VZCZCXRO7334
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHIT #0394/01 2071247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251247Z JUL 08 ZDK DUE TO NUMEROUS SVCS
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8337
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000394 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL IZ KDEM PGOV TU
SUBJECT: IRAQI OFFICIALS MEET IN ISTANBUL TO CREATE 
DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR SAMARRA 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 224 
     ¶B. BAGHDAD 1974 
     ¶C. BAGHDAD 409 
 
ISTANBUL 00000394  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary. On July 17-19, 26 Iraqi men and women gathered in 
Istanbul to create a development plan for the City of 
Samarra, where in 2006 the bombing of the Golden Mosque 
initiated two years of country-wide sectarian violence. 
Attendees included the provincial governor, members of the 
provincial and city councils, police and army commanders, and 
representatives of NGOs and the religious community. At the 
end of the conference, the attendees had agreed upon all 
major elements of the development plan. The cooperation 
displayed by the participants contrasts vividly with the 
mistrust and accusations that have characterized the past two 
years (REF B). End summary. 
 
---------------- 
Background 
---------------- 
 
¶2. The province of Salah ad Din (SAD), located immediately 
north of Baghdad, has a population of just under one million 
persons. The provincial capital is Tikrit, home town of 
Saddam Hussein. Samarra is the province's largest city, 
housing a quarter of a million people. Samarra's 
predominantly Sunni Arab population sees itself as among the 
biggest losers of the change of regime, with many highly 
educated and experienced former officials now unemployed and 
pensionless. 
 
¶3. Samarra is a strategic city, a Sunni town famous for its 
Shia shrine, the Al-Askari or Golden Mosque, previously a 
source of much revenue from Shia tourism. On February 22, 
2006, the golden dome of the mosque was destroyed by a 
terrorist bombing, setting off riots and reprisal attacks 
across the country that almost plunged Iraq into civil war. 
On June 13, 2007, suspected al-Qaeda terrorists attacked the 
mosque again and destroyed the two minarets flanking the 
dome's ruins. 
 
¶4. Security, while not yet satisfactory, has improved 
tremendously in Samarra this year (REF A). General Rasheed, 
Commander of the Samarra Operations Center, told us that as a 
result of the Prime Minister's recent campaign, militia 
infiltration of the security forces has been reduced by a 
factor of 10. Accordingly, the GOI and international 
community are trying to seize the opportunity, not only to 
reconstruct the shrine (UNESCO and UNOPS are engaged (REF C), 
in close cooperation with the SAD PRT satellite housed at 
Patrol Base Olsen), but also, crucially, to improve the 
quality of life for the people of Samarra, who feel they have 
been neglected and who desire a return to normalcy, with all 
the pilgrimage trade that normalcy entails. 
 
---------------- 
The Istanbul Conference 
---------------- 
 
¶5. The Istanbul Conference, organized by the SAD PRT and 
sponsored by UNDP with funds provided by the EU, was 
structured to bring together Samarra/Governate/GOI officials 
and citizens to engage in free and frank discussion of the 
issues facing the city, and to develop a common vision for 
the future of the city. The Provincial Council has enacted a 
nominal development plan for the Province, but it is project- 
and spoils-based, with concomitant lack of focus and results. 
The Samarra Development Plan, by contrast, will be 
integrated, long-term (3-5 years), and based upon the shared 
vision of the Conference participants. 
 
¶6. The agenda for the three-day event included a discussion 
of the current state of the city; breakout sessions on 
governance, public services, social services and economic 
development; and the drafting of an agreement on a common 
vision of the future direction of the city and surrounding 
area. Urban planning experts from UNDP facilitated the 
conference and provided technical assistance. 
 
¶7. One key to the success of the Conference was the inclusion 
of high level representatives of all stakeholders -- Central, 
provincial and local government, military and police, as well 
as the religious and NGO communities. Equally important, 
participants arrived at the conference prepared to work 
together to find common ground, rather than to defend their 
parochial interests. As Gen. Rasheed proclaimed, the renewal 
of Samarra was "for the benefit of all Iraq." This 
cooperative attitude is the result of three months of 
preparatory work put into the Conference by the SAD PRT and 
its Samarra Team Lead, and demonstrates the wisdom of having 
the Samarra Team Lead based in the city and close to the 
people he advises. 
 
ISTANBUL 00000394  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8. Over the years, Amman conference facilities have become 
increasingly booked, and Iraqi conference organizers are 
turning to Istanbul as a convenient "offsite" location in 
which to hold meetings. Although the GOT was not involved in 
this conference, we are beginning to investigate the 
advisability of involving the GOT in such events, where 
appropriate. 
 
¶9. This cable has been cleared by the SAD PRT. 
OUDKIRK