VZCZCXRO1741
PP RUEHDE
DE RUEHGB #3907/01 3360246
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 020246Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4601
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003907 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PTER SOCI SCUL ECON IZ
SUBJECT: BAGDHAD EPRT: OMAR AL-JABOORI HOSTS RECONCILIATION 
MEETING, COVERS IDPS, AMNESTY, MEDIA COVERAGE 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 2670 
     ¶B. BAGHDAD 3013 
     ¶C. BAGHDAD 3710 
     ¶D. BAGHDAD 3711 
     ¶E. BAGHDAD 3712 
 
BAGHDAD 00003907  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: E-PRT Leader Eric Whitaker, Reason:  Section 1.4 (b) and 
 (d). 
 
¶1. (U) This is a Baghdad 2 Brigade E-PRT reporting cable. 
 
¶2. (C) Summary:  Sheikh Omar Al-Jaboori, Human Rights Advisor 
to Vice President Tariq Al-Hashimi, hosted a November 13 
meeting as part of a series of on-going discussions with the 
Brigade Combat Team (BCT) and E-PRT (reftels A - E).  The 
meeting featured the participation of the District Council 
chairs of 9 Nissan, Karada, and Rusafa.  Discussion focused 
on community reconciliation efforts, the need to publicize 
such undertakings, the need for amnesty for Sunni detainees, 
encouraging the return if IDPs, the effectiveness of Sunni 
efforts to eliminate Al-Qaida from Baghdad, and Sunni 
participation in neighborhood and district councils.  End 
summary. 
 
¶3. (C) Sheikh Omar Al-Jaboori, Human Rights Advisor to Vice 
President Tariq Al-Hashimi, Dr. Kheder Shukur, and six Sunni 
representatives hosted BCT Effects Cell Coordinator, Human 
Terrain Team Leader, and E-PRT Leader as well as the Karada, 
Rusafa, and 9 Nissan District Council Chairs in a three and 
one-half hour meeting on November 13 at VP Al-Hashimi's 
residence in the International Zone. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
9 Nissan DC Chair:  Cultures of Unity and of Separatism 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶4. (C) After introductions, 9 Nissan District Council Chair 
Sheikh Kamal Joda noted the presence of both cultures of 
unity and of separatism within his district.  He underscored 
the importance of marginalizing the latter, and of building 
reconciliation efforts from a grassroots origin.  If enough 
individuals want results, he said, they will press leaders to 
solve reconciliation issues.  This process should proceed in 
stages. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Rusafa DC Chair:  Support Brotherhood and Nationhood 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶5. (C) Rusafa District Council Chair Jamal Khalaf said that 
political parties should cool things down, and concentrate on 
supporting the notions of brotherhood and nationhood.  There 
is no need for Iraqis to hurt each other; such ideas are from 
abroad, and have caused a sickness inside Iraq.  He used the 
once-feuding Rusafa neighborhoods of Al-Fadhil and Abu Saifan 
as an example.  The problem was dealt with, foreign fighters 
had been removed, and people had worked to remove barriers 
between them. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
Karada DC Chair:  Urban vs. Tribal, Many Incidents Noted 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶6. (C) Finally, Karada District Council Chair Mohammed 
Al-Rubeiy said that the district was known as a good, secure 
are, where many political leaders live.  Yet it is a mixed 
district, and he often sees his role as holding the Karada 
stick in the middle, with the peninsula on one end and 
Zafaraniya on the other.  The district has both urban and 
tribal populations, and hosts numerous internally displaced 
persons (IDPs), perhaps as many as 5850 families.  The 
district has also suffered from more attacks than most 
realize, with 86 incidents of violence, including 119 
fatalities and over 300 injured, Mohammed noted, more than 
Sadr City. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Al-Jaboori Themes:  Reconciliation, Publicity, Amnesty 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶7. (C) Al-Jaboori thanked them for their observations, and 
noted that people were moving back to their homes gradually. 
This is due in part to the improving security conditions, 
wherein Al-Qaida is now "95 percent" removed from the city of 
Baghdad.  Al-Jaboori then listed four key issues: 
 
-- Continued holding of reconciliation meetings, building to 
a national reconciliation conference.  Security is improving, 
and there is no place any longer for militias; nothing 
remains between the Shias and Sunnis; 
 
-- Publicizing progress being made in community-level 
 
BAGHDAD 00003907  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
reconciliation through media coverage; 
 
-- Efforts to assist IDPs in returning to their homes, 
particularly in 9 Nissan (Note:  both Karada and Rusafa were 
discussed and regarded as IDP hosting areas, rather than 
sources.  End note.); and 
 
-- An amnesty program so that detainees could be freed in 
cases where no evidence of guilt was present.  According to 
Al-Jaboori, this would encompass roughly 60 percent of the 
60,000 held ) per his estimates. 
 
¶8. (C) The E-PRT Leader spoke of the importance of broad 
civil society involvement in community reconciliation, and 
defined it as including clerics, traditional leaders, media, 
academics, professional associations, labor, women's and 
children's groups, NGOs, and commerce.  The E-PRT Leader 
pledged to sponsor community reconciliation/civil society 
forums in each of the three districts to help catalyze this 
process. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Dr. Kheder:  Sunnis Killed their Own for Joining AQI 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶9. (C) Dr. Kheder Shukur introduced the local Sunni 
representatives, and encouraged the district council chairs 
to take advantage of them as contacts and representatives of 
the Sunni populations within their areas.  He said the Sunni 
representatives "prove themselves by their work."  Dr. Kheder 
said that Al-Qaida had "got us," and noted that progressive 
Sunnis had "killed their own for joining Al-Qaida." 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Jamal:  Have to Admit Mistakes to Build Common Future 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶10. (C) Rusafa DC Chair Jamal interjected that both sides 
have to admit their past mistakes in order to build a common 
future.  Karada DC Chair Mohammed said that the concept of 
district councils is new, but that members had participated 
in training and were filling local needs for governance.  DC 
members, he said, are "hidden soldiers for the government." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Greater Sunni Representation on NCs and DCs Sought 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶11. (C) Discussion continued over Sunni aspirations for 
greater representation in neighborhood and district councils. 
 None of the district council chairs was opposed, and 
openness to Sunni candidates was apparent.  The mechanism of 
replacing the original, appointed members, however, was 
described as problematic, as the Provincial Council had 
failed to act on 15 NC replacements sent for ratification in 
July 2007.  All agreed, however, to work toward a mutual 
solution. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Al-Jaboori Seeks "Strategic, Diplomatic Dialogue" 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶12. (C) At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to meet 
again.  (Note:  in an aside prior to the meeting, Al-Jaboori 
advised E-PRT Leader that he wished for a "strategic, 
diplomatic partnership" with the United States.  Al-Jaboori 
also made it clear that he is interested in a national-level 
reconciliation event to draw attention to ongoing efforts at 
the local level.  End note.) 
BUTENIS