IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES CF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001249 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MOPS MARR IZ SUBJECT: IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES CF WITHDRAWALS, SECURITY OPS Classified by Charge d'Affaires Patricia Butenis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: During its May 10 meeting, the Iraqi National Security Council discussed preparations for the withdrawal of Coalition Forces from Iraqi cities by June 30. PM Maliki commented that General Odierno's recent remarks to the media, indicating a residual CF presence in Baghdad and Mosul, were "dangerous," and underlined the need for adherence to the withdrawal timetable. If problems occurred, the GOI maintained the option of requesting limited CF redeployments, Maliki opined. The NSC also discussed (in very general terms) consolidation of effort among Iraqi government agencies and offices involved in counterterrorism operations. The Minister of Defense offered an upbeat (and general) update on the security operation launched May 1 in Diyala province. The meeting also featured a testy discussion involving the Minister of Transportation regarding efforts to bring Baghdad International Airport into conformity with ICAO standards. End summary. -------------- Coalition Forces' Withdrawals -------------- ¶2. (C) Minister of Defense Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji told the Prime Minister that Iraqi military preparations were fully underway in advance of the anticipated withdrawal of Coalition troops from urban centers by 30 June. The Iraqi Ground Forces Command, the provincial commands, and National Police were coordinating their efforts and would be holding a special planning meeting in the coming week (of May 17),to discuss the handover of Coalition bases to the Iraqi Security Forces, Mufriji announced. ¶3. (C) Prime Minister Maliki said he regretted General Odierno's absence from the meeting because he had wanted to ask him about his recent statements to the media regarding the withdrawal of Coalition Forces from Iraqi cities. The Prime Minister said General Odierno's statements were "dangerous" and reinforced his opinion that "we must stick to the plan" for withdrawal by 30 June. "We should not give the terrorists any excuses or pretexts" for continued attacks, Maliki emphasized. "If we have any emergencies, and God willing we will not," we can ask U.S. forces to come back in to certain areas, the Prime Minister added. -------------- Counterterrorism Coordination -------------- ¶4. (C) Prime Minister Maliki asked NSC members for an update on plans to create a consolidated "National Operations Center" for counter-terrorism operations. Lt. Gen. Talib Jaraty, the Prime Minister's advisor for counterterrorism, produced a diagram showing all of the GOI's security agencies and counterterrorism offices. The Counterterrorism Bureau, which reports directly to the Prime Minister, would enhance its coordination among the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Defense. Current targets of interest, Jaraty continued, included the Bayji Oil Refinery, other oil refineries, and particularly cement plants in Ninewa province which were all sources of income for AQI/the Islamic State of Iraq. The Prime Minister urged the formation of a terror finance committee to identify sources of revenue for terrorists and eliminate them. -------------- Information Flow -------------- ¶5. (C) The Prime Minister expressed concern that NSC directives were being circulated too widely within the GOI. Noting that members of the Council of Representatives, and members of the Iraqi Judicial Council, had obtained copies of Qmembers of the Iraqi Judicial Council, had obtained copies of previous NSC directives, the Prime Minister emphasized that such documents should be kept within council channels. Specifically, the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers should not be provided copies of NSC documents, Maliki underlined. -------------- Security Operations in Diyala -------------- ¶6. (C) Minister of Defense Mufriji offered an update on security operations in Diyala, which began on May 1. Operations are going well, with strong high level coordination between the Ministries of Defense and Interior, and also coordination with Coalition Forces and armed forces controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mufriji BAGHDAD 00001249 002 OF 002 noted. So far 130 suspects, including 3 women, have been detained in operations. Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Abu Bakr (a Kurd) echoed the MOD's comments, characterizing cooperation between the IA and the Kurdish Peshmerga as "very good." Significant operations have taken place in Tapa, the Hamrin Basin, and Naqshabandia, he reported. -------------- Bringing BIAP into Conformity -------------- ¶7. (C) The Council discussed the effort to bring the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) into conformity with ICAO standards. Minister of Transportation Amir Abd al-Jabar Ismail expressed frustration with the continuing presence of a police station, a detention facility, an armory, and a substantial Ministry of Defense office in BIAP's main terminal building. These facilities' location in the terminal violated ICAO standards, Ismail asserted. Minister of Defense Mufriji insisted that there must be an MOD presence in the terminal to certify that Iraqi Army personnel are cleared for travel before departing Iraq. ¶8. (C) Minister of Interior Bolani complained that an external building, formerly used as a police station, had since been converted and occupied for another use. Bolani also complained that the Minister of Transportation was not competent to pronounce on security matters. Bolani was prepared, in principle, to relocate the police station outside the terminal, but suitable arrangements would have to be made. Prime Minister Maliki asked the Ministers to find a solution that would meet the government's overall security needs and be in conformity with ICAO standards. -------------- Recent Successes -------------- ¶9. (C) Lt. Gen. Jaraty reported that the Counterterrorism Bureau had recently conducted successful operations that led to the capture of 48 terrorists and elimination of five terror networks. The Prime Minister expressed pleasure at the reported capture of Saad Marsoumy, a Syrian Baath Party activist who had entered Iraq on a fake Iraqi passport, with a subversive agenda, he stated. National Security Advisor Mouafaq Rubaie, who had remained silent for the rest of the meeting, announced that next week's meeting would mark the third anniversary of the formation of the Iraqi National Security Council. BUTENIS