IRAQ EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE - FEBRUARY 15

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 000544 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2018 TAGS: ECON IZ PGOV SUBJECT: IRAQ EXECUTIVE STEERING COMMITTEE - FEBRUARY 15 REF: BAGHDAD 0473 BAGHDAD 00000544 001.3 OF 003 ¶1. SUMMARY: An assertive Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki chaired the 15 February Iraqi Executive Steering Committee (I-ESC) in support of the Baghdad Security Plan (Fardh Al Qanoon - FaQ). The meeting featured praise of FaQ on its one year anniversary; discussions of remedies to the shortage of 4,300 schools needed in Iraq which included the call to create and fund a new GoI body specifically for school construction; and the PM threatening to take action against governors who refuse to adhere to the national electricity load shedding plan. Side discussions at the IESC reconfirmed that a major cabinet shake-up is imminent. END SUMMARY. -------------- Anniversary of Fardh Al Qanoon -------------- ¶2. (C) Noting that today was the one-year anniversary of Fardh Al Qanoon, PM Maliki praised both Iraqi and Coalition security forces and those who have supported them through the I-ESC. However, PM Maliki also noted that although security has improved, that many challenges remain and that the focus must now be on providing services. -------------- 483 Foreign Passports Found -------------- ¶3. (C) Underscoring the need to continue to fight foreign terrorist on Iraqi soil, PM Maliki stated that 483 passports of foreign fighters had recently been uncovered. PM Maliki stated that his government had created a CD with files of the passports that would be distributed to the respective countries of origin of the fighters. -------------- Project Clean Delivery Update -------------- ¶4. (C) The Inspector General from the Ministry of Oil (IG) updated the weekly results of the new mechanism to distribute kerosene (Project Clean Delivery),stating that deliveries increased 130% from the previous week, but also noting 10 trucks intended for Ameriyah were delayed five days with drivers allegedly refusing to deliver fuel to members of the "Awakening." PM Maliki instructed the IG to investigate and to inform him who is causing the disruptions. Baghdad Operations Commanded General Aboud stated that he had helped to rectify the situation, and that the delays in Ameriyah were complicated by the fact that several members of its local council have been assassinated in the Fall, rendering the body ineffective since then. ¶5. (C) Comment. With winter ending soon, the Iraqi team leading Project Clean Delivery (PCD) has decided to expand kerosene deliveries through their new PCD system to all of Baghdad's neighborhoods, and to continue these deliveries year-round. The PCD exercise has been a very effective capacity development exercise, both for the GoI inter-agency team, and the Embassy-led Coalition inter-agency group that initiated the project. Notably, PCD has revealed to senior Iraqi officials the widespread and menacing involvement of militias with services in Baghdad. Additionally, it has clearly shown that as long as the GoI provides scarce fuel products at an artificially low price, militias will have ample opportunity to profit from a black market (reftel). End Comment. -------------- Direct Fuel Importation -------------- ¶6. (C) In a wide ranging discussion about how Ministries can alleviate their chronic shortages of refined fuel product, PM Maliki reconfirmed, in front of the attending official from the State Oil Marketing Company (SOMO),that individual ministries can now by pass SOMO and purchase their fuel on the world market directly. The Minister of Industry complained SOMO was not providing agreed amounts of product and that ministries lacked sufficient budget allocations to compensate for increases in global fuel prices. ¶7. (C) The SOMO official blamed Kuwait caused delays at the border for fuel problems, but the Minister of Electricity called this an "excuse" and PM Maliki stated that it was clear that in any event it was clear that Kuwait is unlikely to do anything to solve Iraq's problems. I-ESC co-Secretariat, Ali Yaseri of the NSA Office, recommended that a special study group be formed to present recommendations on how to alleviate the fuel shortages at the I-ESC in two weeks time. -------------- School Shortages Remain Extreme -------------- ¶8. (C) Stating that there is no way that his ministry can BAGHDAD 00000544 002.4 OF 003 readily deal with 35 years of destruction, the Minister of Education (MinEd) again called other GoI entities to be given the responsibility of building the GoI estimated 4,300 new schools that Iraq needs. The MinEd stated that he was already renting private homes for schools and would soon install 200 temporary trailers to serve as class rooms in Baghdad. Responding to calls from the MinEd to provide land for schools, the Mayor stated he was looking for 56 acres, but that available land in Baghdad was scarce and that the MinEd would have to purchase land from private individuals. ¶9. (C) The Mayor urged the MinEd to bypass public bids for school construction contracts, stating that he was not legally required to publicize such bids given the financial value of such contracts and that it was far more efficient just to assign contracts to known firms. ¶10. (C) The MinEd stated that NSA Rubaie had previously informed him that he would receive funding for 10,000 janitor and guard positions. The Minister welcomed this and inquired about the status of the funds. (Comment. The NSA statement is likely related to CLC employment generation. End Comment.) ¶11. (C) While the discussion was going on, CG Petraeus instructed an MNF-I Officer to hand IESC Services Chair Ahmed Chalabi a tracking slide of Ministerial Budget Execution. Chalabi read the slide which stated that the Ministry of Education had spent only roughly one third of its capital budget allocation on schools. The MinEd disputed this and said that he had allocated 100% of his capital budget. (Comment. The budget execution slides summarized actual expenditures through 30 September 2007 as tracked by the Ministry of Finance. There are often delays and inconsistencies between the Ministry of Finance data and that of the ministries themselves. End Comment). ¶12. (C) I-ESC Services Chair, Ahmed Chalabi, complained that the Ministry of Finance was more than two months late in providing funding for schools and health clinics that he had requested in December. As such, Chalabi requested that his Services Committee be given increased authority to make budget recommendations. The MinEd urged the creation of a new Higher Commission for School Construction that would launch a national campaign for school construction. Notably, the MinEd explicitly stated that he did not advise the Provincial Council or the Amanat be given his construction budget. PM Maliki instructed the issue to be taken to the Council of Ministers. -------------- Ministerial Change Imminent -------------- ¶13. (C) In response to the complaints from Chalabi about the Ministry of Finance, the PM responded that he and Hashim Hassani (the IESC Political Com Head and CoR member who was sitting next to Maliki) knew exactly what they would do about the issue. (Comment. Post I-ESC, FaQ Civ Spokesman Sheekly recounted to Embassy Official that Maliki had told him that he would 'wipe the government clean' in coming days. End Comment.) -------------- Electricity Load Shedding -------------- ¶14. (C) The Minister of Electricity again addressed the major challenges facing electricity production in Baghdad, including insufficient refined fuel, failure of provinces to abide by the national electricity plan, and militia, AQI and criminal intimidation of personnel at Baghdad's 16 control stations. Specifically, the Minister stated that just this week the Governor of Babil refused his directions. ¶15. (C) In an impassioned response, PM Maliki stated that those Governors who disobey will be held accountable before the law. In an apparent reference to the Provincial Powers law, the PM also stated that, "when I say I don't want to give more power to the Provinces, this is what I'm talking about." The PM also stated that those Force Protection Services incapable or unwilling to defend the control stations should be relieved of their jobs. -------------- Sarafiya Bridge Rebuild -------------- ¶16. (C) A representative from the Ministry of Construction indicated that the rebuild of Sarafiya bridge is progressing well. Dr. Chalabi suggested that the bridge be reopened on the 10th of April, the one-year anniversary of the AQI truck bombing that destroyed the bridge. DCG Rollo advised a cautious approach with public announcements of the expected finish date. BAGHDAD 00000544 003.3 OF 003 -------------- Mayor Complains of Removing Guard Rails -------------- ¶17. (C) At the end of his brief on plans to repair several major roads in Baghdad, the Mayor stated that the MNF-I was removing guard rails and selling them to a private contractor. The Mayor stated that if the MNF-I wanted them removed, that the Amanat would do so and would store the guard rails. The PM instructed that the issue be coordinated through the BOC. DCG Rollo promised to look into the issue, but that it was likely that they had been removed due to the threat that they pose as IED emplacements. -------------- Maliki More Assertive Than Usual -------------- ¶18. (C) Comment. Perhaps buoyed by the Government's success this week in securing the adoption of the budget, amnesty and provincial powers bills, PM Maliki displayed more assertiveness and specific direction than normal. His behavior was reminiscent of the confidence he displayed after personally playing a role in putting down unrest religious unrest in Karbala in September. End Comment. CROCKER