US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3120

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003120 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2025 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, MOPS, PINR, IZ, Security, Shia Islamists, Reconstruction 
SUBJECT: SCIRI LEADER AGREES TO COOPERATE ON CONSTITUTION, 
SECURITY ISSUES 
 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Ford. 
Reasons 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY.  The head of Iraq's strongest Shia 
Islamist party, Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, pledged to the 
Ambassador that his party would work in the spirit of 
consensus in achieving a constitution.  It was not 
their intention to exclude any group.  That said, he 
cautioned, Iraq's Shia want to be treated fairly and 
receive the same rights as everyone else.  Ambassador 
pointed out the need for a "national compact" among 
Iraqis, which the constitution could provide. 
Breaking the insurgency and decentralizing the 
reconstruction process are also top U.S. priorities in 
Iraq.  Hakim highlighted that Iraqis are worried about 
security.  He suggested creating security committees 
in the provinces as a means to combat insurgents.  The 
Ambassador in turn cautioned that while the U.S. works 
to strengthen Iraqi security forces, militias could 
pose a danger to Iraq's longer-term future.  Hakim 
agreed with the Ambassador's perspective that more 
reconstruction project decision-making should be left 
to local authorities.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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Constitutional Negotiations 
--------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) Ambassador met with SCIRI head Abdul Aziz 
Hakim, Constitutional Committee Chair Sheikh Hummam 
Hammudi, and SCIRI members Mohammad al Mowla, Akram al 
Hakim, and Sa'ad Jawad on July 26.  Ambassador opened 
the discussion by stating that Iraq needs a "national 
compact" among the Iraqi people, which should be the 
constitution.  The constitution needs to bring in 
those Iraqis who do not see themselves as part of 
Iraq's future.  Iraqis of all stripes, he said, 
including women, need to be brought into the 
constitutional process, emphasizing that equality and 
women's rights are of the utmost importance.  This 
does not mean that Iraq needs an American system of 
equality, he stated, however, certain "universal 
systems" should be followed.  In order to make this 
work, the support of Iraqi leaders who are not part of 
the TNA must be obtained. 
 
3.  (C) Hakim suggested that Iraq's future will come 
in two stages:  transitional and constitutional.  The 
first stage will end when the constitution is 
ratified.  Participation and consensus of all Iraqis 
is very important in the first stage, especially if 
Iraqis are to meet the August 15 deadline for 
completing the constitution.  Consensus will be 
achieved only if all parties are treated equally. 
(COMMENT:  Hakim presumably was saying that 
predominantly Shia provinces should have the same 
right to form regional blocs as Kurdish provinces 
have.  END COMMENT) 
 
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Security Issues 
--------------- 
 
4.  (C) Hakim emphasized how important the issue of 
security is to Iraqis now (SCIRI parliamentary leaders 
seated next to Hakim had urged him in Arabic to raise 
the issue).  What Iraq needs, Hakim said, is to 
strengthen the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).  Only 
security forces loyal to the Iraqi Government can 
assure lasting security in Iraq.  Hakim also spoke of 
the need for unarmed security committees in each of 
the provinces.  According to Hakim, neither the U.S. 
military nor the ISF are capable of protecting Iraqi 
civilians from violence now.  Ambassador emphasized 
that the U.S. wanted to focus on increasing ISF 
capacity, calling it the USG's highest priority. 
Having militias in the provinces could lead to 
warlordism.  If these security committees were 
unarmed, however, this option could be explored 
further. 
 
---------------------------- 
Decentralized Reconstruction 
---------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) Ambassador said as many decisions on 
reconstruction as possible should be made at the local 
level, and the process should be decentralized.  Local 
leaders should prioritize their lists of 
reconstruction projects, and the U.S. should try to 
help projects local leaders identify.  He added that 
the U.S. would seek to use Iraqi firms where possible 
and practical.  This would employ more Iraqis and give 
them ownership of the process.  It would also cut 
costs, as U.S. companies must pay high overhead costs, 
especially for security.  Hakim agreed with this 
approach and urged that we look for ways to accelerate 
the pace of reconstruction work. 
 
6. (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO 
KIRKUK, minimize considered. 
 
 
Khalilzad