AN OVERVIEW OF USG ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSISTANCE TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001528 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE PASS TO USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KCOR KDEM EAID IZ SUBJECT: AN OVERVIEW OF USG ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSISTANCE TO IRAQ ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The USG remains very active in support of and funding for programs with an anti-corruption content in Iraq. Embassy Baghdad's Anti-Corruption Coordination Office (ACCO) has compiled a catalog of ongoing USG assistance programs to build the Iraqis' awareness of and capacity to fight corruption. A number of USG agencies, civilian and military, contribute to this effort, including ACCO, International Law and Narcotics Enforcement (INL),US Agency for International Development (USAID),Department of Homeland Security (DHS),Military Information Support Team-Iraq (MIST-I),Public Affairs Section (PAS), Multi-national Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I), and Treasury. Some of these programs await budget approval from Washington and some are proposed projects for future funding. Highlights of these programs follow. END SUMMARY. ACCO -------------- ¶2. (SBU) ACCO currently funds a USD eight million joint project with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to support Iraqi compliance with the United Nations Convention against Corruption and promote anti-corruption efforts at the governorate level. A second ACCO-funded initiative of USD two million with the University of Utah Global Justice Program promotes greater transparency and accountability in the GOI through legal and legislative assessments and technical assistance in reviewing and drafting legislation with anti-corruption components. There are several ACCO projects awaiting funding or proposed for the future. One program would strengthen local governments' anti-corruption capacity, e.g., providing technical assistance for an official gazette to bring transparency to the local legislative process. Another program would provide legal assistance training to the Commission of Integrity (COI) to increase their ability to recover stolen assets. Another proposed project would train the Inspectors General (IG) investigators. Working with the General Accounting Office (GAO),ACCO plans to send three Board of Supreme Audit auditors to the US next year to participate in a four-month intensive GAO International Auditor Fellowship Program. USAID -------------- ¶3. (SBU) USAID provides broad training and development programs, many of which share anti-corruption elements. The Local Governance, Community Action, Parliamentary Strengthening and Tatweer projects, include capacity building for the IGs' staff, developing an electronic network for the IGs' offices, and a local governance program to promote civil society, good government and transparency on the provincial level. The local governance program also helps newly elected provincial governments perform their duties according to the Provincial Powers Law and provides support for the Council of Representatives' oversight functions. The Tatweer program is funded in total at approximately USD 339 million and an anti-corruption component is integrated across the whole program. DHS, DOJ -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts ethics training for Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement and Port of Entry Directorate personnel. To reduce incentives for corruption at the borders, DHS is working with a Customs Remuneration Law under which border agents who capture smuggled goods are rewarded. Also in the law enforcement field, DOJ/ICITAP continues to provide, since 2004, international police advisors to train, mentor, and advise Commission of Integrity investigators to build their capacity to investigate corruption cases. Qcapacity to investigate corruption cases. PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION, MIST, IREX -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The public affairs and outreach projects are varied. A U.S.-based non-profit organization, the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX),is creating programming on the subject of corruption such as weekly TV and radio talk shows, political cartoons, short dramas, and comic books for 8-12 year olds. IREX also plans journalists' training, a website/link on corruption, and consultations for the COI's outreach programming. Also working with the COI is the MIST-I team, which is planning a media campaign to heighten public awareness of corruption's negative impact on Iraq's development and reform. The BAGHDAD 00001528 002 OF 002 Embassy's Public Affairs Section (PAS) has a robust array of outreach and public diplomacy programs on anti-corruption issues. The PAS effort features, inter alia, interviews with radio, TV, and newspapers. PAS is working with the COI so they can produce anti-corruption Public Service Announcements. This work is essential for building the COI's capacities to conduct their own media outreach through workshops, training sessions, and hands on development of programs. The PAS also engages other GOI spokespersons and encourages anti-corruption messages. The U.S. MILITARY'S ROLE -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The US military through MNSTC-I has an extensive program, working with the Ministries of Defense (MOD) and Interior (MOI) to advise, coordinate, and train the Inspectors General (IGs) there and provide advisor support to the Counter-Terrorism Bureau IG and MOD IG. The advisors develop comprehensive resourcing, training and distribution plans for the MOI's IG, Internal Affairs, Legal Affairs, Human Rights Office, and courts system through a strategic planning process. (NOTE: MOI has a separate court system. END NOTE.). As part of the effort with the MOD, MNSTC-I will work with the Iraqi Joint Headquarters IG Inspection Plan to perform on-site command inspections of all Iraqi military units. TREASURY -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The US Treasury Department is very active in training COI investigators and investigative judges to fight against money laundering and to understand the law. Treasury and State are collaborating to assist and give technical advice to the Central Bank of Iraq's Money Laundering Reporting Office to foster its development into an effective anti-money laundering organization. Treasury provides technical assistance and advice to various banks to help them implement modern automation and core-banking systems and to ministries for them to implement their budget management systems. Treasury also works with the Finance Ministry to improve the budget process and transparency. HILL