VZCZCXRO1634
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #0482/01 0560640
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250640Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1855
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 000482 
 
SBU 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PSOCI KCOR IZ
SUBJECT: PRT DIYALA:  LEGAL CONFERENCE IN DIYALA LAYS THE 
GROUNDWORK FOR POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CHANGES 
 
¶1.  (U) This is a PRT Diyala Reporting Cable. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY: An increased interest in standing up to 
corrupt practices by government officials is returning to 
Diyala Province, which hosted a legal conference January 19 
and 20 in Ba'aquba, Diyala.  PRT Diyala supported the 
conference.  Topics discussed ranged from federalism to 
economic and agricultural development, to detentions policy 
and the role of women and juveniles in society.   The 
conference promoted communication between legal professionals 
and government officials in Diyala.  Attendance by high 
ranking local officials and Embassy Baghdad Anti-Corruption 
Coordinator Ambassador Joseph Stafford and others elevated 
the profile of the conference. Post hopes the momentum 
generated by the conference will lead the Diyala legal and 
academic communities who sponsored the conference to propose 
legislative initiatives to strengthen rule of law in Diyala. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶3.   (U) The PRT has stressed that the organizational lead 
for the event should come from the Iraqi side rather than 
from the PRT.  The Dean of the Law College of Diyala 
University, Dr. Abdul Aziz Al Hadethe, mobilized a 
distinguished steering committee for the conference composed 
of local legal notables.  The Diyala Governor's Legal 
Advisor, Ms. Lamyaa Ghaban Shalan, provided logistical 
organization.  The PRT initially proposed that the conference 
focus on anti-corruption efforts.  Ultimately, corruption as 
the sole topic proved too sensitive to serve as the 
conference's primary focus, but it remained an important 
element in the program. 
 
¶4.   (SBU) At least 60 individuals took part, including 
Diyala Governor Ra'ad al Tamimi, Deputy Governor Auwf 
Rahoumi, Assistant Governor Hafiz Abdul Azziz Juma'a Saleh Al 
Juboori,  Diyala Chief Judge Jadu'o Jassim Mohammed, 
Provincial Council Chairman Ibrahim Bajella, and several 
additional members of the Diyala Provincial Council.  Since 
Governor Ra'ad claimed to sponsor the conference, his office 
administered the invitation list.  Many members of the 
Provincial Council (PC) were not invited due to this-)a 
local newspaper noted the absences.   Nevertheless the chair 
of the steering committee, the presenters, and others assured 
the PRT Rule of Law (ROL) Officer that the conference was 
seen as a bold, serious undertaking that has been noticed by 
the PC and other political organizations for its potential to 
generate legislative initiatives. 
 
--------------- 
ANTI-CORRUPTION 
--------------- 
 
¶5.   (SBU) Although the focus of the conference broadened 
beyond the original topic of anti-corruption, attendees 
acknowledged (pressed by Ambassador Stafford's presentation) 
the importance of fighting corruption.  During his 
introductory remarks, even Governor Ra'ad alluded to the 
challenge of addressing corruption in Iraq.  Three of the 
conference sessions dealt specifically with anti-corruption 
themes; two of these were presentations by Embassy Baghdad 
officials.  Brian Flynn of SIGIR described the role of 
Inspector Generals in the United States and his activities in 
Iraq.  Vincent Foulk of Embassy Baghdad's Anti-Corruption 
Office described the legal framework for fighting corruption 
in Iraq, particularly those powers invested in the Governor 
that make him the province's chief anti-corruption officer. 
Foulk stressed the role of a provincial gazette in 
publicizing the activities of the local government.  Local 
presenter Mustafa Hussain Sewan discussed auditing and 
monitoring corruption, proposing training programs for 
Qmonitoring corruption, proposing training programs for 
auditors.  Perhaps due to the sensitive nature of the topic, 
there were no questions after his presentation.  There was 
also a genuine interest on the part of key interlocutors in 
Diyala in maintaining and strengthening contact with 
Ambassador Stafford, Vincent Foulk, and Brian Flynn.  Several 
top officials, e.g., the Chief Justice of Diyala, have 
proposed visiting the Embassy for follow-up discussions. 
 
---------- 
FEDERALISM 
---------- 
 
¶6.   (SBU) Separation of powers was one of the most hotly 
debated presentations at the conference.  The discussion 
included not only the separate powers of the central 
government and provinces, but also the separation between 
legislature, executive, and judiciary.  The discussion went 
 
BAGHDAD 00000482  002 OF 003 
 
 
beyond description and ranged into specific issues such as 
how power should be balanced. At times, participants appeared 
to support specific agendas.  Earlier, during the opening of 
the conference, Assistant Governor Emad Jaleel Abdullah (an 
ethnic Kurd) had called for greater federalism.  There was 
also a call for greater separation of the legislature and the 
executive by preventing individuals from holding positions in 
both offices. 
 
------------- 
SOCIAL ISSUES 
------------- 
 
¶7.   (SBU) The role of women in reinvigorating the law also 
generated heated discussion.  This presentation, as well as 
two presentations on the role of youth, focused on 
sociological factors rather than legal constraints. 
Presenters discussed a broad range of challenges facing 
women, from domestic violence and arranged marriages to a 
lack of economic independence and discriminatory lending 
practices.  A number of men in the audience reacted strongly, 
asserting that women in Diyala had many opportunities.  The 
presentations on juveniles also focused on sociological 
factors--specifically, the way that poor social conditions in 
Iraq (poverty, low family education levels, lack of 
opportunity and societal violence) lead to juvenile criminal 
activity, and the way that the criminal justice system has 
detained but not rehabilitated juveniles.  In response to an 
Iraqi attendee's assertion that Coalition Forces are 
detaining juveniles, Ambassador Stafford stressed Coalition 
Forces' commitment to respect the legal rights as well as 
dignity of all detainees, whether adutls or juveniles. 
 
----------------------------- 
DETENTIONS AND RECONCILIATION 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8.    (U) Two presentations on human rights and subsequent 
discussion focused on the issue of detentions, emphasizing 
that the rights of detainees-)and of their families--must be 
observed.  While acknowledging that the situation had 
improved somewhat over the last few months, a speaker 
described abuses such as detaining individuals in undisclosed 
locations and detaining the relatives of suspects.  The 
speaker also raised the sensitive issues of violence against 
women held in custody.  The presentation moved seamlessly 
from detainee issues to a discussion of the rights of 
refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)-)two other 
groups whose human rights have suffered as a result of war. 
Although the remedies may differ, it is clear that Diyala 
must address the grievances of victims of war in order to 
move forward. 
 
--------- 
ECONOMICS 
--------- 
 
¶9.   (U) On a less somber note, speakers also addressed 
agriculture and the investment climate in Diyala.  Both 
speakers pointed out the importance of a legal framework to 
facilitate economic development in Diyala. In particular, 
they stressed the need for procedures to ensure that 
businessmen and investors could obtain clear titles to land 
and buildings.  Laws regulating credit, loans and other 
commercial instruments are also urgently needed. 
 
--------- 
FOLLOW-UP 
--------- 
 
¶10.   (SBU) During the course of the conference, Governor 
Ra'ad declared that he wanted to see recommendations for 
legislation come out of the conference.  The organizers took 
this as a green light not only to present a list of 
suggestions at the conclusion of the conference, but also to 
establish a dozen working groups chaired by the conference 
presenters to further develop specific recommendations for 
legislative action by the next Provincial Council. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶11.   (U) This conference is all the more significant when 
Q11.   (U) This conference is all the more significant when 
one considers that Al Qaeda in Iraq controlled most of Diyala 
up to the first half of 2007 and that security is still 
fragile here.  Within this context, simply holding a 
conference on sensitive rule of law issues and fostering a 
free-flowing dialogue, makes a public statement that change 
is coming to Diyala.  The public diplomacy impact of this 
effort is substantial; this conference organized by Diyala's 
 
BAGHDAD 00000482  003 OF 003 
 
 
legal community has provided a timely stimulus for the 
revitalization of the rule of law in Diyala which is 
essential for bringing democracy and stability to the 
province.  END COMMENT. 
BUTENIS