O 041938Z JAN 05
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3676
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SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
CJCS WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
INFO IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L  BAGHDAD 000045 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2015 
TAGS: PTER PINS PREL PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: BAGHDAD PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR'S ASSASSINATION SHAKES 
THE CAPITAL 
 
CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD FOR 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Baghdad Provincial Governor Ali Radhi al- 
Haidary was assassinated on January 4, in the eighth 
attempt on his life since he assumed office in June, 2004. 
Assailants in three vehicles attacked the Governor's 
motorcade after he left his office in Baghdad's Mansour 
District.  He was seriously wounded in the ensuing gun 
battle, and died shortly afterward at a local hospital. 
This most recent attack underlines the heightened state of 
insecurity in the capital, and reaffirms to all officials 
the real nature of their vulnerability.  It comes as some 
political party leaders are stating an unwillingness to 
campaign in large portions of Baghdad for fear of violence, 
and as the Baghdad Provincial Council, which elected al- 
Haidary Governor last summer, has not met for two weeks due 
to threats.  Baghdad's Regional Council, which covers the 
Province's rural areas, was scheduled to elect a new Deputy 
Governor on January 5, to replace Deputy Governor Hatem 
Kamil, who was killed in a similar ambush-style attack in 
November 2004.  Should this election proceed as planned, 
according to the Provincial Charter passed by the Councils 
in July, 2004, the new Deputy Governor would become acting 
Governor of Baghdad.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------ 
DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANT 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) Ali Radhi al-Haidary, an engineer by profession, 
began his local government career in May 2003 when he 
attended a neighborhood caucus organized by the Baghdad 
Mayoralty and the Coalition.  During this caucus fellow 
citizens to the Adil Neighborhood Council elected him.  The 
Neighborhood Council subsequently elected him to the 
Mansour District Council, and the District Council voted to 
send him to the City Council.  Al-Haidary served as 
Chairman of the City Council from December 2003 to February 
¶2004.  During his tenure, he extended the Council's staff 
and led a Baghdad delegation to Japan, where they met with 
Prime Minister Koizumi. 
 
¶3. (U) Al-Haidary was a leading candidate for Mayor of 
Baghdad in the selection held in April 2004, garnering 
support from both Shi'a and Sunni City Council members. 
However, he dramatically withdrew at the last moment, and 
subsequently campaigned for and was elected by the 
Provincial Council to be Governor in June 2004.  As 
Governor he focused on finding funding and facilities for 
the provincial government and building up its nascent 
administrative system in the face of the insurgency and 
extensive lawlessness gripping the province. 
 
¶4. (U) Al-Haidary was a 48-year-old Shi'a Arab.  He held a 
BA in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA.  He was director 
of the al-Timsaah (Alligator) Paint Company from 1983 to 
2003, and was selected in September 2003 by the new 
Minister of Education to be a special advisor on financial 
and management issues.  In addition to his residence in the 
Mansour district, he had a small farm on the outskirts of 
Baghdad, where he three times won Baghdad Province prizes 
for best crops.  He is survived by a wife and two children. 
 
------------------------------- 
A FREQUENT ASSASSINATION TARGET 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) Al-Haidary had been attacked seven times in the 
seven months that he was Governor.  Two Iraqi police 
officers were killed in these attacks and several security 
guards were wounded.  His first armored car was destroyed 
by an IED.  In a conversation with Embassy staff on January 
3, the day before his death, the Governor remarked that out 
of concern for his family, if he were attacked again, he 
would "leave the country and never look back". 
 
¶6. (C) On January 4, according to initial Iraqi Police 
Service (IPS) reports, three AIF vehicles ambushed the 
Governor's three-car convoy when it left his office in West 
Baghdad's Mansour District.  Two blocked the path of the 
lead vehicle, an unarmored BMW in which he was traveling 
(NOTE: This is unusual, as the U.S. Army First Cavalry 
Division rents an armored BMW for the Governor's use, and 
principals rarely ride in the lead vehicle.  The Governor 
may have been trying to throw off his potential assassins. 
However, in earlier assassinations (see below) the 
attackers seemed to know to stage their attack when the 
principal was atypically riding in an unarmored car.  END 
NOTE) The AIF vehicles began firing on the lead vehicle, 
while a third car pulled along side and engaged the two 
follow cars, SUVs.  The Governor's personal security detail 
(PSD) returned fire and a gun battle ensued.  Reportedly 
the Governor was rushed to nearby Yarmouk Hospital, where 
he died of his wounds at approximately 1030 local time. 
 
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IIG MIXED MESSAGES ON SECURITY SUPPORT 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Post had sought suitable housing for the Governor in 
the Green Zone/International Zone since CPA days.  While 
the Governor had briefly used two rooms at the al-Rasheed 
Hotel, his family faced difficulties in accessing the zone, 
and he chose to remain with them at his residence in the 
Adil neighborhood.  After months of urging, the Iraqi 
Interim Government (IIG) finally recognized the need to 
address the Governor's safety concerns.  On December 27, 
Interim Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Barham Salih and the 
Interim Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Zuhair signed a 
letter authorizing the Governor to use a private home in 
the International Zone.  Governor al-Haidary told PolOff on 
December 30, however, that when he attempted to take 
possession of the house Ministry of Defense (MoD) Inspector 
General Layla Jassim rebuffed him and approximately 60 
armed Iraqi National Guardsmen (ING).  He said the MoD IG 
claimed ownership of the property and tore the DPM's letter 
to shreds.  The Governor told PolOff that he left after 
being physically threatened by the IG and ING. 
 
---------------------- 
FINDING A NEW GOVERNOR 
---------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) The Baghdad Regional Council, which represents the 
areas of the province outside the city limits, is slated to 
meet on January 5 to elect a new Deputy Governor.  The 
former Deputy, Hatem Kamal, also a close CPA and Embassy 
contact, was assassinated in a November 2004 vehicular 
ambush similar to the attack on Governor al-Haidary.  The 
Regional Council leadership has advised EmbOffs for several 
months that they are concerned for their own safety.  They 
have been meeting at various locations that remain 
unannounced until immediately beforehand.  If the Regional 
Council leadership decides to go ahead with their January 5 
meeting despite al-Haidary's assassination, and if they 
both have a quorum and elect a new Deputy Governor as 
scheduled, then the new Deputy Governor they choose would 
serve as acting Governor of Baghdad Province.  If this does 
not occur, then the Provincial Council (which covers the 
whole province) might elect an interim Governor to serve on 
an emergency basis until after the January 30 elections. 
(NOTE: In accordance with the Charters adopted by the 
Baghdad Councils in June 2004, the councils at all levels 
utilize competitive, transparent search procedures to fill 
executive positions; it would normally take 4-6 weeks for 
the public announcement, search committee work, and 
selection meetings for the Provincial Council to choose a 
new, permanent governor.  With elections in less then a 
month there is not sufficient time to do that.  END NOTE) 
 
----------------------- 
WIDENING CIRCLE OF FEAR 
----------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Executive branch officials like Kamil and al-Haidary 
are only the most prominent Baghdad provincial leaders at 
risk in an intensifying terrorist campaign.  In response to 
explicit threats and continuing attacks, the members of the 
Baghdad Provincial Council have chosen to cancel their 
meetings for the last two weeks.  The Chairman of the 
Provincial council told PolOff on January 4 that he is 
being surveilled and is taking precautions by shifting his 
residence periodically.  The Chairman is also a 
representative of the Baghdad Independent Citizens' 
Gathering, a newly formed party mostly composed of council 
members.  He said the group will not be able to campaign in 
Mansour, or in the southern district of Rasheed because of 
the threat level.  In the Governor's final conversation 
with Embassy FSN, he warned her to be careful; that the AIF 
is especially tracking all females working for the USG. 
 
¶10. (C) COMMENT: Many Embassy employees and former CPA 
officials working in Baghdad had come to know and respect 
Governor al-Haidary as a colleague and friend.  His 
commitment to democracy, personal bravery and his practical 
approach to the difficult tasks ahead were an inspiration 
to many.  Al-Haidary's assassination follows the slaying 
not only of Deputy Governor Hatim, but also of Deputy Mayor 
Faris abd al-Razzak, three District Council Chairpersons 
and an estimated 26 Baghdad Council members at all levels 
over the past 14 months.  With elections less than a month 
away, the murder of Governor al-Haidary will further 
disturb an already terrorized local administration.  In 
conjunction with all the other attacks, it will have a 
further chilling effect on candidates and election workers. 
It demonstrates that even the most tenacious public 
official -- willing to withstand seven assassination 
attempts -- will eventually be killed by terrorists or 
driven away.  The Governor's killing appears to have been 
meant by the insurgents to demonstrate to the seven million 
citizens of Baghdad province that even the most heavily- 
protected local official is not safe, that the Coalition 
and the IIG cannot ensure security, and that anyone is 
within the insurgents' reach.  Although we have not seen a 
claim of responsibility for the Governor's assassination, 
the modus operandi of the killers was similar to that used 
to kill the Deputy Governor, whose murder was later claimed 
by the insurgent group Ansar al-Sunna.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
NEGROPONTE