US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4400

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004400 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/26/2015 
TAGS: ECON, KCOR, KCRM, PGOV, PHUM, IZ, Parliament 
SUBJECT: INSPECTORS GENERAL HOLD EMERGENCY MEETING IN 
RESPONSE TO SIX IG DISMISSALS 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 4379 
 
Classified By: Economic Minister Counselor Thomas Delare for reasons 1. 
4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  In reaction to the reported removal of 
Inspectors General (IG) from five ministries and the Council 
of Ministers, an emergency meeting of all the IGs and 
representatives from the TNA Committee on Integrity was held 
on October 23.  The discussions focused on the integrity and 
independence of the IG system during which the attendees: 1) 
requested draft legislation that would both enhance the IG's 
independence and protect them from politically motivated 
dismissals; 2) complained about the lack of due process for 
those who were removed; and 3) pondered how to handle a 
politically sensitive request by the TNA for evaluations of 
all Deputy Ministers and Directors General.  End summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Over the past six months, IRMO technical advisors 
and GOI officials have reported the impending removal or 
transfer of several Iraqi IGs.  Details of the plan finally 
came to light last week.  According to IRMO reports, the IGs 
from the Ministries of Transportation, Electricity, Finance, 
Agriculture, Trade and the IG for the General Secretariat of 
the Ministers' Council, are to be removed, while the IG from 
the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works will move to 
the vacant IG position at Ministry of Defense.  A former IG 
and current TNA member, Judge Zakia Haaki, will reportedly 
return as IG to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, 
which is also currently vacant.  We should emphasize, 
however, that official notification of these changes has not 
yet been confirmed. 
 
3.  (SBU) In response to this shake-up, the IGs held an 
emergency meeting on October 23, attended by Econoff, to 
discuss what they perceive to be major threats to the 
integrity and independence of the IG system.  Held 
immediately after the regular weekly meeting between the IG 
Executive Council, headed by Dr. Adel Abdullah, IG for the 
Ministry of Health, and the leadership of the TNA Committee 
on Integrity, the emergency meeting was attended by a 
majority of the IGs, as well as several members of the 
Integrity Committee.  The meeting was chaired by the Deputy 
Chairmen of the Committee on Integrity, Kamal al-Saadi. 
 
-------------------------------- 
Legislation to Strengthen the IG 
-------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Al-Saadi opened the meeting by stressing the need for 
a strong and independent IG system in order to build a 
stable, prosperous and democratic Iraq.  In particular, he 
highlighted the IG's dependence on their respective ministers 
for funding and resources, as well as the authority that 
ministers have to dismiss IGs, which has impeded IG 
effectiveness.  In order to remedy what they perceive to be 
structural weaknesses in the system, the group is preparing 
legislation that will clearly establish the IGs as 
independent entities whose authority emanates directly from 
the TNA.  Included in the legislation would 
be provisions for "fire walled" budgets and a direct 
reporting structure from the IGs to the TNA.  Also a 
possibility given the recent shake up, would be provisions 
reserving the authority for removing an IG from office to the 
TNA, President, Deputy Presidents or the Prime Minister. 
(Note: According to CPA Order 57 that established the IG 
system, IGs are funded by each ministry at the discretion of 
the minister.  An IG reports directly to the minister, and 
that minister may dismiss the IG for cause.  The minister 
must report the dismissal to the Prime Minister and the TNA, 
who can then overturn it.  End note.)  The plan is to present 
the law to the TNA before the end of year.  Al-Saadi also 
stressed the need for standardized procurement and 
contracting procedures in all ministries. 
 
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IG Dismissals and Transfers 
--------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) The reported dismissal of several IGs prompted a 
heated discussion among the attendees.  Most of the 
participants attributed the firings to Commission on Public 
Integrity (CPI) Commissioner Radhi, who they claimed had 
overstepped his authority and acted in a non-transparent way 
to dismiss rivals for 
political purposes.  Others criticized that no explanation or 
notice had been given for the dismissals.  The IG from the 
Ministry of Trade (among those relieved of his position) 
bitterly complained that "his name and dignity were 
insulted," despite his being a valued ministry employee for 
32 years and his submission of 970 investigative reports to 
the CPI since January 2005.  In response, al-Saadi reiterated 
his belief that only the TNA had the right to terminate an IG 
and that Commissioner Radhi was 
establishing a very dangerous precedent by superseding the 
legislature.  He believes that the terminations were 
motivated by politics and religion, and resolved to meet with 
Commissioner Radhi to discuss these issues.  Many of the 
attendees also questioned whether Judge Radhi has the 
authority to transfer IGs from one ministry to another, even 
if he does not have the ability to terminate them. 
 
6.  (C) The IGs also cited U.S. interference with their 
independence.  Judge Zakia stated that when she had been the 
IG for the Ministry of Labor, she was given a letter written 
by a U.S. military officer stating that she was being too 
tough on U.S. allies at the ministry.  The letter recommended 
that she be transferred to the Ministry of Justice after 
which Zakia found herself "in limbo between Ministries," 
before being sent back to the Ministry of Labor.  All of 
this, she said, occurred because "I was just 
doing my job."  (Comment: We are researching this charge to 
make sure the Embassy speaks with one voice on this issue. 
End comment.) 
 
--------------------------------- 
TNA Requests Ministry Evaluations 
--------------------------------- 
 
7.  (C) The meeting ended with the IGs voicing their 
discomfort with a recent request by the TNA, and possibly the 
Council of Ministers, to prepare performance evaluations of 
the Deputy Ministers and Director Generals in their 
respective ministries.  Of particular concern to the IGs was 
the lack of performance criteria from the TNA and the 
uncertainty regarding their intended use.  TNA members at the 
meeting stated that the reports would be used as a tool to 
decide who stays and who goes during the transition to the 
next government, but the IGs fear that the reports will only 
further politicize and weaken their efforts to combat 
corruption. 
 
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Comment 
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8.  (C) The IG system is an important part of Iraq's 
anti-corruption institutions, but it is still very weak and 
prone to the same ills facing all of Iraq's institutions -- 
corruption and political and sectarian rivalries.  While the 
IGs lamented the "unfair" dismissal of their colleagues, 
there are also credible reports that at least some of the 
dismissed IGs were incompetent and/or corrupt (see reftel). 
Many of the IGs blame Commissioner Radhi for the firings, but 
it has been said that Radhi was merely trying to improve the 
effectiveness the IG system by recommending these changes to 
the Prime Minister, who made the final decision.  Whatever 
the motivation, it appears that Radhi played a large role in 
the deliberations, adding fuel to the growing tensions 
between CPI and many of the IGs.  The Embassy will continue 
to follow this issue closely to see if there is a political 
agenda at play, especially as 
replacement IGs are nominated. 
Satterfield