positive opportunity to replace

current provincial leadership and hoped that they might lead

to greater say in provincial budgets. They similarly suffer

from shortages in drinking water, irrigation water, schools,

roads, and medical services. Two of three noted that the U.S.

fixed Kuwait's electrical system overnight, and that many

Iraqis believe that the U.S. is to blame for lack of

electricity in Iraq.



5. (C/REL MCFI) All three Qadas said that security has

improved since the Iraqi Security Forces' June operations in

Maysan. The Al Maimouna leaders stated that insurgents have

left and the Qada is stable. In Al Gharbi, the Qaim maqam

said that there has not been an influx of Iraqi Army troops

nor U.S. troops into his Qada. The Iraqi Police patrol the

town, but Al Gharbi is different from other areas of Maysan

and the Bani Lan Tribe ensures security. Qalat al Saleh

expressed satisfaction with the Iraqi Army forces that have

arrived as a result of the June operations, but dismay over

the lack of experience and expertise of the local police

forces. They are concerned about the impact of a

concentration of U.S. forces located at FOB Hunter outside of

the city, and hoped that large numbers of U.S. troops would

not travel through the town center.



6. (C/REL MCFI) According to the Qada leaders there is

limited interaction between the Qada Qaim Maqams/Councils and

the Provincial Governor/Council, though these are more on an

ad hoc or informal basis. They stated that they discuss

their needs for services and infrastructure with provincial

level officials including the ministerial Director Generals

(i.e. DG of Agriculture, DG of Water Resources, etc.) working

in Maysan province. However, they complained that the

provincial leadership rarely visited their Qadas to see the

problems they face. All three Qadas stated that the province

is currently executing some projects in their areas, such as

are ongoing sewerage system, school, and road projects. In

Al Maimouna, a new water treatment facility had been recently



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completed, though it is not yet operational.



7. (C/REL MCFI) While they stated that there is some

provincial-funded reconstruction ongoing in their Qadas, the

general sentiment was that the provincial government and the

ministerial departments were not expending enough resources

in these outlying Qadas. They complained that the majority

of the provincial budget wwas directed toward Amarah, and

that contractors were sent from Amarah for Qada projects with

little to no coordination with local leaders. Sometimes this

led to problems between the "out of town" contractors and

local tribes, who wanted to "participate" in the contract.

Qalat al Saleh related the story of a sorely needed bridge to

span the Tigris River that has taken four years to build and

has generated a great deal of tension between the local

tribes and the provincial contractor.



8. (C/REL MCFI) All three Qadas invited PRT members to visit

their localities to continue discussions and assessments.

The Al Gharbi Qaim maqam said that his immediate focus was on

getting water to the farmers and roads built to connect parts

of the Qada. The Al Maimouna Qada Council Chairman expressed

interest in getting the newly constructed water treatment

plant on-line and a British-supplied electrical power

generator that has slipped into disrepair operational. The

Qalat al Saleh Advisor noted a need for agriculture

assistance and in particular was looking for help in building

a date syrup factory to take advantage of the Qada's dates.



9. (C/REL MCFI) Comment: These meetings provided a better

window into the sub-provincial government atmosphere, as well

as excellent fodder for potential capacity-building and

assistance programs. The PRT will continue similar

engagements as resources permit. End comment.

CROCKER