PRT ENGAGES BASRAH PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000034

SIPDIS

NEA PASS JOHN NALAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/14/2019
TAGS: PREL GOV EAID IZ
SUBJECT: PRT ENGAGES BASRAH PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

BASRAH 00000034 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Bocchetti, PRT Team Leader, Director, US
State Department.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Bocchetti, PRT Team Leader, Director, US
State Department.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



1. (C) Summary. On June 3, PRT Basra met for the first time
with the new Provincial Council as a group. PRT acting team
leader delivered short remarks to remind Iraqis that U.S.
military withdrawal does not mean U.S. withdrawal, and that the
U.S. civilian presence will endure so long as the bilateral
relationship remains strong. Provincial Council (PC) Chairman
Jabbar Amin al-Latif (Da'wa Tanzim) responded positively,
proposing that the PRT and the Council jointly develop goals and
coordinate across a broader range of committees. Members posed
questions on education, economic development and other issues.
Council members tell us that, behind the scenes, internal
bickering within the Prime Minister's dominant coalition -
especially between the Governor's Da'wa Central faction and the
PC Chairman's Da'wa Tanzim group - has slowed engagement. End
summary.

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Explaining the Evolving Relationship
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2. (SBU) The PRT leadership, including section heads for
economic and essential services, met with the new Provincial
Council for the first time in a well-attended meeting held at
the PC's downtown offices. More than 20 of the 35 members
participated, representing all parties on the PC. In short
opening remarks, the acting team leader emphasized that, in
accord with the Strategic Framework Agreement, the U.S.-Iraqi
relationship will endure as cooperation spreads into many
non-security areas. He also explained that MNF-I had elected to
make CERP resources available for projects to support Provincial
Councils. The PRT and the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry
Division already had moved to put this pledge into practice by
assembling a package of projects to repair and improve the
R-Zero water plant, which provides some 70 percent of Basra's
water.


3. (SBU) In introducing section heads, the team leader
emphasized that the PRT would like to work broadly with the new
PC, with the PRT's individual sections engaging directly with PC
committees on essential services and economic development. PC
Chairman Jabbar responded that he would like to avoid the
"negative" model of interaction employed by the prior PC, in
which all communications with the PRT were channeled through the
Provincial Reconstruction Development Committee (PRDC). He then
introduced all the subcommittee chairmen present at the meeting.
(Note: the 35-member council has 21 committees.) We noted that
new PRT team leader John Naland would arrive in Basra on June 20.

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Everyone's Issues
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4. (SBU) Subcommittee chairmen used the meeting as a platform to
lobby for (or at least inquire about) cooperation with the PRT
in their area. We attempted to point out areas of past, present
and future cooperation without unduly raising expectations. Dr.
Mansour Ameen (Da'wa Central),head of the health and
environment committee, asked about projects to upgrade
hospitals, and projects aimed at women and children. We replied
that the PRT is considering whether to support an NGO-led
project focused on primary health care. Salman Daoud (Da'wa
Central),chairman of the education committee, said that Basra
needs 36 new schools a year but the province does have funding
for new buildings. Team leader noted that the Coalition had
built and refurbished scores of schools in the province, but
said that the USG at this time does not plan a major new
education initiative.


5. (C) Since the new PC contains only one returning member and
only a handful with relevant experience in municipal or
provincial government, new committee chairmen expressed
conflicting perceptions of how PRT and military assistance
programs in Basra operate. Mustafa Resan (Da'wa Tanzim),
chairman of the Reconstruction Committee, criticized
implementation of projects by the Army Corps of Engineers, UK
military civil affairs, and the Joint Reconstruction Action Team
program, asserting that projects had been initiated without the
approval of the previous PC. However, Ismail Ghazi Uda (Iraqi
National Accord),the new head of the essential services

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committee and the former Director General for Municipality,
intervened and told Resan that all projects had been approved by
the previous PC and coordinated with the municipality.

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Governor, PC Chair continue rivalry
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6. (C) The meeting with the Council was constructive and left
the impression that, as PC Chairman Jabbar pledged, the new PC
is ready to work together and with the PRT. However, other
council members tell a more somber tale in which internal
infighting has delayed PC efforts to engage. In a meeting at the
PRT on June 4, Da'wa Central party member Dayaa Jafar described
the adversarial relationship among the State of Law coalition's
three member lists - and especially between Da'wa Central and
Da'wa Tanzim - which he blamed for the PC's inability to move
forward expeditiously. Jafar explained that the three sides
remain bitter over the appointment of the provincial
government's five executive positions - including the governor
and PC chairman - which were decided by the coalition at the
national level. The fallout of that decision, he said, was
slowing cooperation among coalition members. Jafar, who himself
felt entitled to the governorship, resigned his seat in protest
several weeks ago.


7. (C) On June 6, PC member Dr. Saad Mati Potrous
(Christian-designated seat) painted a similar picture of tension
within the ruling State of Law coalition. According to Dr.
Potrous, PC Chairman Jabar Ameen (Da'wa Tanzim) remains bitter
over the choice of Dr. Shiltagh Abud (Da'wa Central) for
governor. On June 4, Jabar Ameen allegedly refused a request by
Dr. Shiltagh for 17 billion Iraqi dinar from a PC-controlled
reserve remaining from a tax on imports that was eliminated
after Operation Charge of the Knights. At this point, Dr.
Potrous reported, the governor's office has no money. He said
Shiltagh would travel to Baghdad on June 7 to discuss the matter
with Prime Minister Maliki.
BOCCHETTI