VZCZCXRO4673
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #3840 3291334
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251334Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4506
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 003840 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PINR PINS IZ
SUBJECT: BAGHDAD'S SUNNI SUBURBS TO SEE SOME SERVICES 
SUPPORT 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 3045 
     ¶B. BAGHDAD 2847 
 
¶1. (U) This is a Baghdad PRT reporting cable. 
 
¶2. (U) Summary.  Representatives of the Baghdad provincial 
government held the first in a series of coordination 
meetings focused on improving services in the largely Sunni 
communities of suburban and rural Baghdad Province on 
November 20, facilitated by Baghdad PRT, Baghdad ePRT 5 and 
MND-B.  This development was made possible due to the 
security gains and institutional initiatives brought on by 
the Baghdad Security Plan.  End summary. 
 
¶3. (U) Representatives of the Baghdad provincial government 
held the first in a series of coordination meetings focused 
on improving services in the largely Sunni communities of 
suburban and rural Baghdad Province on November 20, 
facilitated by Baghdad PRT, Baghdad ePRT 5 and MND-B.  Using 
the Joint Planning Commission (JPC) as their model, Baghdad's 
provincial leaders seek to create a regular forum that would 
facilitate tracking and coordination of infrastructure 
projects planned and executed by Government of Iraq (GoI) 
institutions, Coalition units, and PRT/ePRTs. (Reftel A). 
The JPC, one of the initiatives launched as part of the 
current Baghdad Security Plan, focuses on infrastructure 
projects within metropolitan Baghdad and the city districts 
served by the Amanat (City Hall).  This new forum, 
tentatively called the Joint Rural Planning Meeting (JRPM), 
would coordinate projects in the six outlying qadas 
(counties) with the offices of the Governor and the local 
Coalition units and ePRTs. 
 
¶4. (U) During the November 20 session, an executive body was 
established, with leadership coming from the Rural Services 
Committee of the Baghdad Provincial Council, the Governor's 
office and Baghdad PRT.  Subhy al-Meshadani, the only Sunni 
on Baghdad's Provincial Council, will play a major role in 
this body. (Reftel B).  This executive body will meet next 
week to lay out the agenda for the first scheduled JRPM 
session, focused on the communities of the Taji qada just 
north of Baghdad, the site of several recent reconciliation 
initiatives. 
 
¶5. (U) Comment.  This development is noteworthy for a number 
of reasons.  A Shia-dominated provincial government is taking 
concrete steps to improve services in the largely Sunni 
outlying communities.  Improved security in these areas, 
largely the result of Concerned Local Citizens groups working 
with Coalition units, is enabling such outreach.  The success 
of the city-centric JPC in improving GoI/USG coordination is 
seen by Iraqis as an effective model to improve coordination 
between national, provincial and local GOI services 
institutions on a broader scale.  Thus, both the security 
gains and institutional initiatives brought on by the Baghdad 
Security Plan are yielding positive results in enabling 
service improvements.  End comment. 
CROCKER