VZCZCXRO3245
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #4095 3510845
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170845Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4892
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 004095 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/I 
STATE ALSO PASS USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV ECON IZ
SUBJECT: INVESTMENT COMMISSION CHAIR: POLITICS SHOULD NOT 
DRIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
 
1.(SBU) SUMMARY:  Iraq's new National Investment Commission 
Chair is an ambitious hard-charger who in his first two weeks 
on the job (and prior to his confirmation by the Council of 
Representatives) has already written implementing regulations 
for the 13-month old Foreign Investment Law for both the 
national and provincial governments.  He wants "100 percent 
qualified," loyal and honest staff who are ready to work 
hard.  He asked for USG support on several initiatives.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) ECONMIN and ECONCOUNS met on December 11 with Dr. 
Ahmed Ridha, recently named Chairman of the National 
Investment Commission.  In that position, Ridha is charged 
with, inter alia, drafting and implementing the regulations 
for the Foreign Investment Law which was passed by the 
Council of Representatives (COR) in October 2007.  Ridha is 
the third formal nominee; two other names were never passed 
to the CoR for approval.  Right off the bat Ridha asked for 
USG help in securing office space; he said he wanted a five 
story building within the International Zone (IZ) and a small 
office outside the IZ.  He said his goal would be to lease 
out space in the larger building to create an international 
trade center and use the revenues to help fund his 
operations.  EMIN agreed to look into the matter, noting that 
space in the IZ was extremely tight, and under the control of 
the Prime Minister's office in any case. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ridha explained a bit of his personal history; 
proudly noting that the UAE is now one of the world's 
foremost destinations for foreign investment, he described 
himself has having been in charge of UAE foreign investment 
programs as well as their statistical offices over the past 
twenty years.  He also said he was a graduate of the 
University of California at Irvine.  But he quickly noted the 
challenges he faces.  In the UAE, he said, everything is 
secure -- but in Iraq there is no security and no laws or 
even scope for investment.  Conversely, he said, in the UAE, 
one has to import everything: "even the air," he said,  But 
Iraq has everything -- water, labor, natural resources.  What 
Iraq needs, he said, is management and administrative 
expertise -- and a new model for investment. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  Ridha said Prime Minister Maliki had given him 
great latitude in his operation, as well as giving him the 
rank of Minister (Comment: It's unclear to us that this is 
the case or if the CoR will confirm such a rank.  End 
Comment.)  He said he'd told the PM he would develop a Vision 
and a Mission and Objectives, and that he'd hire "100 percent 
qualified" staff who wanted to work and who were efficient 
and loyal and honest -- paying them at rates commensurate 
with the jobs they were doing. 
 
¶5. (SBU) In his first two weeks, Rihda reported he had 
already drafted implementing regulations for the Foreign 
Investment law, including 62 articles on foreign investment 
rules and 45 articles on the operations of the commission. 
He asserted that these regulations would be reviewed and 
approved by the cabinet within two weeks, and that he would 
immediately implement them "in any case."  Then he said he'd 
contacted a few provincial officials to see if they'd drafted 
similar regulations for the provincial investment commissions 
provided for in the law; learning they had not, he drafted 
those regulations as well.  (Comment: We have asked for a 
copy of the draft regulations.  End Comment.) 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ridha said he intends to address the CoR when his 
nomination moves forward; he will use the opportunity to 
explain to him his philosophy that politics should not drive 
economic development; if anything, the desperate need for 
economic development in Iraq must drive the political 
decisions. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment:  Ridha is a breath of fresh air -- driven 
and results oriented.  His ambition is admirable, but it may 
be blunted by the inefficiency of the Iraqi bureaucracy and 
the infighting of Iraqi politics.  End Comment. 
CROCKER