PM DISCUSSES SECURITY, SONS OF IRAQ, ANBAR

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 000952 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/02/2029 TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS MARR PTER IZ EPET EFIN SUBJECT: PM DISCUSSES SECURITY, SONS OF IRAQ, ANBAR POLITICAL TRANSITIONS, THE DOHA SUMMIT AND DETAINEES REF: BAGHDAD 860 Classified By: Charge d'Affairs Patricia A. Butenis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- 1.(S) In his regular weekly meeting with MNF-I Commanding General (CG) Odierno and Charge d'Affaires Butenis April 2nd, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki agreed with the CG that a major push would be needed to see security progress in Mosul. Maliki voiced appreciation for Coalition Forces (CF) assistance in apprehending Adil al-Mashhadani, a Sons of Iraq leader who was arrested on terrorism charges. Maliki said he thinks Anbar is in a dangerous situation due to the upcoming transition to the new Provincial Council and Governor, Baathist infiltration, and infighting among the Sunni community. Maliki was happy with the positive environment at the Doha Arab Summit, and said Arab leaders had acknowledged the political progress Iraq has made. The CG explained our safeguards on detainee releases in response to Maliki's belief that detainees were being released by MNF-I before the GoI had a chance to adequately review their files. The PM called for a meeting with the Security Agreement Joint Subcommittee on detainees, the judiciary and the intelligence services to review the issue. End summary. -------------- Security Challenges -------------- ¶2. (S) The CG said that he recently visited Mosul and noted good progress on security, but there is still considerable work to do. The plan for securing Mosul would follow the same procedure as used in Baghdad: clear an area, secure it and then provide development assistance so civilians see tangible benefits. Old Mosul is the likely source of recent terrorist activities originating from Mosul proper and it presents a difficult operating environment due to its high population and small area. While the CG articulated that the decision to utilize CF assistance in the cities after June rests with the PM, the PM acknowledged the need for joint assessments of ISF capabilities. The PM indicated the need for an operation like Basra with a large ground force manning checkpoints and an intensive intelligence campaign. The CG pointed out that Basra was occupied by militant groups, while Old Mosul harbors terrorist groups. Also, the Iraqi Police (IP) in Mosul are not as capable as the police were in Basra, and while the MoI is working on improving IP training and operational effectiveness, that will take time. The PM and CG agreed that there are concerns about the Mosul Police Chief and that a strong intelligence effort would be needed in Mosul. The PM added that IP in Mosul has been infiltrated by Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and insurgents. The PM added that he hears daily reports about assassinations and sticky bomb attacks in Mosul and Diyala, and he would be inviting his operational commanders to provide him assessments of the security situation in key areas. He noted the news doesn't cause him to fear a surge of violence, but it is a continual concern. ¶3. (S) The CG said he hopes the Ninevah Provincial Council will make a difference when it is sworn in during the following weeks. The PM said the Provincial Council distrusts the existing police and asked for 2 to 3 additional battalions of police, chosen from people they trust. The MoI has no budget to hire them, so the only option for more police would be to transfer them to Mosul from elsewhere. The PM said he trusted the IA Ninevah Operations Commander, General Hassan. The PM said that the provincial council would QGeneral Hassan. The PM said that the provincial council would have to focus on reconstruction in order to turn the common man away from terrorism, and the CG indicated he had transferred engineers to the area to assist with development. The PM told his aides he hoped the 580 billion Iraqi dinars that had not been spent by the previous provincial council would be available for the new one. -------------- Arrest of Mashhadani -------------- ¶4. (S) The CG said that the operation against Sons of Iraq (SOI) leader Adil al-Mashhadani was effective and limited collateral damage. (Ref A). The arrest demonstrated that the rule of law prevailed and that no one is above the law. Public statements reinforced this message to counteract assertions that the arrest was not politically motivated. The PM expressed his appreciation for U.S. cooperation on the arrest and noted that while Mashhadani was not working with AQI, he was working with Saddam Hussein's daughter (Raghad BAGHDAD 00000952 002 OF 003 Hussein,) against the Iraqi government. The CG said reports indicate that Fadhil residents are much happier now that Mashhadani is gone; however, some elements were using the event to spin two stories: that the arrest demonstrates that SOI are not trustworthy, and another that the arrest demonstrates the GoI is persecuting the SOI. The CG said it is important to communicate that the arrest was in line with the rule of law, and the SOI were being treated as the SOI and GoI agreed. The PM congratulated the CG on the press statements put out by the MNF-I spokesman on this subject. ¶5. (S) Remaining on the subject of the SOI, the CG voiced concern that some in the GoI may have been conducting unilateral, politically motivated arrests against SOI leaders. He specifically mentioned the cases of LTC Ra'ad Ali Husayn, a SOI leader in North Ghazaliyah, and Shaykh Najm Abdullah, a SOI leader from the Aguq Quf area of Abu Ghraib. The PM noted the names and agreed to investigate. -------------- Baathist Infiltration in Anbar -------------- ¶6. (S) PM Maliki said the security situation is dangerous in Anbar due to political infighting amongst the Sunnis. He had been speaking to Deputy PM Rafi El-Essawi about concerns that some SOI groups had been infiltrated by Baathist insurgents. Maliki said that Baathists are also attempting to infiltrate the Provincial Council as well as the GoI security forces. The CG said he, too, has been meeting with Deputy PM Essawi over concerns of Sunni political infighting and the potential for the Sahwa movement to break apart. The people of Anbar remain [k}Q:Q9QQQ1" Maliki said. He said he was extremely pleased that Arab leaders were positive about Iraq, and had been welcoming. He felt that the leaders believe the provincial elections had been a positive step and said that political process is going in the right direction. -------------- GoI Concerned about Detainees -------------- ¶9. (S) The CG noted concern about the considerable public discussion about detainee releases, and the PM said the releases are dangerous. The CG clarified that MNF-I has many safeguards in place. All detainee lists are provided to GoI and will be updated every 45 days. All detainee data, including fingerprints, are given to the GoI. MNF-I will continue to detain anyone the GoI considers dangerous, and is only releasing detainees who can not be legally held under Iraqi law. The PM said he feels both sides are too complacent with the release process, and the GoI needs to take a closer look at detainee files before allowing their release. The PM BAGHDAD 00000952 003 OF 003 also wants to use a system whereby released detainees are released into the custody of a guarantor from the tribe or family who would be responsible if the detainee returned to violence. The PM said the Iraqi judiciary and security systems don't have enough time to review case files before detainees are released. The CG said the GoI is provided all detainee files for consideration, and as a result of feedback from the GoI, MNF-I had slowed the process to allow more time for review. The PM asked the CG and Charge to help him convene a meeting with personnel from the judiciary, intelligence community and Joint Subcommittee on detainees from the Security Agreement to discuss these issues. BUTENIS