U.S. AND IRAQ CONDUCT INAUGURAL MEETING OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000082

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019
TAGS: MOPS MARR MASS PREL IZ
SUBJECT: U.S. AND IRAQ CONDUCT INAUGURAL MEETING OF
SECURITY AGREEMENT JMOCC

Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. On January 8, 2009, the United States and
the Republic of Iraq conducted the first meeting of the Joint
Military Operations Coordinating Committee (JMOCC)
established under the new U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement (SA).
The Iraqi delegates proved enthusiastic but had failed to
resolve internal organizational issues beforehand. Skillful
meeting management by U.S. co-chair LTG Lloyd Austin,
combined with well-organized presentations by the U.S. Joint
Sub-Committee (JSC) co-chairs and Secretariat, produced the
desired results: Iraqi co-chair MinDef Abd al-Qadir
al-Mufriji agreed to the basic structural and procedural
ideas that the U.S. representatives put forward, to have the
JSCs meet within ten days, and to convene the JMOCC again on
January 19. End Summary.

2. (U) The inaugural meeting of the Joint Military
Operations Coordinating Committee (JMOCC) convened at the
Iraqi Ministry of Defense (MOD) on January 8, 2009, at 1:30
PM. The meeting was co-chaired by Lieutenant General (LTG)
Lloyd Austin, acting Commanding General of MNF-I, and Iraqi
Minister of Defense Abd al-Qadir al-Mufriji, assisted by U.S.
SA Secretariat Director Major General (MG) Timothy McHale,
U.S. Embassy representative Ambassador Jackson McDonald,
Iraqi Joint Forces Chief of Staff General Babakir Zibari, and
Iraqi SA Secretariat Director MG Mohammed Askiri.

3. (U) Held in a large hall to accommodate the 70-odd
participants, the meeting was attended by key leaders and
deputies representing the sub-committees slated to form under
the JMOCC as well as the staffs of the respective
secretariats.

4. (C) Following brief opening remarks, MinDef Abd al-Qadir
commenced an enumeration of proposed JSCs, discussing their
functions at length while attempting to identify the Iraqi
co-chairs for each. Though there was little controversy
concerning the Iraqi representation on the two JSCs already
in existence (IZ Security (IZS) and Provincial Security
Assessment (PSA)),and only limited discussion of the
Vehicles, Vessels, and Aircraft Movement (VVAM) JSC, there
was protracted and sometimes heated debate by the Iraqi
delegation regarding leadership of the Military Operations
JSC. As the conversation continued, it ranged broadly,
including both basing transition and the disposition of Iraqi
forces. At one point, Qadir proposed the formation of
several working groups under the Military Operations JSC.

5. (C) LTG Austin, noting that the Government of Iraq would
need more time to decide on the composition of its
sub-committee delegations, reminded the representatives that
the JMOCC is a policy-oriented body and that many of the
issues raised would more properly be addressed in the
appropriate JSCs. Basing issues, for example, could be
addressed in the Facilities and Areas Agreed Upon (FAAU) JSC
(note: which will form under the Joint Committee, not the
JMOCC),while military operations should be handled by the
Military Operations JSC, rather than the JMOCC.

6. (C) MG McHale introduced the U.S. co-chair for each of
the proposed JSCs. First was MG Guy Swan, the co-chair for
the already functioning IZS JSC, who provided a description
of the work already completed in collaboration with its Iraqi
co-chair, General Faruq al-A,araji, Director of the Prime
Minister's military staff, the Office of the Commander in
Chief (OCINC). MG Swan detailed the progress made in
QChief (OCINC). MG Swan detailed the progress made in
drafting an IZ transition plan, the training of Iraqi
soldiers to man entry control points, and preparations for
the sustainment of capabilities currently provided through
U.S.-funded contracts. He stated that this is the type of
report that he could provide at subsequent JMOCC meetings.
In response to questions from MinDef Abd al-Qadir, MG Swan
explained that the IZS JSC is already addressing badging,
entry/exit control, specialized equipment, and the protection
of sensitive areas. Reinforcing the message that the JSCs
are the preferred venue to handle specific operational
issues, LTG Austin stated that we have a common vision of how
the JSCs will work and that we must allow them to do so,
reporting progress periodically to the JMOCC. Minister Qadir
responded that this is exactly what is needed from the other
JSCs.

7. (C) MG McHale next introduced MG Michael Ferriter, who
briefed the representatives on plans for the yet-to-form
Military Operations, Training, and Logistic Support (MOTLS)
JSC. He explained the future JSC,s role in coordinating
operations, training, and logistic support, noting that it
would cover areas as diverse as fire support, medical
support, and force generation. He was followed by BG Kurt
Stein, the U.S. co-chair for the Vehicles, Vessels, and
Aircraft Movement (VVAM) JSC. BG Stein described the future
JSC,s responsibilities for all aspects of military movement,
including military convoys, driver licensing, vehicle
registration, and cargo management. When asked by MinDef Abd
al-Qadir about vessel and aircraft movements, BG Stein

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reassured him that the VVAM JCS would handle them also.

8. (C) The last of the briefers was RDML David Buss, the
U.S. co-chair of the Provincial Security Responsibility (PSR)
JSC. Noting that the JSC would be a follow-on to its
previous incarnation as the Joint Committee for the Transfer
of Security Responsibility (JCTSR),he cited the work already
completed with Iraqi co-chair Hamza Sharif Hasan on the
return of thirteen provinces to Iraqi control prior to
December 31, 2008. Looking forward, the JSC would assess and
make recommendations regarding the remaining five provinces
and when they would reach a level of security self-reliance
similar to the other thirteen provinces. He said that the
JSC should continue to assess all the factors that affect
security in all eighteen provinces, since conditions will not
remain constant. Concurrently, the JSC will work to build and
develop the Iraqi assessment capacity.

9. (C) The MinDef proposed a fifth JSC under the JMOCC for
frequency management (FM),while acknowledging that the Iraqi
Ministry of Communications (MOC) is already handling this
issue. He suggested that the Iraqi Military Communications
Directorate and MNF-I,s CJ-6 form the core of a JSC, which
could include Ministry of the Interior (MOI) personnel as
well, to provide for Iraqi control of FM under the JMOCC.
Hamza added that placing FM under the JMOCC was consistent
with the SA. In response, MG McHale noted that the FM JSC is
currently aligned with the JC, but that the SA places it
under the JMOCC, and that the two sides would have to work
out where the JSC will be during the coming weeks. LTG
Austin concluded discussion of the issue, stating that it
will be taken under review and that MNF-I will provide the
U.S. position to the MinDef.

10. (C) Following some additional but inconclusive
discussion of JSC delegation composition by the Iraqi
representatives, the JMOCC turned to the subject of the next
date to convene. MG McHale proposed January 22 as a possible
date, allowing sufficient time for the JSCs to meet and
identify unresolved issues to report to the JMOCC.
Expressing concern that some of the representatives would
have to depart Baghdad before January 22 in order to prepare
for the upcoming provincial elections, the Iraqi delegation
offered a counter proposal of the nineteenth or twentieth.
LTG Austin stated that those dates are possible but that the
JSCs would have to meet before, and that there would have to
be a set of agreed minutes for every meeting of the JMOCC.
Abd al-Qadir responded that while this was all very clear to
him, he would have to find a way to convey these complex
structures and procedures to the Council of Ministers in a
way that they could readily capture. LTG Austin brought the
meeting to a close reminding the JMOCC that MNF-I needs a
response from MOD on the co-chairs for the Iraqi JSCs and the
proposed date for the next meeting, which the U.S. would host.

11. (C) Comment. While the MinDef and the Iraqi
participants were less than fully prepared for the meeting,
LTG Austin,s steady and patient management of the
proceedings brought the dialogue back on track and produced
most of the outcomes sought. Abd al-Qadir agreed to the
basic structure and concept of the JMOCC, proposed
procedures, and a subsequent meeting. He also agreed that
the JSCs should convene before the next meeting of the JMOCC,
though it was clear that that there remains some details for
Qthough it was clear that that there remains some details for
the GOI to work out. The Iraqi representatives appeared
eager to participate in the SA implementation process.
Competition over leadership positions of some of the JSCs was
intense, so much so that the Deputy Chief of Staff for
Operations, LTG Hashim, had an acrimonious exchange with the
Ground Forces Commander, LTG Ali, over the co-chairmanship of
the Military Operations JSC, an issue apparently resolved by
the MinDef,s designation of GEN Babakir to fill the
position. End Comment.
CROCKER