US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4032

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, IZ, Shia Islamists, Sunni Arab 
SUBJECT: TAL AFAR SUNNI AND SHI'A SHEIKHS AGREE  ON NEED 
FOR RECONCILIATION 
 
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Ford for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C)  Summary: Tal Afar Sunni and Shi'a sheikhs told 
Iraqi Government delegates September 27 they want 
reconciliation to begin reconstruction efforts. The two 
groups had not been willing to meet each other earlier. The 
parties agreed to future discussions on the Iraqi 
Government's proposed $47 million reconstruction budget for 
the next 90 days.  Recruitment into the police force is 
another big issue.  End Summary. 
 
2. (C)  Nineveh Provincial Government officials met Iraqi 
Transitional Government (ITG) members, local 
representatives, and MNF-I officials September 27 in Tal 
Afar to discuss reconstruction and reconciliation. 
Approximately sixty local Sunni and Shi'a sheikhs and 
others attended the meeting. The ITG contingent included 
representatives from the ministries of Communication, 
Education, Electricity, Finance, Health, Housing and 
Construction, Interior, Municipalities and Public Works, 
and Transportation. Poloff also attended.  This was the 
first meeting that local Sunni and Shi'a sheikhs attended. 
In the last meeting, the Sunni sheikhs would not sit in the 
same room as the Shi'a sheikhs. 
 
 
3. (C)  All parties -- including the ITG -- blamed 
foreigners for bringing terrorism and deep sectarian 
division to Tal Afar. But the Tal Afar Chief of Police, 
Sabah al-Mahmouri, stated that ninety-five percent of the 
terrorists are locals. Only one Sunni Sheikh denied the 
statement. Another sheikh explained that neighbors fear 
false information passed along sectarian divides to incite 
Iraqi Police to arrest innocent people. 
 
4. (C)  In comparison, the ITG has given no compensation 
money to residents despite a statement by MOD Dulaimi 
September 17 in Tal Afar that the ITG would provide $1,000 
per family. Dr. Haider al-Abadi of the Prime Minister's 
office told the group there was a plan for the ITG to give 
each family an initial 50,000 Iraqi dinars-- $34 dollars- 
but there was no discussion about the timeframe for the ITG 
to empower the provincial government to take the lead on 
compensation efforts. 
 
5. (C)  The ITG has a proposal for Phase 1 projects- first 
90 days totaling approximately $47 million, including $10 
million for compensation. These projects address needs in 
water, electricity, sewer system, communications, health, 
education, and construction. There was little discussion of 
this reconstruction proposal, however. Instead, the common 
theme echoed by several participants was that despite 
urgent need there must be reconciliation before 
reconstruction. 
 
6. (C)  There was heated discussion about the historically 
sectarian recruitment of Iraqi Police officers. One Shi'a 
imam angrily questioned why the application form asks for 
religious affiliation. 
 
7. (C)  According to the Mayor of Tal Afar, there are 400 
Iraqi Police patrolling in town and 350 in the surrounding 
areas. He said he needs 2500 to provide adequate security, 
and his current goal is to hire 1000 new recruits. An 8- 
week course for 200 new Iraqi Police from all tribes begins 
October 3. A 2-week course for 150 current Iraqi Police 
from Tal Afar began this week in Sulaymaniyah, and it will 
certify them as legitimate police officers in the eyes of 
the MOI. Because recent instability prevented recruiting 
within Tal Afar, however, an MOI mobile recruiting team 
would conduct three days of local recruiting to the Iraqi 
Police force. 
 
8. (C)  All parties agreed with the ITG to form a committee 
to monitor return of residents and to ensure that no 
terrorists return. When Dr. al-Abadi from the Prime 
Minister's office suggested the local sheikhs meet weekly, 
they agreed to elect four representatives who would meet. 
 
9. (C) COMMENT:  MNF-I has already provided some 
compensation, and there is a concern that if the ITG does 
not get its own programs started, the local population will 
look to the Coalition, not the ITG, as its key interlocutor 
on reconstruction.  The ITG in turn needs to empower the 
provincial government to assume the lead in all 
compensation and reconstruction efforts. If not, the ITG 
will lose the momentum created by MNF-I compensation 
efforts. High visibility projects are essential. END 
COMMENT 
Khalilzad