US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2480

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002480 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, IZ, Sunni Arab, UN, National Assembly 
SUBJECT: CHARGE ADVANCES USG APPROACH TO CONSTITUTION AND 
SUNNI INCLUSION WITH UNAMI 
 
 
Classified By: Classified by James F. Jeffrey, Charge d'Affaires, for r 
 
easons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary. Charge and DCM emphasized the importance of 
meeting the August 15 constitution drafting deadline in a 
June 12 meeting with UNAMI,s SRSG Qazi.  Qazi affirmed 
UNAMI,s support to helping Iraq successfully reach the 
drafting deadline and provided an overview of their efforts 
and challenges to date.  Charge explained that US policy was 
to actively engage Iraqi decision makers to ensure the issue 
of Sunni inclusion was resolved without further delay. UN's 
Haysom confirmed from his work with the Parliament that it is 
not disposed to grant the Sunni Arabs more than 15 additional 
seats in the commission. UNAMI is providing the TNA,s 
Constitution Committee with expert technical advice. 
Finally, UNAMI sees federalism, distribution of natural 
resources and form of governance as the key issues for the 
constitutional debate. End Summary. 
 
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August 15 Constitution Drafting Deadline 
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2.  (C) In a June 12 meeting with SRSG Qazi, Charge and DCM 
emphasized the paramount importance of helping Iraq meet the 
August 15 constitution drafting deadline.  UNAMI and the 
international community must do everything possible to ensure 
Iraq successfully completes its constitution in a timely 
manner stated Charge to protect the unique result Iraq 
achieved on January 30 at great sacrifice to many people.  If 
Iraq fails to meet the August 15 deadline, said Charge, the 
insurgency will be emboldened at the expense of security 
throughout Iraq. 
 
3.  (C) Qazi acknowledged Charg,s oints stating that not a 
single Iraqi had spoken to UNAMI of delaying the August 15 
deadline.  While there is a need to ensure the transparency 
and ownership of the development process by all Iraqis said 
Qazi, the UN is firmly committed to the August drafting 
deadline.  UNAMI Constitution Support Team Head Fink Haysom 
added that he fully expects the TNA,s Constitution Committee 
to press on to August 15 without delay and, should the 
constitution not be exactly completed by that date, the TNA 
will most likely finish the constitution after August 15 
without invoking the TAL,s provisions calling for the 
dissolution of the ITG. 
 
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Internal Sunni Power Struggle Drives Inclusion Debate 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
4.  (C) Charge explained that all Iraqis involved in Sunni 
inclusion negotiations now recognize the miscalculation made 
by establishing a 55-member Constitution Committee with only 
two Sunnis and, as a consequence, agree on the need to add 
additional Sunnis; the only question is how many and who. 
USG policy is to engage Iraqi decision makers at the highest 
levels of our government to encourage them to add 15 
additional Sunni members selected by Sunnis, to the 
Constitution Committee stated Charge. 
 
5.  (C) Qazi agreed that time is of the essence in adding 
Sunnis to the committee and that the Sunnis themselves should 
recognize that the exact number of additional Sunnis within 
the Committee is not critical in view of committee,s 
consensus decision-making methodology.  Charge concurred 
adding that all sides in the debate must negotiate from the 
n 15. 
 
6.  (C) Qazi, Charge and DCM agreed that the current debate 
spoke more about internal Sunni power plays than any 
inter-sectarian matter.  This debate, said Qazi is driven by 
Sunnis who are connecting their participation on the 
constitution committee with their future electoral 
opportunities.  They are arguing for more positions on the 
committee because they cannot settle their own internal 
leadership squabbles.  DCM agreed stating that the real 
debate was within the Sunni community over control, a debate 
that is intractable at present, but must be ended. 
 
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UNAMI Struggles to Recruit Personnel 
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7.  (C) SRSG Qazi complained to Charge and DCM that while 
UNAMI was successfully identifying talented professionals to 
serve on their constitution and elections teams, the 
convoluted nature of the UN,s compensation system was 
creating havoc.  UN personnel must forgo 45 percent of their 
salary when they accept a position in Baghdad, claimed Qazi. 
For example, Carlos Valenzuela,s secretary, who was assigned 
to the UN,s Amman office, made more than Carlos did while he 
was in Baghdad.  We hope UN Headquarters remedies this matter 
quickly said Qazi, or we will have great difficultly meeting 
our mandate. 
 
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Constitution Issues and Assistance 
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8.  (C) Constitution Team Leader Haysom offered that UNAMI 
and international assistance to the Constitution Committee 
was proceeding quite well.  While Chairman Hammoudi had 
initially been reluctant to embrace expert technical 
assistance, he had changed his attitude after a recent 
engagement where experts provided detailed advice on how to 
reach the August 15 deadline.  Many members including 
Hammoudi were initially disinclined to embrace experts 
because they associated their views with western values that 
would be slanted toward a secular constitution.  That 
perception appears to have been successfully surmounted, 
stated Haysom 
 
9.  (C) Addressing constitutional issues, Haysom opined that 
federalism and the division of natural resources would be the 
most vexing issues for Iraqis to resolve.  Additionally, the 
form of governance will also be key to the successful 
incorporation of Kurdistan.  Haysom said Iraqis would likely 
settle on a parliamentary system, although they seem 
enthralled by the idea of directly electing a President. 
 
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Irbil Middle Ring and IZ Security Concerns 
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10.  (C) Qazi voiced his concern with impending changes to 
International Zone (IZ) security responsibilities and asked 
that UNAMI be kept informed of any upcoming changes so they 
could take appropriate action.  DCM indicated there was no 
hard timelines for such changes, but that the International 
Zone would slowly but steadily change from green to amber to 
red over the next two years as the New Embassy Compound was 
completed and IZ security was turned over to Iraqi security 
forces.  Qazi also mentioned that middle ring security in 
Irbil was still not functional as the Koreans were unwilling 
to provide escorts for UNAMI movements other than for VIPs. 
 
11. (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO KIRKUK, 
minimize considered. 
Jeffrey