Wikileaks “arabi”: Baghdad (da al-Akhbar)

Excerpt from document
(C) Summary. Ninewa’s Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Emile
Nouna, meeting with USG officials for the first time since
his January installation, described how Christian families
are leaving Mosul after a recent spate of targeted killings. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(SECRET/NOFORN) SUMMARY: February 24 media accounts of
renewed de-Ba’athification are not new; rather, they
represent the culling of up to 376 MoD and MoI personnel
previously reported in mid- and senior-level personnel
assignments. Many of these personnel movements, however,
arguably are unrelated to de-Ba’athification. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) Summary. Politically motivated intimidation,
vandalism and threats of violence in Kirkuk did not subside
following the provincial governor’s emergency meeting,
calling on political parties to cease irresponsible behavior
during the campaign. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: U.S. forces transferred
thirteen detainees captured in Maysan in a joint U.S.-Iraqi
operation in accordance with demands by the PM and terms of
the Security Agreement. After an initial transfer of nine of
the detainees, the Prime Minister ordered high value target
special operations to cease until the remaining four had been
transferred. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: Iraq’s electoral campaign continues to
proceed apace with less than two weeks left until voting day.
Reports in the Western press of a Sunni election boycott are
vastly exaggerated; there are no serious indications that
Sunni voters will stay away from the polls in meaningful
numbers in protest of the recent de-Ba’athification
controversy. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: The Prime Minister created
the National Intelligence Cell (NIC) after the December 8
high profile terrorist attacks in Baghdad to consolidate
information and work with operational units to prevent future
attacks. While it started off slow, it now is beginning to
produce results. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) The Prime Minister’s Office issued a memorandum
February 16 to the Defense and Interior Ministries which
reversed the February 12 order to suspend U.S.-Iraqi combined
security operations (text in paragraph two below). The new
order effectively allows almost all Iraqi Security Force
operations to be carried out with U.S. Forces-Iraq (USF-I)
support. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Maliki, through the Office
of the Commander in Chief head General Faruq, directed
February 12 that the PM must authorize all U.S. combined
operations following a February 11/12 U.S.-Iraqi operation in
the southern Iraqi province of Maysan. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(SBU)SUMMARY: The Iraqi media reported that Baghdad
Governor Salah Abd al-Razzaq ordered the provincial
government to “begin a campaign to apply de-Ba’athification
measures” to provincial government employees who are running
for parliament and who were included in the Accountability
and Justice Commission’s (AJC) de-Ba’athfication list. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY. The Iraqi Army (IA) continued to
complicate the political situation in Salah Ad-Din (SAD) by
forming a cordon around the SAD Provincial Council building,
with orders from the Prime Minister to prevent access by the
Provincial Council Chairman. Additionally, the PM attempted
to replace the heads of both arms of intelligence at the
Ministry of Defense (MOD). تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: Prior to the Cassation Chamber’s February 3
decision ordering the Independent High Electoral Commission
(IHEC) to allow all candidates who have appealed their
de-Ba’athfication disqualifications to remain on the ballot
(Reftel), PRToffs met with two delisted candidates from the
Iraqi Unity Coalition (IUC). تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: Despite a recent up-tick in violence against
Christians living in Ninewa over the past two months, a new
report by an Iraqi NGO indicates that the number of Iraqi
Christians killed has dropped by 82 percent since 2007. In
addition, top officials at the non-Muslim Endowment report
greater intelligence-sharing and coordination with the MOI,
and have confirmed that 500 Christians have been officially
hired by the MOI to serve in the Facility Protection Service
(FPS) to guard Christian places of worship in Baghdad. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY AND COMMENT. In recent weeks, the Prime
Minister’s office has directed the removal of Ministry of
Defense (MOD) and Ministry of Interior (MOI) intelligence
officers due to alleged links to the Ba’ath party or the
former regime. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S//NF) The Government of Iraq (GOI) officially supports a
plan to adopt a host-country led MANPADS reduction program
(subsequently “MANPADS program”, reftel). National Security
Council Director General Khamza Sharif Hasan told Pol-Miloff
February 2 that the Prime Minister agreed to support the
proposed MANPADS program, although the PM’s office would need
to review the details in a proposed Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU). تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY: As the first test of the newly operational
tripartite Combined Security Mechanisms (CSM) in northern
Iraq, Ninewa Provincial Governor Atheel al-Nujaifi – whose
freedom of movement in Kurdish-controlled areas of Ninewa has
been circumscribed since he took office in 2009 – visited two
towns in Kurdish-controlled Tel Kayf, a district within the
disputed internal boundary (DIBs) areas. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY. Clinics and hospitals in Salah ad Din are at
risk of failing due to a breakdown in the government medical
supply system. Some hospitals have begun sending patients to
private clinics or pharmacies to purchase medicines that
should be available through government channels at no charge. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: Christian political and religious leaders
tell us that while they had hoped for more than a five-seat
quota in the national elections law, they view March 7
elections as an opportunity to expand their representation
and influence within the Parliament. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with visiting Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Middle East Kahl on January 11,
Turkish Ambassador Murat Ozcelik said senior KRG officials
recently signaled for the first time an understanding that
Kirkuk would not ultimately be annexed to the Iraqi Kurdistan
Region (IKR), and that “some sort of compromise” on Kirkuk
was necessary. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S//NF) Justification: Al Jaff is a former detainee and
former Titan interpreter who worked for Coalition Forces
(CF). He provided sensitive information to Mosul-based Al
Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leaders, to include information on
scheduled raids and Coalition Forces vulnerabilities. Al
Jaff is associated with multiple Ansar al-Islam (AAI) and
mujahideen leaders in Northern Iraq. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY AND COMMENT With its long border with Iran,
Diyala remains a strategically vital focal point for some of
Iraq’s most pressing problems, yet its Provincial Government
remains ill-equipped to confront the challenges facing it.
Although Diyala is no longer the haven for Al Qaida and other
insurgents that it once was, continuing USG assistance is
vital to stabilize Diyala and to prevent ongoing tensions
there from spreading to the adjacent disputed internal
boundary (DIBs) areas. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: The combination of Iraqi Council of
Representatives (COR) high profile questioning of senior
Iraqi security officials, including Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki, and Maliki’s own public effort to coordinate
intelligence agencies is doing little to bolster Iraqi public
confidence in its national security and intelligence
institutions. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY. The Government of Iraq (GOI) and the
Government of Ukraine (GOU) announced an arms deal for
armored personnel carriers, light transport aircraft, and
helicopter repair. The deal is valued at $560.1 million, but
was announced as a $2.5 billion commitment, with the
additional money based on potential future deals. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY: The four car bomb blasts that hit Baghdad
December 8 bore the hallmarks of a coordinated terrorist
attack. The intended targets of two of the bombs, which may
have detonated prematurely, remain unclear. Contrary to
press reports, the Ministry of Labor was not directly
targeted or seriously damaged, although a bank building
housing Ministry of Finance operations was hit. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: A significant side-effect of the recent
election law crisis was the emergence of greater political
cooperation between some Sunni and ISCI Shia political
leaders. In mid-November, traditional Shia hard-liner and
ISCI/Badr bloc leader Hadi al-Amiri unexpectedly emerged as a
voice of moderation when he reached out to Sunni and Kurdish
leaders to propose an election law compromise (ultimately
accepted on December 6) that addressed the demands of all
three sectarian blocs. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(SECRET/NOFORN) Summary: MNF-I MGEN Stephen Hummer led
a MNF-I/EMB Baghdad group, accompanied by MSNSA Staff MGEN
Fukaiki, to the Trilateral Intelligence Sharing Office (TISO)
on November 25. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) Summary: Multiple sources claim that the recent
Anti-Terrorism Law-based warrants for Diyala Provincial
Council member Hisham al-Hiyali and his wife, Council of
Representatives (COR) member Tayseer Mashandani, originate
with the un-coerced confession of a fellow Iraqi Islamic
Party (IIP) member, Harb Hassan. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S//NF) SUMMARY. On October 25, Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki hosted General David Petraeus at his residence,
shortly after returning from visiting the blast sites at the
Ministry of Justice and Baghdad Provincial Council. The PM
stressed that there continued to be successful operations
against Al-Qa’ida (AQI) and former Ba’athists. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C//NF) Mohammed Laith Mohammed Al Yaseen served as a
linguist for Coalition Forces (CF) at multiple locations from
February 2007 until he was banned from CF installations on 23
May 2009. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) Summary: Kurdish leaders in Khanaqin (Diyala
Province) claimed increasing tensions between Arabs and Kurds
in nearby Jalula and Saadiya are a result of intimidation
from Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and a Ba,athist resurgence
in the area. The Kurdish leaders voiced their support for
what they see as favorably positioned joint border
checkpoints. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) Summary & Comment: GOI, KRG and U.S. senior
officials agreed on the text of a Northern Security
Initiative that would create a joint security architecture
for the disputed internal boundary (DIBs) areas in the
northern provinces of Ninewa, Kirkuk and Diyala. The plan
would bring select Iraqi, Kurdish and U.S. forces under the
rubric of a shared command-and-control structure and
establish joint checkpoints and patrols, an integrated
intelligence apparatus and Combined Coordination Centers
(CCCs) to direct the combined forces’ activities in defined
Combined Security Areas (CSAs) within the DIBs areas.تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) Summary. Outspoken critic of Kurdish security forces,
Yezidi Progress Party (YPP) Head Wa’ad Hammad Matto was
arrested by Iraqi military intelligence at his Ninewa home
and continues to be held in communicado. The warrant for his
arrest was issued four days after his detainment. According
to YPP members, Matto has been transferred to Baghdad and
denied access to legal representation and all visitation
rights. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY: Embassy seeks to develop with the
Government of Iraq (GOI) a Man-Portable Air Defense Systems
Reduction Program (MANPADS Program). The program would
follow a “host-country model”, used in Yemen and Pakistan,
through which Post would partner with GOI and use Department
funds to pay rewards for the surrender of MANPADS outside of
GOI control, after verifying the authenticity and disposal of
the weapons. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) Mr. Vice President, your upcoming trip to Iraq
comes at an important time in Iraq’s political calendar. As
the Islamic month of Ramadan draws to a close, Iraqi
political leaders are furiously at work negotiating potential
alliances in advance of the January 2010 parliamentary
elections. As evidenced by the strong showing of his
coalition in the 2009 provincial elections, Maliki has
boosted his national popularity by assembling a commendable
security record and is now weighing whether to challenge his
Shia rivals and form his own coalition to try to recapture
the post of Prime Minister. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) As of 0700 EST, there are no confirmed reports of an
increase in security personnel along the Syrian border,
despite numerous media accounts of thousands of Iraqi police
heading west. According to Interior Minister Senior Advisor
Dr. Norman Ricklefs, at this time this is more about the
Prime Minister’s public posturing through the media than a
serious intention — or capability — to boost security at
the Syrian border. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S//NF) Summary: Minister of Interior Jawad Bolani told
EmbOffs on August 31 that his primary focus now is security
leading up to the national election, without which Iraq
cannot have an effective democratic process. An important
aspect of this to Bolani is the Iraqi government’s response
to attacks and prevention of future ones, and he laid out for
EmbOffs the MOI’s extensive investigation into the bombings
on August 19. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) SUMMARY: Responding to reports that PM Maliki is
considering firing senior officials, including Interior
Minister and PM-hopeful Jawad al-Bolani, in reaction to the
recent Baghdad bombings, the Ambassador and Emboffs engaged
with members of the Presidency Council, parliament, and
Maliki’s inner circle to discourage such a move. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(SBU) Summary: Despite the Independent Higher Electoral
Commission’s (IHEC’s) recent certification of the results in
the July 25 Kurdish Regional Elections, there remains
lingering resentment among the Kurdish opposition and
Christian parties that fraud, manipulation, and intimidation
played a significant role in the outcome. Embassy and RRT
contacts complain bitterly that although the dominant
Kurdistani List (composed of the Kurdish Democratic Party
(KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)) had in fact
won the most votes, it did not win as many as had been
garnered through underhanded tactics. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(C) SUMMARY: During an August 18 meeting with the
Commander of Task Force 134 and Poloff, Ali al-Yassery, the
chairman of the GOI’s Ashraf Committee stated: (1) the GOI
regrets the loss of life and will continue to abide by Iraq’s
laws and constitution in its dealing with the
Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK); (2) increased domestic pressure to
act against the MEK and the latter’s animosity to the Iraqi
state necessitate GOI action; (3) the GOI plans to relocate
the MEK after Ramadan to Muthanna province in the south; and
(3) the GOI would be willing to offer temporary legal status
to the MEK only after they agree to relocate within Iraq. END
SUMMARY. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) Summary. In a direct exchange between the GOI
Ashraf Committee and the residents of Camp Ashraf, Committee
Chairman Ali Abdul Amir al-Yassery announced the imminent
arrival of a new site commander, plans to locate an Iraqi
police station (IP station) on Camp Ashraf, and future
relocation of camp residents to an alternative location in
Iraq. His declarations were met with fierce objection from
Madame Mojgan Parsaie, leader of Camp Ashraf. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S) Summary. Progress under the Security Agreement (SA)
has improved from the early days when a fist fight broke out
between two Iraqi generals. The USG and GOI have worked
through the SA,s joint subcommittees (JSCs) to sort through
alleged “violations” at the working level, rarely needing
high level involvement. The two overarching committees that
oversee the 12 JSCs are marked by the different approaches of
their Iraqi co-chairs, Minister of Defense Abd al-Qadr
al-Mufriji and Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bulani. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) Summary: In their regular weekly meeting with
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on July 16, the
Ambassador and MNF-I Commanding General (CG) Odierno
discussed the PM,s upcoming visit to Washington, the NATO
agreement and foreign fighters crossing the border into Iraq
from Syria. In response to Ambassador’s question about the
focus of his visit, the PM stated that &launching the
Security Framework Agreement8 would be the main goal. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(SBU) SUMMARY: Rising oil prices have improved Iraq’s 2009
budget outlook, but they are not a panacea for all of the
country’s budget woes. Projected 2009 GOI revenues of $42.7
billion are still optimistic since oil exports for the
remainder of the year are likely to remain well below the
forecast of two million barrels of exports per day. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) After receiving information on the remaining Iraqi
detainees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba (GTMO) (REF A),
the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) authorized the transfer of
a fifth Iraqi detainee from GTMO June 7. In a letter
addressed to Commanding General Multi-National Force-Iraq,
Dr. Tareq Abdullah, Director for the PMO, requested the
transfer of Jawad Jabber Sadkhan (ISN IZ-433) to the Iraqi
authorities. تتمة

Excerpt from document
(S/NF) Summary. After weeks of relative quiet, the
Government of Iraq (GOI) has once again turned up the heat at
Camp Ashraf. Following the forced retirement of former
National Security Advisor Mowaffaq Al-Rubaie, Prime Minister
(PM) Al-Maliki has reconstituted the GOI Ashraf Committee
directly under the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO). تتمة