VZCZCXRO6563
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1528/01 1621520
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111520Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3427
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001528 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KCOR KDEM EAID IZ
SUBJECT: AN OVERVIEW OF USG ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSISTANCE TO 
IRAQ 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The USG remains very active in support 
of and funding for programs with an anti-corruption content 
in Iraq.  Embassy Baghdad's Anti-Corruption Coordination 
Office (ACCO) has compiled a catalog of ongoing USG 
assistance programs to build the Iraqis' awareness of and 
capacity to fight corruption.  A number of USG agencies, 
civilian and military, contribute to this effort, including 
ACCO, International Law and Narcotics Enforcement (INL), US 
Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of 
Homeland Security (DHS), Military Information Support 
Team-Iraq (MIST-I), Public Affairs Section (PAS), 
Multi-national Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I), 
and Treasury.  Some of these programs await budget approval 
from Washington and some are proposed projects for future 
funding.  Highlights of these programs follow.  END SUMMARY. 
 
ACCO 
---- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  ACCO currently funds a USD eight million joint 
project with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 
and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to 
support Iraqi compliance with the United Nations Convention 
against Corruption and promote anti-corruption efforts at the 
governorate level. A second ACCO-funded initiative of USD two 
million with the University of Utah Global Justice Program 
promotes greater transparency and accountability in the GOI 
through legal and legislative  assessments and technical 
assistance in reviewing and drafting legislation with 
anti-corruption components.  There are several ACCO projects 
awaiting funding or proposed for the future.  One program 
would strengthen local governments' anti-corruption capacity, 
e.g., providing technical assistance for an official gazette 
to bring transparency to the local legislative process. 
Another program would provide legal assistance training to 
the Commission of Integrity (COI) to increase their ability 
to recover stolen assets.  Another proposed project would 
train the Inspectors General (IG) investigators.  Working 
with the General Accounting Office (GAO), ACCO plans to send 
three Board of Supreme Audit auditors to the US next year to 
participate in a four-month intensive GAO International 
Auditor Fellowship Program. 
 
USAID 
----- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  USAID provides broad training and development 
programs, many of which share anti-corruption elements.  The 
Local Governance, Community Action, Parliamentary 
Strengthening and Tatweer projects, include capacity building 
for the IGs' staff, developing an electronic network for the 
IGs' offices, and a local governance program to promote civil 
society, good government and transparency on the provincial 
level.  The local governance program also helps newly elected 
provincial governments perform their duties according to the 
Provincial Powers Law and provides support for the Council of 
Representatives' oversight functions.  The Tatweer program is 
funded in total at approximately USD 339 million and an 
anti-corruption component is integrated across the whole 
program. 
 
DHS, DOJ 
-------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducts 
ethics training for Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement 
and Port of Entry Directorate personnel.  To reduce 
incentives for corruption at the borders, DHS is working with 
a Customs Remuneration Law under which border agents who 
capture smuggled goods are rewarded.  Also in the law 
enforcement field, DOJ/ICITAP continues to provide, since 
2004, international police advisors to train, mentor, and 
advise Commission of Integrity investigators to build their 
capacity to investigate corruption cases. 
Qcapacity to investigate corruption cases. 
 
PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION, MIST, IREX 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The public affairs and outreach projects are 
varied.  A U.S.-based non-profit organization, the 
International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), is 
creating programming on the subject of corruption such as 
weekly TV and radio talk shows, political cartoons, short 
dramas, and comic books for 8-12 year olds.  IREX also plans 
journalists' training, a website/link on corruption, and 
consultations for the COI's outreach programming.  Also 
working with the COI is the MIST-I team, which is planning a 
media campaign to heighten public awareness of corruption's 
negative impact on Iraq's development and reform. The 
 
BAGHDAD 00001528  002 OF 002 
 
 
Embassy's Public Affairs Section (PAS) has a robust array of 
outreach and public diplomacy programs on anti-corruption 
issues.  The PAS effort features, inter alia, interviews with 
radio, TV, and newspapers.  PAS is working with the COI so 
they can produce anti-corruption Public Service 
Announcements.  This work is essential for building the COI's 
capacities to conduct their own media outreach through 
workshops, training sessions, and hands on development of 
programs.  The PAS also engages other GOI spokespersons and 
encourages anti-corruption messages. 
 
The U.S. MILITARY'S ROLE 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The US military through MNSTC-I has an extensive 
program, working with the Ministries of Defense (MOD) and 
Interior (MOI) to advise, coordinate, and train the 
Inspectors General (IGs) there and provide advisor support to 
the Counter-Terrorism Bureau IG and MOD IG.  The advisors 
develop comprehensive resourcing, training and distribution 
plans for the MOI's IG, Internal Affairs, Legal Affairs, 
Human Rights Office, and courts system through a strategic 
planning process.  (NOTE:  MOI has a separate court system. 
END NOTE.).  As part of the effort with the MOD, MNSTC-I will 
work with the Iraqi Joint Headquarters IG Inspection Plan to 
perform on-site command inspections of all Iraqi military 
units. 
 
TREASURY 
-------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The US Treasury Department is very active in 
training COI investigators and investigative judges to fight 
against money laundering and to understand the law.  Treasury 
and State are collaborating to assist and give technical 
advice to the Central Bank of Iraq's Money Laundering 
Reporting Office to foster its development into an effective 
anti-money laundering organization.  Treasury provides 
technical assistance and advice to various banks to help them 
implement modern automation and core-banking systems and to 
ministries for them to implement their budget management 
systems.  Treasury also works with the Finance Ministry to 
improve the budget process and transparency. 
 
 
HILL