US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3643

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003643 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, KDEM, IZ, Parliament, Iraqi Islamic Party 
SUBJECT: IRAQI ISLAMIC PARTY LEADER WEIGHS SUPPORT FOR 
CONSTITUTION 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reason 1.4 (d) 
 
1. (C) In an effort to expand the base of Sunni support for 
the new constitution, the Ambassador and Embassy staff have 
engaged those Sunni politicians who -- to varying degrees -- 
have indicated a readiness to publicly support the current 
draft in exchange for certain adjustments.  Iraqi 
participants in these discussions have included Secretary 
General of the Iraqi Islamic Party Tariq al-Hashimi, 
Secretary General and Spokesman of the Ahl-Alsonna General 
 
SIPDIS 
Conference Adnan al-Dulaimi, and National Dialogue Council 
members Mahmoud al-Mashadani and Shayk Abdul Nasser 
al-Janabi.  Of these, al-Hashimi's position has been the most 
forward-leaning. 
 
2. (C) At a September 4 meeting, the Ambassador asked Hashimi 
to identify reasonable changes to the constitution that would 
enable Hashimi to ask his party to support the new draft. 
(See para 3 for list).  Hashimi stressed that he would need 
to first sell these changes within his party before making 
any further commitment.  The Ambassador urged him to reach a 
decision quickly since the window of opportunity for 
engagement in the constitutional process is closing, and any 
adjustments would need Shia and Kurdish agreement.  Further, 
he said that if Hashimi would sign a letter identifying 
achievable changes that the USG could support, the Ambassador 
would encourage the Shia and Kurds to favorably consider 
Hashimi's position. 
 
3. (SBU) List of proposed adjustment is as follows. 
 
Article 3 would read: "Iraq is a country of many 
nationalities, religions and sects, and is part of the Arab 
and Islamic worlds." 
 
Article 4, section "third" would be changed to read: "The 
official departments and institutions of the federal and 
regional governments shall use both languages." 
 
Article 108 would be changed to read: "Natural resources, 
including oil and gas, are owned by all the people of Iraq in 
all the regions and governorates." 
 
Article 109, section "second" would be given a final sentence 
stating, "Those strategic policies will be subject to 
approval by the Council of Representatives." 
 
Article 114 would be amended to read "conditions and 
procedures" vice "executive procedures." 
 
Article 117, section "fifth" would be given a final sentence 
stating, "The internal security forces for the region will be 
regulated by law." 
 
Article 122, section "second" would state either (1) that the 
constitution may be amended after one electoral term, rather 
than after two successive electoral terms, or (2) that it can 
be amended without a general referendum. 
 
Khalilzad