CODEL LEAHY MEETS WITH PM MALIKI, DISCUSSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001381

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/25/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAGR IZ
SUBJECT: CODEL LEAHY MEETS WITH PM MALIKI, DISCUSSES
ELECTIONS, AGRICULTURE

BAGHDAD 00001381 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Christopher R. Hill for reasons 1.4(b) and (d
).


1. (C) Summary: Prime Minister Maliki told CODEL Leahy May 24
that Iraq wants to build a strong strategic relationship with
the U.S., including through implementation of the Strategic
Framework Agreement (SFA). He said that the January 2009
provincial elections had helped move Iraq beyond violence and
sectarianism, and expressed optimism that the upcoming
national elections would allow Iraq to discard the system in
which government positions are allocated based on
ethno-sectarian quotas, and establish a "true democracy" with
majority rule. The PM also urged the CODEL to consider
additional technical assistance to Iraq to help it modernize
its agricultural system, suggesting that this be made a
component of SFA implementation. End Summary.

National Elections Present an Opportunity


2. (C) Prime Minister Maliki met May 24 with Senators Patrick
Leahy, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Mark Warner, accompanied by
Ambassador Hill. Senator Leahy began by stressing that the
new U.S. President and many new members of Congress maintain
significant interest in Iraq. He asked PM Maliki what the PM
expected to change in the next year in Iraq. Maliki said
Iraq wants to strengthen its strategic relationship with the
U.S., focusing on the Strategic Framework Agreement (SFA) and
areas such as science, culture, and agriculture. Regarding
Iraqi elections, Maliki said that Iraq's experience with
provincial elections was positive. While it is difficult to
predict what will happen in the coming year, Maliki said Iraq
needs to move forward as a unified country, with
non-sectarian and non-ethnic based politics, based on
fairness, justice, pluralism and democracy.


3. (C) The PM said that provincial elections were successful
in helping Iraq move beyond violence and sectarianism. He
expressed hope that national elections scheduled for early
2010 would build on this experience. Maliki also said he
hoped that a new Council of Representatives (CoR) would
pursue a national, non-sectarian, agenda.


4. (C) Senator Warner asked PM Maliki about progress in
building the capacity of ministries, and whether the PM felt
he had adequate control over critical ministries such as
Defense and Interior. Maliki noted that the current Iraqi
government was built on a quota system in which positions
were allocated based on sect, ethnicity and party. For that
reason, the PM said he was unable to choose his own
ministers, but that he hoped this would change after the next
election. He noted that the Kurds, Shi'a and Sunnis always
defend their own ministers, which makes it difficult to hold
people accountable. This, stressed the PM, was not
democratic and in the future he hoped Iraq would have a "true
democracy" with majority rule.

Improvement at Ministries of Defense and Interior
-------------- --------------


5. (C) Regarding the Defense and Interior ministries, Maliki
said these ministries had been very bad but that there had
been an effort to protect Defense, Interior and Electricity
from the sectarian and ethnic quota system. Maliki
criticized former Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) head
Paul Bremer's role in establishing those ministries, which
the PM said had been "penetrated" by elements of the former
regime. Previously, the ministries were "fertile" ground for
"outlaws;" now it is very different. Maliki recounted a
conversation with Bremer in which Maliki said he expressed
concern regarding the background of Iraqis working in
Qconcern regarding the background of Iraqis working in
Interior and Defense. Bremer, said Maliki, told him that he
knew the Iraqis better than Maliki. Nevertheless, Maliki
stressed that the situation had improved and that he
personally oversees the operations of these ministries. He
said that the situation was not perfect, but that they were
working on the shortcomings.


6. (C) Senator Whitehouse asked Maliki whether the PM could
assure that there will be a peaceful political transition
following national elections. The PM replied that he had
full confidence that the transition would be peaceful. The
situation, he said, has settled and elections would take
place in a peaceful environment similar to what occurred in
provincial elections.

Agriculture
--------------


7. (SBU) Maliki noted Senator Leahy's membership on the
Agriculture Committee, telling the CODEL that Iraq needs
technical assistance from the U.S. to modernize its
agricultural system. He suggested that this be included

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under the SFA. Iraq, he said, had been known as a fertile
agricultural country but its agriculture has deteriorated
because of war. As a result of the crisis in Iraq's rural
economy, farmers have migrated to the cities, abandoning
their farms, and increasing pressure on the urban economy.
The GOI, Maliki added, has allocated $18 billion to develop
agriculture.


8. (SBU) Senator Leahy replied that it is critical that
nations be able to produce food within their own borders, and
reviewed U.S. experience regarding government support for
agriculture. Maliki noted that he had been a farmer, and
said the government needed to find ways to encourage farmers.
He cited initiatives such as providing credit to farmers via
an agricultural bank, and establishing agricultural
cooperatives. Maliki also mentioned the need for financial
assistance for date and rice farmers, and the need to provide
incentives for farmers to stay on farms. Low water levels
are also a major problem, he said, and Iraq is looking at new
technologies to deal with this issue. The PM added that Iraq
is looking at a new technology that uses salt water to
irrigate wheat. The PM complained that Iraqi farmers are
having trouble competing because neighboring countries
produce high quality products that they dump on the Iraqi
market at low prices. As a result, said the PM, Iraq needs
to consider establishing a tariff system to protect Iraqi
agricultural products and allow Iraqi farmers to compete.


9. (SBU) Senator Warner expressed hope that Iraq's market
would develop to the point that farmers can make money and be
self-sustaining. The PM replied that the GOI had trouble
with other services, including water and electricity. Under
the previous regime, services were provided without cost to
Iraqi consumers. This was not sustainable, and the GOI has
introduced fees. As the economy has improved, citizens are
now able to pay.


10. (SBU) CODEL Leahy did not have the opportunity to clear
this message.
HILL