VZCZCXRO0942
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHIHL #0091 3061047
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 011047Z NOV 08
FM REO HILLAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1122
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHIHL/REO HILLAH 1195

C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000091 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/1/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PINS IZ
SUBJECT: WHAT'S IN A TRIBAL BATTALION? 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth M. hillas,  PRT Leader, Babil PRT, Dept 
of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (C) In recent weeks, there have been cross-cutting political 
pressures in Babil regarding the establishment of an "Iraqi 
Police (IP) tribal battalion."  ISCI Governor Salam Saleh Mahdi 
Al-Muslimawi has pushed hard to have one established but so far 
without success.  He has been looking to capitalize on the MOI's 
verbal approval, not yet confirmed officially, for an increase 
of 2,500 police over the current authorized level of 9,702. 
However, if approved, there are already 2,165 viable recruits 
from North Babil in the pipeline (all or most SOIs) competing to 
fill these new positions. 
¶2. (C)  The Governor has become very frustrated over his 
inability to convince the Minister of Interior to specifically 
authorize a tribal battalion.  By his own admission, the 
Governor has been unable for the last two months to even secure 
a meeting with the Minister of Interior.  He also failed to 
persuade the National Security Council to make a decision on a 
tribal battalion a condition for his agreement to moving ahead 
last week in Babil assuming Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) over 
security, leading to an outburst by the Governor at an NSC 
meeting in mid-October. 
 
¶3.  (C) IA and IP commanders in Babil do not support the 
Governor's proposal.  The normally compliant Provincial Director 
of Police, MG Fadhil Raddad, has quietly opposed the Governor on 
this issue, fearful that a tribal battalion could lead to a 
politicization of the IP, according to provincial SWAT commander 
Abbas, who has strongly opposed the Governor's efforts.   In 
Abbas' view, a tribal IP battalion would effectively constitute 
a Badr Battalion within the police.   MG Abdul Ameer, the 
commander of the Iraqi Army 41st Brigade based in Babil, is also 
firmly against the tribal battalion initiative. 
 
¶4.  (C) Nor has the Babil Dawa party leadership, which has its 
own agenda in the creation of Tribal Support Councils, supported 
the Governor on standing up a tribal battalion.  According to 
the Dawa's Deputy Provincial Chair, the Governor would move 
forcefully to place unqualified Badr personnel into such a 
tribal battalion, and as a result be able to control its 
operations.  Several leaders of Babil's IFCNR-sponsored Tribal 
Support Council, an initiative of the PM's office, have an 
ambivalent view about standing up a tribal battalion.  They 
perceive the patronage power that could come with a trbal 
battalion, while recognizing that the Governor's interest in 
packing such a battalion with his Badr supporters would likely 
predominate. 
 
¶5. (C) Earlier this month, SWAT raided Badr's offices in Hillah 
and seized RPGs, mortars and silencers.  Then this week there 
was an attempted assassination against an indepdent candidate 
for the Provincial Council, in which Badr is suspected of having 
played a role, although there are still other possible 
explanations.  Against this backdrop, many Babil political and 
security officials are asking who would be in a Tribal Battalion 
if the Governor prevails.  The answer seems to be:  Badr not to 
ask. 
 
HILLAS