VZCZCXRO9698
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #0581 0591204
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281204Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5950
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 000581 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER IZ
SUBJECT:  KIRKUK PRT: LION DAY MARKET-WALK RESTORES KIRKUK LEADERS 
TO FORMER AQI TURF 
 
REF: 07 Baghdad 4008 
 
¶1.  This is a PRT Kirkuk cable. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Summary:  The Kirkuk Brotherhood List (KBL) and the Arab 
Bloc continue to work together to identify mechanisms for the 
implementation of the last of the 13 points cited in the agreement 
between the two blocs that resulted in the Arab bloc's return to the 
Kirkuk Provincial Council (PC).  To publicly demonstrate the 
agreement, provincial officials, the Governor, the Deputy Governor 
and the PC Chair toured the District seat of Hawija, an area in 
which AQI recently operated openly.  The success of the recent 
Concerned Local Citizens (CLC) contracts there provided the 
opportunity for the visit, a demonstration of Kurdish-Arab unity. 
During the market-walk, local residents frequently appealed for the 
processing and release of detainees.  End Summary. 
 
¶3. (U) The KBL and the Arab Bloc continue to work together to 
identify mechanisms for the implementation of the last of the 13 
points cited in the agreement between the two blocs that resulted in 
the Arab bloc's return to the Kirkuk PC (reftel).  Meanwhile, the 
Turkman bloc continues its boycott of the PC. 
 
¶4. (U) Provincial officials made two recent trips to Hawija 
District, a region primarily populated by al Jaburi Sunni tribesmen. 
Terrorists, particularly AQI, have been active there; the al Jaburis 
have strong ties with the insurgency.  The PRT accompanied Governor 
Abduhl Rahman Mustafa, Deputy Governor Rakan Said, and PC Chairman 
Rizgar Ali on February 14 to the celebration of Lion Day, an Iraqi 
Army (IA) awards ceremony recognizing heroism in recent operations 
and celebrating last year's major defeat of insurgents in Hawija. 
The trip included a market walk and open-air tea social in a 
sidewalk cafe.  Notably, the market street in Hawija was cleaner 
than similar markets in Kirkuk City.  Another trip on February 12 
involved the Provincial Director General of Health inspecting the 
Hawija hospital.  The hospital has operated since 2005 without 
provincial oversight.  The Director General identified many 
shortcomings that he plans to help address. 
 
¶5. (U) No Governor had visited Hawija since 2002; no PC Chairman had 
visited the city since 1982.  Only two months ago the city was 
considered too dangerous for the Hawijah Council to hold its weekly 
session there.  The Hawijah Council has now decided to hold the 
majority of its sessions in Hawijah.  Governor Mustafa, a Kurd, 
while not an explicit supporter of the CLC program, recognizes that 
the CLC contracts have been the basis for improved security in the 
District. 
 
¶6.  (U)  During the walk, Hawija residents most often raised the 
issue of "illegally seized" detainees, some of whom they claim are 
being held outside the province in the Kurdish region.  Hawijans 
cannot visit them as the KRG holds them in seclusion.  Hawijans 
pressed the Provincial Leaders to negotiate their release and 
return.  For those detainees held by ISF, Hawijans wanted them 
processed under the new amnesty law. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment:  The improving security situation is allowing more 
visits to an area once considered so "hot" that none of the 
provincial representatives would dare visit, nor would local 
officials hold Hawijah local council meetings in the district. 
Bring leadership figures to the people is helping to build 
confidence that their leaders are actually paying attention to the 
needs of the populace.  High visibility market walks have also 
allowed the Arab population to see the Governor and the Provincial 
Council Chair, both Kurds, in public company with the new Arab bloc 
Deputy Governor.  These public events demonstrate the ethnic unity 
emerging from the 13-point agreement.  The increased attention from 
Provincial officials will increase pressure on the Turkman bloc to 
resume negotiations if they want to avoid losing out on the 
opportunity for changing resource-allocation priorities.  The 
market-walk allowed the people to voice their concerns directly, 
increasing local public vesting with the Provincial government. 
Hawijans await the ratification of the amnesty law in order to 
defuse an inter-ethnic issue in a District where virtually every 
family has one or more relatives currently being held in custody. 
End Comment. 
 
CROCKER