SHEIKH AL-SHALAN DISCUSSES RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN DIWANIYAH

CONFIDENTIAL HILLAH 000007

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/17/2018
TAGS: IZ PGOV
SUBJECT: SHEIKH AL-SHALAN DISCUSSES RECENT DEVELOPMENT IN DIWANIYAH

CLASSIFIED BY: Team Leader Angus T. Simmons, DOS REASON: 1.4(b)
and (d).



1. (U) This is a PRT Diwaniyah Cable.


2. (SBU) Summary: PRT Leader (Simmons) and PRTOffs met with
COR member Sheikh Hussain Al-Shalan at the REO in Al Hillah on
January 8 to discuss recent security and political developments
in Diwaniyah as well as Baghdad. Al Shalan believes elections
could take place in the summer of 2008. End Summary.


3. (C) Rule of Law and Security Developments:

Sheikh Al Shalan expressed support for Governor Al Khudari's
welcome of newly installed Chief Judge A'ad and the Governor's
offer to convert the former provincial government compound into
a new Diwaniyah court house. The sheikh said he had helped to
get the Diwaniyah Chief of Police confirmed by the Minister of
Interior at the request of MG Buk. Although the chief has a
Badr Corps background and was Governor Al Khudari's (also a Badr
Corps stalwart) choice for the position, Al Shalan said he knew
the chief's family and believed he would do a good job.
However, he expressed concern that provincial governors can
dismiss police chiefs at whim and urged the U.S. to help
persuade PM Maliki to advance pending legislation in the Council
of Representatives (COR) that would balance control of police
chiefs between the MOI and provincial governors.


4. (C) Concern about Badr Corps Influence in Diwaniyah

Al Shalan also expressed concern over potential growing Badr
Corps influence in Diwaniyah. He said the police had received
at least four T-72 tanks from unknown sources and expressed
concern that the police could become as well-armed as the army.
He added that Badr Corps members stood along either side of the
roadin a show of support for the governor during a recent visit
to Hamza (a tribal area where Shalan's brother lives).


5. (SBU) Police Equipment and Weapons for South-Central?

Al Shalan complained that the MOI had done a poor job in
supporting the police in South-Central with equipment and
weapons. He expected improvement in this situation soon because
the COR had just passed a USD 520 million appropriation for the
MOI to purchase police equipmenjt for South-Central.


6. (C) Election in 2008?

Al Shalan predicted that the COR would succeed in passing the
local governance law and an updated election code in time for
elections in the summer of 2008. He believed the presence of
international election monitors would be important to ensurefree
and fair elections, adding that the 2005 elections in Diwaniyah
had substantially more irregularities than Najaf or Karbala.
Shalan claimed that he had photographic evidence of ballot box
substitution that he had passed to the international community,
and was doubtful that any domestic NGOs in Diwaniyah were
capable of ensuring transparent and fair elections. The sheikh
called for the USG to provide training for NGOs and the media
prior to elections.

SIMMONS