IRAQI NSC DISCUSSES DETAINEES, RETIREMENTS, AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001373 SIPDIS NEA/I FOR BETTS; PLEASE PASS TO NSC FOR SLOTKIN E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR IZ PTER SUBJECT: IRAQI NSC DISCUSSES DETAINEES, RETIREMENTS, AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY Classified By: Classified by Political Military Minister-Counselor Mich ael H. Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In its May 24 session, the Iraqi National Security Council (NSC) discussed creating a detainee database to speed releases for Iraqis without outstanding warrants. The NSC directed the Ministries of Justice, Finance, and Defense to study conditions for compulsory retirement of security officers. The NSC also discussed priorities for key infrastructure protection, but presented recommendations as the ministries' "wish list" without provision for funding. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for greater coordination of intelligence and use of available security resources, including Sons of Iraq members, to protect key sites. End Summary. -------------- Detainee Release Delays Due to Slow Process -------------- ¶2. (C) PM al-Maliki said he is concerned about the slow process of releasing Iraqi detainees, especially in Mosul. Justice Minister Dara Baha al-Din Nur al-Din said judges "order detainees released unless wanted in other cases." The preliminary step is a search for pending warrants before the release, usually involving mailing provisional release orders to multiple provinces to check for warrants, which can take up to a year. PM al-Maliki said this is unacceptable, and Nur al-Din and Interior Minister Jawad al-Bulani agreed that a nationwide database should be used so a judge could check warrants before issuing a release order. Al-Maliki told the Interior and Justice Ministers and Iraqi Judicial Council to meet to solve this problem. -------------- Retirement of Senior Officers Raises Legal and Functional Issues -------------- ¶3. (C) Minister of Defense Abd al-Qadr al-Mufriji asked the PM's permission to retire 114 military officers, asserting they are "useless" and unwanted by any commands. He said that due to budget constraints the Defense Ministry could not promote new officers until some are relieved of duty, and it is cheaper to retire and pension officers than to continue paying them full salaries and benefits. The MinDef said he could not wait until the long-delayed civil service retirement plan is adopted by the Council of Representatives and needed to act. Transportation Minister Isma'il said there is a need for a clear legal process to retire officials as he has the same issues in his ministry. The NSC discussed whether CPA Article 22 allows a Minister to retire anyone in service, or if this only applies if the retiree is over 50 and has 15 years of service. They also discussed whether an executive order is needed to retire an officer. PM al-Maliki said the issue is a legal, not political, question, and legal advisors from the Ministries of Defense, Finance, and Justice should meet to decide the issue. -------------- Infrastructure Security Concerns -------------- ¶4. (C) MinDef Abd al-Qadr and his staff said recent threat information, though not specific in terms of targets, suggested a likely uptick in attacks to major infrastructure by al-Qaida and other terrorist groups. Targets included oil production sites and refineries, wells, pipelines, ports, pumping stations and depots with an emphasis on the Bayji Oil Refinery, Basra port facilities, the Dawrah pipeline, and the Bayji-Kirkuk pipeline. Minister of Oil Husayn al-Shahristani QBayji-Kirkuk pipeline. Minister of Oil Husayn al-Shahristani stressed the importance of gas pipelines and depots as major targets. Minister of Electricity Karim Wahid al-Hasan emphasized the need to protect the Kirkuk-Mosul, Bayji-Taza, and Baghdad power lines. Minister of Water Resources Latif Rashid highlighted potential targets including dams in Mosul, al-Haditha, and Samarra, the pumping station in Mosul, as well as water processing plants in the major cities. ¶5. (C) Each Ministry called for more resources from the Ministries of Defense and Interior for trained police or soldiers to guard infrastructure locations. Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bulani said it is impossible to guard and secure each mile of pipeline and every installation. MinDef Abd al-Qadr said the ministries need to make specific equipment requests, and not just a "wish list" of what was desired. Minister Bulani suggested boats and other resources confiscated by the Ministry of Finance should be given over to securing infrastructure targets. Oil installations, water BAGHDAD 00001373 002 OF 002 plants, pipelines and other sites are in part currently guarded by Sons of Iraq (SOI) members, and Minister of Oil Shahristani recommended that SOI members could be used to patrol pipelines and other projects on a rotational basis to keep them close to home, but still useful. Abd al-Qadr, Bulani and PM al-Maliki all agreed in principle. ¶6. (C) The Transportation Minister raised security of transportation hubs, such as the Mosul Train Station and Baghdad International Airport (BIAP),and described recent mortar attacks on BIAP and the lack of security for Iraq's rail system. Chief of the National Police Hussein al-Awadi called for 700 more police recruits to supplement protection of the Central Bank and money transfer/transit routes, though was told by the Prime Minister to use the resources he already had, including 1200 Facilities Protection Services contract employees to protect the Bank itself and its annexes. PM al-Maliki called for greater security coordination between all parties in order to improve overall infrastructure security and stop specific threats. -------------- Oil and Water Do Not Mix -------------- ¶7. (C) The Mayor of Baghdad, Sabir al-Isawi, raised the issue of oil leaks in Baghdad's water supply. Whether through attacks on pipelines, poor maintenance at refineries or theft from locals tapping resources, oil spills have polluted the Tigris near water treatment plants. Mayor Isawi said if oil was allowed to seep into the treatment plant processing machinery, it would require a full shut-down and cleaning, an expensive and slow process. Minister of Water Resources Rashid echoed Mayor Isawi's concerns and suggested working in coordination with the Ministry of Oil to clean the oil spills into the river near the plants, with assistance from the Ministries of Defense and Interior to deter theft and attacks on pipelines to prevent further damage. HILL