DEVELOPING IRAQ'S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001204 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/I, STAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPL TPHY SCUL TBIO TNGD TINT PREL KPAO IZ SUBJECT: DEVELOPING IRAQ'S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CAPACITY REF: 08 STATE 130227 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Through a series of meetings over a week-long visit, senior GOI officials told a visiting USG delegation from NEA/I and STAS that the GOI lacks a coherent Science and Technology (S-T) policy development and funding mechanism, and identified three similar but competing options that various GOI stakeholders are presently pursuing. Since GOI S-T spending is small and unlikely to change dramatically in the short-term, funds, rather than funding mechanisms, will likely remain the bottle neck in S-T policy development and spending. The Embassy will continue to use the Strategic Framework Agreement Science and Technology Working Group to encourage and inform GOI S-T policy development. End Summary. Three Options for Future S-T Development -------------- ¶2. (U) From March 7-12, EmbOffs and representatives of the Iraq Desk (NEA/I) and the Secretary's Science and Technology Adviser's Office (STAS) met with about thirty key GOI and Iraqi university officials. The USG representatives wished to understand how the GOI intends to develop S-T policy and fund S-T research. These meetings were in response to the report of the S-T roundtable convened by the Department in Washington, DC, on November 20, 2008 (reftel). GOI participants in the meetings identified three competing options for S-T policy development and research funding. First Option: Scientific Research Commission -------------- ¶3. (U) Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research (HESR) Dr. Abd al-Ujayli announced the formation of the Scientific Research Commission (SRC) in September 2008 (the SRC was then called the Scientific Research Authority or SRA). The SRC is currently part of the HESR Ministry, but has minimal staffing and funding. The Minister of HESR said the SRC, with maturity, could serve within about 5 years as a national S-T research-funding entity, and the Ministry or the SRC could develop national S-T policy. He did not say whether he prefers the SRC to remain within the Ministry or to be an independent entity. Chair of the Council of Representatives (CoR) Education Committee Dr. Alaa Makki supports an independent SRC but said establishing an independent SRC is not politically feasible at this time. In time, however, an SRC within the Ministry of HESR could be 
the precursor for an independent SRC that funds S-T research. (Note: S-T policy development and research funding are within the purview of Dr. Makki's CoR committee. End note.) Second Option: National Academy of Sciences -------------- ¶4. (U) Iraq currently has two national academies of sciences: the National Academy of Sciences (NAS),founded in 1947 but tainted by political appointments, and the Iraq National Academy of Sciences (Iraq NAS),founded in November 2003 and composed of prominent Iraqi scientists, some of whom are expatriates. Neither of these academies is currently functioning effectively. Dr. Husayn al-Shahristani, the Minister of Oil and President and founding member of the Iraq NAS, told EmbOffs that he has recommended to the Prime Minister that the two academies be merged, a recommendation he says the Prime Minister supports. Dr. Shahristani said this merged NAS should develop national S-T policy and could serve as a national S-T research-funding entity or, at least, could recommend research projects to be funded. He admitted Qcould recommend research projects to be funded. He admitted the creation now of a new independent S-T research-funding entity would be politically difficult. Third Option: Two Independent Entities -------------- ¶5. (U) Minister of Science and Technology Raid Fahmi said the GOI should have an independent entity to lead national S-T policy development and to coordinate S-T policy implementation and budgeting across the GOI. He also said the GOI should have another independent entity to fund national S-T research across the GOI, an entity similar in purpose and design to the Iraq Nonproliferation Programs Foundation. CoR Education Committee Chair Dr. Makki and the Chair of the Education Committee of the Board of Advisors to the Prime Minister (PM),Dr. Saad Ibrahim, support this option. Comment -------------- BAGHDAD 00001204 002 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) GOI S-T spending is small and unlikely to change dramatically in the short-term given current budget constraints. This is likely one of the main reasons science policy and funding mechanisms have not received more political attention. While each GOI official noted Iraq lacks a coherent S-T policy, it was notable that each official also admitted they have been actively working political back-channels to advance their preferred funding solution. Noting that the three funding options discussed above have many similar characteristics, the GOI should not have significant difficulty finding an acceptable solution. Thus, funds, rather than funding mechanisms, will likely remain the bottle neck in S-T policy development and spending. The Embassy will continue to use the Strategic Framework Agreement Science and Technology Working Group to inform and influence GOI S-T policy development. HILL