US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2346

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002346 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2025 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, IZ 
SUBJECT: NGO REGISTRY SEEKS STABILITY; STATE MINISTRY ROLE 
IN CONSTITUTION DEVELOPMENT MARGINAL 
 
 
Classified By: A/Polcouns Henry S. Ensher. 
Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1.  (C/NF) SUMMARY. The recent transfer of the NGO 
Registry Office to the State Ministry of Civil Society 
Affairs, which has a Sadrist Minister, has raised 
concerns about the Ministry's role and the potential 
misuse of registry data for political purposes.  Both 
the Deputy Prime Minister and the new head of the 
State Minister for Civil Society Affairs assured 
EmbOffs that the NGO community would be allowed to 
operate freely in Iraq.  NGOs in Iraq will need to 
play a role in public awareness during the 
constitution-drafting process, but this small ministry 
appears ill equipped to facilitate that process.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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NEW HOME AND SUPERVISOR FOR THE NGO REGISTRY OFFICE 
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2.  (C/NF) On May 29, Dr. Bassim al-Rubaie, the newly 
designated head of the NGO Registry Office, told 
PolOff and IRMO Consultant that the Council of 
Ministers and the State Minister for Civil Society 
Affairs dismissed the previous office head, Dawod 
Pasha, due to his reported Ba'athist affiliations as 
well as his prior employment as a police officer in 
the Interior Ministry.  At about the same time, the 
Council of Ministers selected Dr. Al-Rubaie, an 
attorney with prior experience with NGOs, as the new 
head of the NGO Registry Office.  Al-Rubaie explained 
that the office, which had previously resided in the 
Planning Ministry, had finally moved to the State 
Ministry for Civil Society Affairs. 
 
3.  (C/NF) Al-Rubaie explained that his office would 
initially provide training to NGOs in two specific 
areas: how to organize themselves as NGO's, and how 
two obtain both government and non-government funding. 
He hopes this could be accomplished through provincial 
NGO centers he plans to establish.  He also described 
a project to coordinate with "Iraqi business centers" 
to match potential donors from the business community 
with an NGO that can perform the desired task.  This 
concept, however, is still in the developmental stage. 
Eventually, he hopes that the NGO community can even 
augment the staff at the Baghdad-based NGO Registry 
Office. 
 
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NEW STATE MINISTER AND PLANS FOR STATE/NGO 
RELATIONSHIP 
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4.  (C/NF) During a meeting the previous week, the new 
State Minister for Civil Society Affairs, Ala'a Habib 
Khadim, told EmbOffs that the move by the Registry 
Office back to his Ministry would correct the mistakes 
made by the previous government in handling the 
registry.  He explained that the registry would serve 
as the "core" of his ministry's work and, logically, 
belongs there.  Khadim said he anticipated logistics 
problems with the transfer, and hopes the U.S. will be 
able to assist him financially and technically. 
EmbOffs noted the separation between the NGO community 
and government in democratic countries, with the 
government role, if necessary, focused on advocacy and 
support and not/not control of NGO activities.  While 
Khadim acknowledged this distinction, he was still 
concerned over illegitimate NGOs used as insurgent 
fronts as well as fraudulent NGOs bilking funds from 
unwitting donors.  He also spoke of required monthly 
activity reports by NGOs as a means of control by his 
state ministry.  Emboffs expressed concern about this 
idea. 
 
5.  (C/NF) Khadim, a Sadrist, looks forward to working 
with the NGO community with specific goals to provide 
funding, training, and coordination with NGOs.  To 
accomplish these goals, he intends to open a Baghdad- 
based as well as regional NGO training centers 
operated by his state ministry.  Khadim also intends 
to replace CPA Order 45 of that was promulgated to 
provide initial legal guidelines and requirements for 
emerging NGO work in Iraq.  While Order 45 served its 
intended purpose, he explained, its time has passed 
and, similar to the TAL, it needs to be replaced with 
something that reflects the new Iraq.  EmbOffs offered 
to explore the possibility of arranging technical 
assistance and meetings with prominent international 
NGOs for Khadim and his small staff, an offer he 
warmly embraced. 
 
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DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND NGO PROTECTION FROM 
INTRUSION 
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6.  (C/NF) On May 30, Dawood Pasha, the departing head 
of the NGO Registry Office, told Deputy Prime Minister 
Abd al Mutlak al Jabhuri and EmbOffs that he was 
concerned over the apparent intrusion the State 
Ministry has initiated against the NGO Registry 
Office.  Specifically, Pasha alleged that, in 
coordination with the Khadim, the Sadr Bureau and 
Da'wa sent members to the NGO Registry Office for no 
apparent function other than to collect information on 
NGOs.  (Note:  On May 30, EmbOff discussed these 
allegations with Khadim, which he flatly denied.  End 
note.)  Pasha was also concerned that the actual NGO 
registry delivered to the Sadr Bureau. 
 
7.  (C/NF) DPM Jaburi stated that the NGO Registry 
Office needed to remain apolitical, without party 
affiliation, and beyond any interference by other 
ministries.  Regarding the database, he promised to 
bring this issue to the attention of Prime Minister 
Jafari and initiate an investigation to determine if 
any loss of information actually occurred and to 
assess the security risk.  As a general measure to 
safeguard the activities of the NGO Registry Office, 
he said he would ask the PM's office to instruct the 
other ministers not to interfere with the activities 
of that office. 
 
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NGO OFFICE SHORTFALLS AND U.S. SUPPORT 
-------------------------------------- 
 
8.  (C/NF) Comment: We have seen positive signs for 
providing support and advocacy for the NGO community. 
However, when faced with difficult issues, the new 
authorities default to more government control.  The 
NGO Registry Office and the State Minister could both 
benefit from technical support and exposure to 
successes in the international community, both of 
which can be coordinated by post. 
 
9.  (C/NF) (continued) While the State Ministry 
leadership is new and seeks to define its role in 
government and civil society affairs, its value in the 
constitution development process appears marginal. 
National Assembly members have commented to PolOff 
that they doubt the State Ministry could be a major 
contributor in the process.  The primary civil society 
outreach effort is coming from the local NGO community 
on its own initiative (a positive sign) as well as the 
international NGO community.  End comment. 
 
10.  (U) REO HILLAH, REO BASRAH, REO MOSUL, and REO 
KIRKUK, minimize considered. 
 
 
Jeffrey