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