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PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #0183/01 0240912
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 240912Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5341
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 000183 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREL IZ REL UK
SUBJECT: Chalabi's Provision of Services Committee - January 22 
 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Attendance was high at the January 22 meeting of the 
Baghdad Services Committee, both from the Government of Iraq (GoI) 
and USG sides. The Baghdad Deputy Mayor started the meeting, 
emphasizing the need for better service project coordination between 
the Amanat and the USG. The Joint Planning Commission (JPC) Chairman 
outlined what he believed to be shortcomings in the USG contracting 
process. As a result, a special JPC session will be dedicated to 
this issue. Trash, sewerage, fuel and PHCs also topped the agenda. 
The committee concluded the meeting by reviewing previous 
recommendations charged to the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC) and 
a review of recommendations for service improvements in Abu Ghraib. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
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This Week's Recommendations 
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¶2. After a critical discussion regarding USG contracting procedures 
it was decided that at an upcoming JPC meeting, the committee would 
discuss USG contracting procedures, including selection, payment, 
oversight and coordination with GoI entities, particularly the 
Amanat. A National Security Advisor representative, Mr. Sayid, 
recommended that an official link between the JPC and the GoI, 
possibly even the Provision of Services Committee, be created. Dr. 
Chalabi noted that he does send a representative to the JPC, but 
Sayid still pressed for an executive order from the Prime Minister 
or the Council of Representatives, as well as a stronger connection 
with the Services Committee. (Note: Sayid had previously said that 
the Chairman of the JPC, a technocrat from former Deputy Prime 
Minister Zobai's office, should no longer be Chairmen, because he is 
not "technically" part of the government. End Note) 
 
¶3. ITAO Director too issue with the general description of U.S. 
efforts and suggested that the specific issues be raised in 
appropriate for a. He then noted that Primary Health Centers (PHCs) 
staffing shortages are a concern. He suggested investigating the 
possibilities of health care workers from outside of Iraq operating 
PHCs for the MoH. These organizations could hire, on a short-term 
basis, Iraqi physicians and other health care staff that previously 
fled the country. (Note: Physicians and other health related 
professionals were targeted by various malignant actors which 
resulted in a sizeable exodus. End Note) After a fixed period of 
time, they could then be eligible to be hired by the MoH.  Dr. Adel, 
the Inspector General (IG) of Health, strongly opposed "handing 
over" any PHCs to NGOs. He maintained that the MoH is actively 
working on a recruitment plan that will address staffing shortages. 
Chalabi intervened to note that the GoI is indeed considering 
alternatives to PHC staffing. 
 
¶4. Other decisions reached at the meeting were to focus on sewerage 
problems in the Husseiniya area at the next Provision of Services 
Committee meeting. Also at the next meeting, the Amanat is to 
provide further information on transferring garbage collection 
responsibilities to the private sector. In the meantime, the 
Committee will send a letter to the Ministry of Transportation to 
seek opportunities to rent their trucks for garbage collection. 
Additionally, the Amanat is to provide a list of streets blocked by 
t-walls or other security related measures that are ready to be 
opened. Related to traffic problems, the Amanat raised the issue of 
unlicensed street vendors which also causes traffic. Chalabi 
directed the Amanat to conduct a study to determine who these 
vendors were, whether they can be re-employed or moved to a 
different area, etc.  The report should be delivered at next week's 
meeting. 
 
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A Closer Look at the Discussions: USG Contracting Process under 
Fire 
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¶5. Deputy Mayor Naiem highlighted an April 2006 agreement between 
the Amanat, the Baghdad PRT and the JPC that requires all projects 
related to the Amanat to be coordinated with the JPC and the Amanat. 
He believed that agreement had been breached numerous times. As 
such, the Provincial Council (PC) asked that future projects be held 
until projects could be coordinated and contractor selection could 
be reviewed. Naiem criticized USG projects, saying that they were 
small and not strategic. ITAO Director objected on factual grounds. 
 
 
¶6. Chairman of the Joint Planning Commission, Mr. Riyadh Filaheh 
said that the US is only partly to blame. He criticized the USG 
contracting process, particularly highlighting the inadequate 
contractor standards, the method of up front payment and the use of 
too many subcontractors. He suggested that contractor selection be 
coordinated with the Ministry of Planning (MoPDC) and that all 
projects be better coordinated with local councils. 
 
¶7. The Health IG chimed in, noting that the USG pays "exorbitantly" 
more for PHC construction than the GoI would under the same 
circumstance. He claimed that the USG was paying $1 million for each 
PHC. Deputy ITAO Director, General Snyder, reminded the committee 
that there are three different types of PHCs that the USG is 
 
BAGHDAD 00000183  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
building which vary in cost - the most expensive is approximately 
$1million. The IG also complained that by the time the MoH actually 
received the PHCs and medical equipment, the warranties were 
expired. The USG noted this was a problem. 
 
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JPC: Best Forum to Address USG Contract/or Issues 
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¶8. General Snyder suggested that these contract/or issues, as well 
as coordination conversations happen at the JPC. He also mentioned 
that the USG was aware of only a small percentage of quality control 
issues or incomplete projects and that ministries and other 
officials needed to be involved and call out attention to those 
specific issues. Chalabi agreed and noted that improved dialogue 
with the USG and amongst the various GoI actors would provide 
noticeable improvements in local service delivery. 
 
¶9. NSA representative, Sayid, piggy-backed on the JPC discussion, 
noting that there is no real affiliation between the JPC and the 
GoI. He emphasized that the link be official through an executive 
order by the Prime Minister or the Council of Representatives (COR). 
He also suggested a stronger connection between the JPC and the 
Provision of Services Committee. (Note: It is not clear if Sayid 
meant a separate affiliation with Chalabi's Committee and the GoI or 
if he saw them as one in the same. End Note) JPC Chairman responded 
noting that the JPC was slated to be an Iraqi institution last 
December, but it was the Iraqis who were not ready. Riyadh also took 
this time to encourage greater ministry participation in the JPC. He 
noted the regular absence of the MoH and the Ministry of Oil (MoO). 
 
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Dr. Chalabi Wants to Address Sewerage in Husseiniya 
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¶10. Dr. Chalabi commenced the next part of the meeting by expressing 
serious concerns for the sewerage in Husseiniya. He stated that more 
than 50,000 Iraqis are suffering because the treatment plant is not 
working. He understood that there was some disagreement between the 
USG and the GoI regarding the location of the plant. MG Snyder 
stated that the US completed a master plan last fall, but did not 
have enough funding to complete the project. He confirmed that there 
was some disagreement about the location. Dr. Chalabi suggested that 
this issue be further explored at the next meeting. 
 
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Amanat Up Next 
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¶11. The Amanat addressed garbage collection, stating that they are 
working to transfer this responsibility to the private sector. 
Authorizing drivers continues to be an obstacle. Vehicle shortages 
also exacerbate the problem, but the committee decided that renting 
trucks from the Ministry of Transportation (MoTrans) may be a 
short-term, viable solution. A memo will be sent to the MoTrans. A 
Council of Representatives member cited a successful Japanese 
program that awarded local Iraqis monetarily per each bag of garbage 
they properly disposed of. This idea seemed to gain little to no 
traction. 
 
¶12. The Deputy Mayor also complained about the traffic problems 
resulting from illegal street vendors. He said there is a current 
campaign underway to address the problem. The Amanat offered a 
building to these vendors, but few accepted the offer. A discussion 
then ensued regarding the background of these vendors, whether they 
were re-employable, or whether they were good candidates for 
training programs. The committee did agree that it was not possible 
to simply remove them without alternative employment opportunities. 
Chalabi recommended that a study be conducted to determine who these 
vendors were and then solutions be offered based upon those results. 
 
 
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Previous Recommendations Reviewed 
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¶13. The BOC was in attendance and Dr. Chalabi seized the opportunity 
to review previous recommendations that fell in their scope of 
responsibility. One checkpoint has been established between Adnon 
Square and the Adimiyah Bridge. The BOC reported that the second 
requested checkpoint was not possible at this time. A new battalion 
has been created for the Rashidiyah area. It will be associated with 
the 5th ID. 
 
¶14. The Director of the Abu Ghraib Hospital and the District 
Director for Abu Ghraib attended the meeting. They asked the BOC to 
reconsider moving a particular checkpoint that they claim is 
preventing the local people from getting their ration of fertilizer. 
The BOC maintained that it was not possible, but Dr. Chalabi asked 
them to reconsider. The Abu Ghraib representatives also asked the 
BOC to reconsider the location of a check point that is currently 
within a market. The BOC representative countered that the 
checkpoint was not in the market, but just before it and that it was 
 
BAGHDAD 00000183  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
necessary. 
 
¶15. The Abu Ghraib representatives did not have any better luck with 
the Health IG. They claimed to be treating more than at least two 
times the bed capacity per day at their hospital and as such 
requested another hospital. The IG said that in the short-term, a 
new hospital was not possible, but a new hospital for the long-term 
may be possible. The reps then asked that a PHC be converted into a 
hospital, but again the IG said that was not possible due to 
structural design. The representatives did not stop there and 
pleaded for an additional floor or expansion to the existing 
hospital. The IG dismissed this idea and told them to visit the MoH 
with these issues as opposed to raising them at the Provision of 
Services Committee meeting. The representatives then detailed 
staffing shortages, but the committee meeting quickly adjourned 
before the issue could be further addressed. 
 
 
 
Crocker