REGIONAL EMBASSY OFFICE HILLAH CLOSES; BABIL GOVERNOR FILLS

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003312 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT PLS PASS USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI SUBJECT: REGIONAL EMBASSY OFFICE HILLAH CLOSES; BABIL GOVERNOR FILLS SECURITY VOID REF: BAGHDAD 3273 ¶1. (SBU) Summary and Comment: The Regional Embassy Office (REO) Hillah handed over its facility in a former hotel building to representatives of the Ministries of Interior and Tourism on December 15 (reftel). The GOI representatives appeared to disregard the PRT's briefing on security, operations, and the inventory of assets. Amidst reports of disorder and possible unauthorized removal of the former REO's equipment, Babil Governor Salman al-Zarqani arrived, and ordered his personal security forces to secure the premises. The Governor expressed frustration to PRTOffs that that Baghdad did not coordinate the handover with him. Despite his frustration the Governor convinced the Council of Ministers to cede control of the facility to the provincial government. The PRT believes that a valuable opportunity to increase the economic value of the property by training Iraqi technical personnel in the proper operation of equipment left behind has been lost. End Summary. GOVERNOR ZARQANI AFFRONTED BY TURNOVER PROCESS ¶2. PRTOffs December 12 briefed Governor al-Zarqani about the handover of the REO facility to GOI control. After the brief, the Governor expressed reservations about the property's security post-turnover and lamented that the PRT was not going to be present. He appreciated the PRT's information and said that he had been told nothing by any central Ministry. He intimated that the provincial government's exclusion from the turnover ceremony was a personal affront. (Note: The Governor has repeatedly complained to PRT about the USG's focus on Baghdad, to the detriment of supporting the authority of provincial governments. End note.) GOI SENT NO TECHNICAL PERSONNEL ON ADVANCE TEAM ¶3. According to U.S. military personnel from MND-S detailed to provide security for the turnover, an advance team from the Ministries of Interior and Tourism arrived from Baghdad several days before the turnover ceremony. However, none of the delegation members were engineers, administrative managers, or logistical experts. The delegation toured the REO offices and looked at the desks, chairs, and air conditioners. In addition, they focused on planning the turnover ceremony, but did not inventory nor inquire about operation of the generators, reverse osmosis water plant, or any other technical matters. �0A;INADEQUATE SECURITY COORDINATION ¶4. A number of Iraqi uniformed personnel arrived concurrently with the advance delegation from Baghdad. However, according to U.S. military present, none approached either U.S. soldiers or security personnel to coordinate security of the premises. MORE THAN 100 IRAQIS PARTICIPANTS IN THE TURNOVER ¶5. More than 100 officials from Baghdad attended the handover ceremony. No additional Iraqi security forces arrived for the ceremony to assist during the festivities. Immediately following the 1130 AM exchange of documents between the American and Iraqi representatives that effectuated the turnover, U.S. military personnel, Embassy representatives, and remaining KBR personnel departed. Although there have been reports of gunfire at the scene, U.S. personnel present state that they witnessed no celebratory shooting in the air by ISF; they do not know whether such shooting occurred after they left. GOVERNOR ADDRESSES LOOTING BY CHANGING SECURITY PERSONNEL ¶7. On December 16, the Governor, Babil Chief of Police, and PRT Babil LES assigned as liaison to the Governor's office, traveled to the former REO to verify reports of looting. According to PRT LES, there were few Iraqi national police at the site. Upon arrival, the Qthere were few Iraqi national police at the site. Upon arrival, the Governor saw an Iraqi national police lieutenant, allegedly in charge of security, carrying off six air conditioner units. The Governor ordered the Babil provincial Police Chief to arrest the National Police Lieutenant, and then ordered the Police Chief to detail his most trusted police to guard the site. GOVERNOR CONVINCES COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TO CEDE REO TO PROVINCE ¶8. The PRT LES observed the Governor calling the Council of Ministers to complain about the handling of the former REO property and said he intended to conduct his own inventory. (Note: PRT briefed him about the existence of a LOGCAP-prepared 25,000 item inventory. He said he did not have a copy of this document and resolved to do his own count. End note.) The Governor said that items he had requested to use for the benefit of Babil's citizens were being damaged and/or stolen. ¶9. Governor Al-Zarqani has assumed security of the hotel. The watchtowers and perimeter control points are manned by 30 IP and supervised by a number of officers. The Governor ordered the gates closed to everyone including local government officials. The exception is for a logistics team from Babil tourism department supervised by the Governor's security officer Colonel Rahman. ¶10. On December 17, as a result of the Governor's complaint, the Ministry of Tourism assured the Governor the hotel would be returned to the province. The Governor told the PRT that his top priority is to reopen the road along the canal to ease the flow of traffic in Hillah. Although he had hoped to have the road opened in time for the Ashura holiday, upon inspection he determined that it would take at least two months to make the road passable. The PRT understands that the former REO will resume its function as a tourist accommodation, but exactly how and when remains unclear. ¶11. Comment: TV stations covering the turnover evidently focused on the turnover and did not report the looting. Local media appears not to have covered the story. PRT Babil local staff tells us that few citizens in Babil know that the turnover has even taken place. ¶12. Comment continued: The handover of REO Babil illustrates poor coordination between Baghdad and provincial governments. Despite the critical role of the Office of Receivership and central ministries in turnover of U.S. assets like the hotel, the GOI must include local stakeholders in planning early in the process and ensure proper security coordination. Without that coordination, security lapses were apparent. Further, the GOI lost an opportunity to learn how to operate the technical equipment at the facility, because it did not cooperate with REO staff and contractors throughout the process. End Comment. FORD