VZCZCXRO0387
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #2172 1821137
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 011137Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1982
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 002172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/30/2017 
TAGS: IZ PGOV PINS PREL
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S JUNE 28 MEETING WITH IRAQI DEPUTY 
SPEAKER 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (S) SUMMARY: On June 28, the Ambassador met with Sheikh 
Khalid al-Attiya, First Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Council 
of Representatives (CoR).  Al-Attiya offered thoughts on the 
CoR and the status of key legislation.  Al-Attiya stressed 
the importance of tailoring counterinsurgency methods to 
local conditions and implementing reconstruction projects. 
He stated that security of the population and the delivery of 
essential services are the most important government 
objectives.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Assessment of CoR and Key Legislation 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Al-Attiya reported that there is still no agreement 
concerning who will replace Speaker Mahmoud Mashadani and 
emphasized that any replacement needs Tawafuq's approval.  He 
predicted that despite the recent problems, it would be 
possible to reach a quorum in upcoming CoR sessions with the 
help of American pressure. 
 
¶3.  (C) Regarding the de-Ba'athification reform law, 
al-Attiya claimed Chalabi's proposed version represented the 
views of all parties. (Comment:  To our knowledge, Tawafuq 
does not support it.  End Comment.)  According to the draft, 
former Ba'athists below the level of Firqa would be 
reinstated; former employees of Ba'athist intelligence 
agencies would be forbidden from working for government 
institutions; and a court of seven judges would respond to 
grievances and complaints. 
 
¶4.  (C) Al-Attiya said that the CoR would soon draft a 
proposed elections law.  He called the recent conference in 
Dubai on the hydrocarbons law very helpful, and said that 
although Tawafuq members are balking on advancing the draft 
laws, there are no major problems regarding the legislation. 
 
Sadr March to Samarra 
--------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Asked about Sadr's plan for a march to Samarra during 
the first week of July, al-Attiya called it a bad idea that 
would lead to more unrest.  Al-Attiya would personally tell 
Sadr not to go through with the march. 
 
The Anbar Model in Other Regions 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) The Ambassador asked whether cooperation between MNF 
and local tribes in Anbar could be replicated elsewhere in 
Iraq.  Al-Attiya said that it was important to tailor 
strategies to each region and that in general, the tribes 
were not a major problem for the government.  In Diyala, 
al-Attiya is organizing a conference with local tribes 
entitled "Declaration of Support for the Government."  In the 
south he said support to tribes should not be public but 
could include tribal roles in some government intelligence 
agencies. 
 
The Importance of Services Delivery 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  Al-Attiya agreed with the Ambassador that after security, 
services delivery is the most important government objective. 
 He blamed poor services delivery on insecurity and key 
ministries being unoccupied for the last two months, but said 
that progress could be achieved by resolving the Sadr CoR 
boycott and the Mashadani dispute. 
 
¶8.  (C) Al-Attiya also stressed the importance of 
reconstruction projects in providing employment and 
increasing public support for the government.  He cited the 
example of Diwaniya, where four large factories, including a 
tire factory, have stopped operating due to supply and 
maintenance problems.  The Ambassador said he would examine 
the possibility of supporting the tire factory. 
 
CROCKER