RECOMMENDATION FOR VPOTUS INVITATION TO IRAQ VP

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003249 SIPDIS WHITE HOUSE FOR THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT (H.MUSTAFA) E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2019 TAGS: PGOV IZ SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATION FOR VPOTUS INVITATION TO IRAQ VP AL-MAHDI Classified By: Ambassador Christopher R. Hill for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) (C) Post understands that VPOTUS, as part of his efforts to help resolve Iraq's recent election law crisis, extended an invitation to Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi to visit Washington in the near future. We strongly recommend that VPOTUS issue a similar invitation to Iraq's other vice-president, Adil Abd al-Mahdi, who played a much more helpful role during the election law struggle, for two primary reasons. First, inviting only one of Iraq's vice-presidents could raise objections and charges of favoritism by important Shia officials, particularly in al-Mahdi's political party, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI). Second, al-Mahdi is perhaps the leading candidate for the position of Prime Minister in the next government if the Iraqi National Alliance, of which ISCI is a major part, captures a plurality of votes in the March national elections. At the very least, al-Mahdi will continue to be a major figure in Iraqi politics; a visit by him to Washington would well serve enduring U.S. interests in Iraq. HILL