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INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002123 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR JOHN EULER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: FOURTH ANNUAL RULE OF LAW CONFERENCE 
 
 ¶1.  (U)  SUMMARY:  The Rule of Law Coordinator Office, in 
conjunction with Multi-National Force- Iraq (MNF-I) Office of 
the Staff Judge Advocate(OSJA) and the Office of Provincial 
Affairs, hosted the Fourth Annual Rule of Law Conference in 
the International Zone on May 19-21.  Over 160 Embassy, 
MNF-I, and non-USG personnel participated in the three-day 
conference .  The first day of the conference focused on 
Iraq Rule of Law issues and programs from the Embassy 
perspective, the second day from the MNF-I perspective, and 
the final day from the Iraqi and international perspective. 
Ambassador Ryan Crocker hosted a VIP luncheon at the 
Embassy on the final day.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2.  (U)  From May 19-21, the Rule of Law Coordinator's 
Office held the Fourth Annual Rule of Law Conference at the 
Forward Operating Base Blackhawk Conference Center in the 
International Zone.  The conference was jointly organized 
by and coordinated with MNF-I OSJA and the Office of 
Provincial Affairs. 
 
¶3.  (U)  DAY 1 - Review of Embassy Rule of Law Programs: 
Ambassador Ryan Crocker opened the conference with 
welcoming remarks and spoke about the importance of 
developing the Rule of Law in Iraq, as well as Embassy, 
MNF-I, and non-USG Coalition partners working together to 
help accomplish that mission. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Rule of Law Coordinator Phil Lynch and outgoing 
MNF-I SJA Mark Martins discussed their offices, joint 
efforts to promote the rule of law in Iraq.  They were 
followed by a panel of Rule of Law personnel from different 
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) discussing various 
initiatives, issues, and challenges Rule of Law PRT 
personnel face.  The Deputy Rule of Law Coordinator and 
MNF-I SJA Rule of Law Chief subsequently presented on the 
Iraqi amnesty regime, including how the law is functioning 
and the extent of its impact since enactment. 
 
¶5.  (U)  The afternoon session began with a panel focusing 
on legal programs for Iraqi women.  The subsequent panel 
discussed judicial capacity building programs and support 
for Iraqi bar associations, law schools, and other legal 
organizations.  Representatives of the Rule of Law 
Coordinator, MNF-I SJA, Joint Strategic Planning and 
Assessment, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and 
Law Enforcement then engaged the audience with an 
interactive dialogue about the Rule of Law Strategic Action 
Plan (ROLSAP), due to be completed this summer.  The day,s 
final presentations addressed (1) funding and resources 
available for Rule of Law programs and (2) Iraq,s civil law 
system and land registry issues. 
 
¶6.  (U)  DAY 2 - Review of MNFI Rule of Law Programs:  The 
second day of the conference focused more directly on 
military issues, with the content and discussion driven by 
MNF-I OSJA.  Outgoing MNF-I SJA COL Mark Martins and 
Australian Brigadier Jeffrey Sengelman, MNF-I Director of 
Strategic Operations, opened the day with a discussion of 
the Rule of Law Mission in Iraq.  Bill Gallo, Director of 
the Law and Order Task Force (LAOTF), provided an inside 
look at the mission and functioning of LAOTF.  Rear Admiral 
Garland Wright, Deputy Commanding General of Task Force 
134, concluded the morning session with a look at detainee 
operations and Theater Internment Facility and 
Reconciliation Centers (TIFRCs). 
 
¶7.  (U)  Brigadier General Edward Cardon, MND-C Deputy 
Commanding General for Support, began the afternoon session 
of Day 2 by addressing General Officer-level assistance and 
engagements in support of Rule of Law operations.  COL 
Gerald Busby followed with a look at Rule of Law Complex 
projects.  An MNC-I SJA representative then led a panel, 
composed of members from 64th MP Co, 18th MP BDE, MND-B 
CID, MND-N, CCC-I, and Task Force Ramadi, which provided an 
analysis of the Iraqi criminal justice system from arrest 
to trial.  Rule of Law representatives from MNF-W, MND-C, 
MND-N, and the Basrah PRT subsequently engaged attendees in 
a discussion on MNC-I initiatives in support of the Iraqi 
justice system.  General Cardon closed out Day 2 by hosting 
a social function at the Embassy that included a 
presentation by guest speaker General Al-Ali H. Fawzi, 
former Chief of Staff, Iraqi Army 3rd Corps, about cultural 
knowledge useful for effectively engaging Iraqi judges. 
 
¶8.  (U)  DAY 3 - International Perspectives on Rule of Law 
Programs: The final day provided conference attendees with 
an international perspective on Iraq rule of law issues. 
Representatives of the UN Development Programme, EUJUST 
LEX, and the International Institute for the Rule of Law 
began the day with a presentation on international 
organizations and the Rule of Law program.  A panel 
 
BAGHDAD 00002123  002 OF 002 
 
 
composed of the Iraqi Bar Association (IBA) President, the 
Dean of the Baghdad Law School, and the Director General of 
the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) addressed the 
conference on modernizing Iraqi legal education, with a 
focus on training, curriculum development, and law school 
partnerships.  Representatives of the British, Italian, and 
Japanese Embassies, and a human rights officer from UNAMI, 
rounded out the morning session with a discussion of 
bi-lateral engagement in the Rule of Law community. 
 
¶9.  (U)  Ambassador Crocker then hosted a luncheon for 
conference speakers at the Embassy.  Distinguished Iraqi 
guests, including Chief Justice Medhat al-Mahmoud, IBA 
President Aswad al-Ninshidi, Baghdad Law School Dean Ali 
al-Rufaie, and several Iraqi judges, participated in the 
luncheon, as did USG leaders such as Director of the Office 
of Provincial Affairs Phyllis Powers, Rule of Law 
Coordinator Phil Lynch, DoIA Director General MG Michael 
Jones, Rear Admiral Garland Wright, and others. 
 
¶10.  (U)  After the luncheon, Chief Justice (CJ) Medhat, 
President of the Higher Judicial Council (HJC), started off 
the final afternoon of the conference with a keynote 
address which began with a history of law in the Iraq 
region from Babylonian times until today.  As part of that 
discussion, he emphasized the importance of reestablishing 
and strengthening judicial independence from the other 
branches of government as well as outside influences.  That 
independence, he lamented, had been significantly 
challenged between 1977 and 2003, when the former regime 
had the judiciary under the control of the executive 
branch. 
 
¶11.  (U)  CJ Medhat then highlighted some of the HJC,s 
successes over the past five years, including a doubling of 
the number of judges and prosecutors; supporting the 
building of courthouses as well as housing for judges; 
increasing judicial training; and introducing &new blood to 
the administrative staff and the other judicial departments 
with young graduates from the colleges and institutes.8 
He concluded by focusing on future plans for the HJC, as 
resources allow, including:  the establishment of courts 
specializing in particular types of cases, such as 
terrorism, cyber crimes, money laundering, commerce, and 
administrative cases; improving and modernizing juvenile 
and family courts; establishing investigative offices 
focused on major crimes in the provinces; and more closely 
linking the JTI with the HJC so the HJC can improve the JTI,s 
programs and staff.  He then responded to questions from 
attendees. 
 
¶12.  (U)  CJ Medhat,s talk was followed by an all-Iraqi 
panel composed of the Chief Juvenile Judge at CCC-I, Karkh, 
the Deputy Director General for Juvenile Rehabilitation at 
the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the President of 
the Iraqi Jurists Union, and the Karkh Juvenile Police 
Chief addressing legal issues about juveniles in Iraq. 
 
¶13.  (U)  COMMENT:  The Fourth Annual Rule of Law 
Conference provided an excellent opportunity for Embassy, 
MNF-I, and non-USG coalition partners to come together and 
share insights and experiences from around Iraq regarding 
various challenges faced in advancing the rule of law. 
Conference attendees participated with engaging questions 
and commentary throughout the entire three-day event.  In 
addition to making resource connections that will prove 
valuable in the coming months, participants came away from 
the conference with new ideas for solutions to issues they 
face and a renewed confidence in the way forward on the 
rule of law mission. 
CROCKER