US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4239

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004239 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, IZ 
SUBJECT: ANBAR: IMPASSE OVER PAYMENT OF POLICE SALARIES 
PITS PROVINCIAL POLICE CHIEF AGAINST GOVERNOR 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD, FOR 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  This is a SET Ramadi cable.  Provincial 
Police Chief Shaqr interrupted shouting matches with his 
financial director on October 10, to explain to PolOff and 
Police Advisors (P3) the obstacles to distributing 
September pay to his officers.  Charging the governor with 
inference in his official duties, the Police Chief 
repeatedly refused to heed his financial director's advice 
to sit down and hash out the differences directly with the 
governor.  Instead, the police chief accused the governor 
of pursuing a politically based agenda while denying 
charges of corruption.  End Summary. 
 
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Ghost Employees vs. No Where to Report 
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2. (C) According to BGen Shaqr Mohammed Saleh (al Dulaime), 
the city of Ramadi has 1800 police officers, but only one 
out of an original six stations is still operating.  He 
claimed that all 1800 are ready and willing to return to 
work, but have no secure place of business to which to 
report.  Shaqr claimed that in early September he was able 
to pay his officers three months back pay (June, July and 
August) by assembling those assigned to Ramadi's various 
precincts at ad hoc meeting places.  He believes it is the 
responsibility of his local commanders to contact their 
cohorts, who are afraid to even wear their uniforms in 
public. 
 
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"Governor Attempting to Usurp My Authority" 
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4. (C) The latest conflict between Shaqr and Governor 
Mamoon Sami al Rasheed sparked the week of October 2, as 
the September police payroll arrived in Ramadi.  Shaqr 
signed the police rosters confirming the active duty status 
of his officers.  The governor charged that many of these 
policemen were 'ghost employees' and Shaqr was pocketing 
their salaries.  As such the governor refused to cosign the 
employee registers and convinced the Provincial Police 
Financial Director he could not legally disperse the salary 
fund.  Shaqr retorted the governor had no legal 
jurisdiction of over the payment of Minister of Interior 
employees.  In response to PolOff's suggestion the Police 
Chief meet the governor to resolve the impasse, Shaqr burst 
out in a giggle. 
 
5. (C) According to Shaqr, the Governor also stepped 
outside his legal authority by dismissing 
27 officers assigned to the Emergency Brigade (a unit of 
400 officers, 160 of which are assigned to the governor's 
personal security detachment).  Shaqr reasoned, if the 
governor had found fault with the MoI employees, he could 
request their transfer out of his PSD team, and Shaqr would 
assign new officers to protect the governor's life.  Simply 
firing the men, was not an option.  Shaqr and his 
commanders in the office (difficult to recognize their 
ranks, given their civilian dress) all agreed this latest 
battle was mainly 'payback' for Shaqr's political 
activities. 
 
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All Politics are Local: Governor Wants Shaqr Out 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
6. (C) The Provincial Police Chief alleged that Governor 
Mamoon was a member of the Iraqi Islamic Party and had been 
pressuring Shaqr's commanders to join the IIP.  He 
suggested Mamoon was trying to consolidate his power in the 
province.  (Septel will describe state of party politics in 
Anbar.)  Shaqr said Mamoon started a campaign to relieve 
him after the Police Chief brokered a series of meetings in 
Baghdad between Anbari Sheikhs and the Ministers of 
Interior and Defense.  When queried which Sheikhs, Shaqr 
listed several subtribes of the Dulaym federation (Halife, 
Mujuleb, Diab, Ali Jassim, Issa Asaf and Richa).  Shaqr 
claimed these tribes shared intelligence about the 
insurgents with the Iraqi Transitional Government. 
 
7. (C) Comment.  Conflicts between provincial governors and 
Provincial Police Chiefs are by no means rare in Iraq. 
However the question of community policing in restive Anbar 
is crucial to our efforts to quell the violence.  It would 
have been much more realistic for Shaqr to admit there were 
officers on his rolls that would never return to their 
duties.  Instead, he insisted all 1800 were valid employees 
and took political potshots at the authoritative, but 
active governor.  Governor Mamoon refused to discuss the 
issue of policemen's salaries with PolOff and CAG commander 
on October 11, citing his highest priority was the 
immediate distribution of fuel, especially diesel, in the 
city before the four-day election weekend.  As resources 
and the advisor component grow in the province, Shaqr's 
assertion that his officers will return will be tested in 
the near term.  Should the governor wish to pursue legal 
means to remove Shaqr, he will require action by the 
Provincial Council, another body Shaqr alleges is in the 
grip of the IIP.  End Comment. 
Khalilzad