MINISTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON NEW CLAIMS COMMITTEE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000997

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/31/2018
TAGS: KHUM KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF HUMAN RIGHTS ON NEW CLAIMS COMMITTEE,
ELECTIONS, CORRUPTION, MINISTRY PROBLEMS, AND MEK

Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On March 25, the Ambassador met with
Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim. They discussed a
variety of issues, including the impending establishment of a
central claims committee; the need for minorities to be
represented in the elections and in the provincial councils;
allegations of corruption within the government; problems
within the ministry; the MEK; and an upcoming treaty with
Iran about the Iran-Iraq War. The Ministry is creating a
committee that would help Iraqis with cases or claims against
Coalition Forces and private security companies. The
Minister wants to ensure minority participation in the
upcoming elections and minority representation in the
Provincial Councils, and she will meet soon with the IFES
elections team. END SUMMARY.

PROPOSED NEW MNF-I/CONTRACTOR CLAIMS COMMITTEE


2. (C) Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim informed the
Ambassador that the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) is
establishing a committee that will collect and help Iraqis
establish cases or claims against MNF-I and against private
security contractors working in Iraq. The committee will
help gather evidence, such as police records and death
certificates, and help Iraqis file the cases with MNF-I. The
process to file cases against private security contractors
has not been defined. She said this committee will act like
a central complaints committee, and she wants this
established since the MoHR receives claims and cases in a
haphazard way from citizens around the country. The
Ambassador advised the Minister to work with the Minister of
Defense on this issue, specifically on filing claims against
security contractors because there is an existing GOI
committee that is dealing with these cases.

MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN ELECTIONS


3. (C) The Minister said she works closely with all minority
groups in Iraq, and they all want representation in the
Provincial Councils, even if it means they are only observers
and do not have the right to vote. She said it is crucial
they are included in the Elections Law and participate in the
upcoming elections. The Ambassador agreed with her and
recommended she meet with members of the IFES elections team
who are in Baghdad advising Iraqi officials on the upcoming
elections. The Ambassador said they have a particular focus
on women and minorities in the elections, and the Minister
said she would meet with them soon.

MINISTER CLAIMS CORRUPTION THROUGHOUT GOI


4. (C) The Minister complained about what she claimed was
rampant corruption pervasive throughout the government. She
specifically blamed ISCI and also pointed at the
reconstruction council in the Prime Minister's Office as
being responsible for much corruption. She alleged that the
reconstruction council is wasting millions of dollars in the
way it handles contracts. She claimed that at each meeting
of the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Oil asks for
additional millions of dollars in funding for oil projects,
and said there is no accountability for how they spend their
money. She also suggested there should be an inspector
general monitoring the Council of Representatives (CoR),to
look specifically at how much money CoR members spend during
foreign travel. She compared her $180 per diem limit to the
CoR's $600 per diem limit. (Note: The Board of Supreme
Audits has investigative authority over the CoR. End Note.)
CROCKER