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PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #3224/01 2441217
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 011217Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6613
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHWSR/WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003224 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: SPEAKER NOT OUT OF THE WOODS; REPORTEDLY CEDES 
SOME AUTHORITIES TO  DEPUTY SPEAKER ATTIYAH 
 
REF: A. (A) BAGHDAD 2929 
     ¶B. (B) BAGHDAD 2967 
 
Classified By: 
(U) Classified by Acting Political Counselor Michael 
¶J. Adler for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY.  The Speaker of the Council of 
Representatives Mahmoud Al-Mashadani has reportedly ceded 
some of his authorities to Deputy Speaker Khalid Al-Attiyah 
as part of an agreement to try to preserve his position. 
While press speculation that he may be removed as Speaker 
has largely disappeared, there is still dissatisfaction, 
even within his own bloc, with his performance.  Leading 
Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) official Dr. Alaa Mekki told 
PolOff August 31 that a Tawafuq CoR member caucus meeting 
might raise the topic of the Speaker's performance.  Mekki 
claimed that most Tawafuq members would support removing 
Mashadani.  The Speaker's National Security Advisor, Alex 
Tierjanin, put the blame for Mashadani's problems squarely 
on the Speaker's son and Chief of Staff Abd al-Bassit. 
Ahmed Al-Quraishi, Attiyah's Chief of Staff, told PolOff 
August 25 that the Speaker had given the Deputy Speaker 
authorities over the security of the CoR, as well as over 
the financial and administrative portfolios.  In addition, 
the Speaker and the two Deputies have reportedly agreed 
that the CoR staff should be similar in ethnic and 
sectarian makeup to the legislature itself.  END SUMMARY 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
PRESS SPECULATION ABOUT MASHADANI'S REMOVAL HAS DIMINISHED 
AFTER SHIA COALITION DENIES IT WILL LEAD SUCH EFFORTS 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Speaker of the CoR Mahmoud Al-Mashadani has 
reportedly ceded some of his authorities to Deputy Speaker 
Khalid Al-Attiyah as part of an agreement to try to 
preserve his position. (COMMENT: It is unclear whether this 
agreement was struck with Al-Attiyah personally, or with 
the political blocs. END COMMENT).  The Speaker's frequent 
foreign trips, his perceived lack of consultation 
(particularly over the signing of a friendship agreement 
with the Ba'athist Syrian parliament), and his inflammatory 
public statements caused so much anger among the Kurdish 
Alliance and Shia Coalition members (REF A) that press 
reports speculated August 14 and 15 that he would be 
removed when the CoR reconvened or would resign.  Since 
then, the talk of his removal has diminished.  Leading 
SCIRI figure Humam Al-Hammoudi told PolCouns August 17 that 
the Shia Coalition would not take the lead in dealing with 
the Speaker; instead, this would be Tawafuq's 
responsibility.  He added that the CoR might limit the term 
of the Speaker's office by limiting it to one year so he 
would face re-election.  Hammoudi repeated similar 
statements to the local media August 17. 
 
¶3. (C) However, the Speaker's image took a new hit when a 
local newspaper published a front-page story August 24 
highlighting the arrest of one of his bodyguards for 
planting IEDs.  Mashadani's Chief of Staff and son Abd al- 
Bassit Al-Mashadani claimed to PolOff August 27 that the 
accused is innocent.  Leading IIP and CoR member Dr. Alaa 
Mekki told PolOff August 31 that a Tawafuq CoR member 
caucus meeting to be held that same day might raise the 
topic of the Speaker's performance.  When asked, Mekki 
claimed that most Tawafuq members would support removing 
the Speaker.  The Speaker's National Security Advisor, Alex 
Tierjanin, later told PolOff that he is not happy with the 
Speaker's performance, and that he put the blame squarely 
on Abd al-Bassit, whose character he likened to Oday 
Hussein's.  He said the Speaker could be saved if Abd al- 
Bassit were removed (NOTE: Abd al-Bassit was promoted to 
Chief of Staff shortly before the CoR went on August 
recess.  END NOTE) 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
SPEAKER CEDES ADMINISTRATIVE, FINANCIAL, AND SECURITY 
AUTHORITIES 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶4. (C) Ahmed al-Quraishi, Attiyah's Chief of Staff, told 
PolOff August 25 that, as part of the agreement, the Deputy 
Speaker is now handling the security of the CoR, financial, 
and administrative portfolios (NOTE: Article 34 (8)&(9) of 
the CoR bylaws provides that the Speaker is responsible for 
"taking precautionary measures to maintain order and 
security inside the CoR" and "supervising and oversight of 
all CoR staff and exercising all powers given to him in 
this regard, in a manner that does not contradict with 
Article 9 of the bylaws."  Article 9(5)-(7) of the bylaws 
 
BAGHDAD 00003224  002 OF 002 
 
 
empowers the Speaker and two deputies collectively with the 
functions of administrative formation, financial 
administration policy, and the budget. END NOTE.)  On a day 
to day basis, the Speaker will still run the sessions and 
represent the CoR at meetings.  Quraishi said this 
agreement is just oral, not written.  Muhammad al-Obaidi, 
advisor to Deputy Speaker Arif Taifour, told PolOff August 
25 that the dislike between Attiyah and Mashadani is so 
strong that they no longer meet.  On August 28, Quraishi 
confirmed that there has been no direct communication 
between the two since Attiyah denied funding for 
Mashadani's return trip to Syria August 12 (REF B). 
 
¶5. (C) Already, Al-Attiyah's influence is being felt. 
According al-Quraishi, the CoR will soon issue a complete 
weapons ban in the Convention Center and a limit on the 
number of bodyguards principals can bring into the 
Convention Center.  Chief of Security Yaqdhan Dhakheel told 
PolOff August 23 that bodyguards can currently enter the 
building with a weapon and leave without it and then enter 
again with another weapon (alluding to recent rumors that 
members the Speaker's protective detail are storing weapons 
in the Speaker's suite). 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
SECTARIAN HIRING OF EMPLOYEES: PARLIAMENT STAFF TO REFLECT 
MAKEUP OF COR 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶6. (C) The Speaker and two deputies have also begun efforts 
to implement the spirit of Article 9 (12)(A) of the bylaws 
that calls for them to agree "in taking decisions related 
to appointing (employees and staff) . . . in a way to 
achieve the principle of balance, equal opportunities for 
all Iraqis to fill the state's positions..."  Director of 
the Research Directorate, Saifaldin Abdurrahman, told 
PolOff August 21 that the Speaker and two Deputies had 
agreed that the CoR staff should be similar in ethnic and 
sectarian makeup to the CoR itself.  He expressed his 
frustration that the new staff is being appointed to 
directorates without consulting the general directors as to 
whether anyone is needed and what skills they should have. 
He expressed his fear that the non-partisan Research 
Directorate could instead become sectarian. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (C) If the reports of this agreement prove correct, 
Deputy Speaker Khalid Al-Attiyah will have strengthened his 
position as the most powerful leader in the CoR.  He is 
already the most effective chair of CoR sessions, and now 
effectively controls the internal administrative functions. 
Assuming the Speaker can hold on to his job, he seems 
content to be largely restricted to making speeches and 
representing the CoR in public fora.  Deputy Speaker Arif 
Taifour has not yet shown any signs of wanting to actively 
participate.  His staff is still quite small, and his Chief 
of Staff spends the vast majority of the time in Kurdistan. 
SPECKHARD