The Iraqi government is neglecting the war-ravaged provinces and the people still displaced because of the Islamic State (ISIS) conflict, argued the deputy governor of Saladin, Saad Dhahir Qaisi.
Saladin province “was occupied for two years by ISIS terrorists. All infrastructure, transportation, roads, and governmental buildings were destroyed. No major infrastructure was left standing. We have fully destroyed buildings,” explained Qaisi. Yet they have received just 15 percent of their share of the federal budget, “a very negligible amount.”
The approach of the government of Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in the areas liberated from ISIS is “weak,” he said. The prime minister relies on reports from officials – who prioritize their own interests – instead of seeing the problems for himself.
The result is growing distrust of the state among the population and a risk of a resurgence of terror, he warned.
ISIS was declared defeated in Iraq in December 2017, but its remnants have retreated into Iraq's deserts and mountains where they have resumed earlier hit-and-run tactics of kidnap, ambush, bombing, and execution.
The insurgency is picking up in Iraq’s northern provinces. The Hamrin Mountains, 160 kilometers north of Baghdad, that straddle the provinces of Saladin, Diyala and Kirkuk have become a hotbed for the new insurgency developing in Iraq.
In Saladin, militants staged an attack on an oilfield in March. In February, they killed three young men who were hunting desert truffles.
Qaisi, 51, has been in office for six months. He previously served in the Iraqi Army and the Iraqi Republican Guard. He entered politics through the Arabic Project, part of the Sunni National Axis. He spoke with Rudaw in Erbil on April 28, 2019.
Rudaw: How are the conditions of Saladin province in general?
Saad Dhahir Qaisi: Truth be told, the conditions have now started improving greatly in the security aspect. The things that took place in past, including explosions, kidnappings, have honestly disappeared. Saladin province has become an area with the fewest incidents. As for the infrastructure and services, we are progressing very slowly up to now because funds from the federal government are very little. In the general budget, an amount of 459 billion Iraqi dinars ($385 million) have been allocated for us. We have received no more than 15 percent as of now, a very negligible amount.
As such, it is no match for the level of destruction in our province. You know that our province was occupied for two years by ISIS terrorists. All infrastructure, transportation, roads, and governmental buildings were destroyed. No major infrastructure was left
The conditions are very poor because poverty is very high in the province. Illiteracy has increased in the province. 
How do the people of Saladin cope with the lack of services?
The conditions are very poor because poverty is very high in the province. Illiteracy has increased in the province. The families who were displaced spent all their savings and money during their displacement, which has continued for four years. When they came back, they came back empty-handed. They came back to their houses destroyed. They will have to rent because they no longer have a place.
They will have to pay rent, increasing their life expenses. Hence, their livelihoods aren’t how they should be. We have a class that is doing well. It is the class of public employees. They have the government’s salary. As even with the salaries, it isn’t enough, there will be rent and secondary expenses. This is in addition to the need, in general, to support the people of the province through financial funds, through compensation, which are very slow. As of now, there has been no compensation to the people.
There is the Directorate of Compensations in Baghdad. You go for paperwork, and you won’t be done for six months. This has caused anxiety for the people. A person comes back from four years of displacement, goes home, but it is destroyed. The state does not give him money to rebuild it, nor does he have the resources to rebuild the house. Therefore, he will hold grudges against himself and the
There are no cables. We don’t have pylons. There are no transformers. The electricity itself is on for 3-4 hours per day
Our services for the municipality are very low. The infrastructure is little. All of our water projects are destroyed. All electricity projects lie in ruins. Across Baiji district alone, we need 1,260 electricity transformers. There exist only 250 electricity transformers. Meaning we lack one thousand electricity transformers. We need hundreds of thousands of electrical cables. There are no cables. We don’t have pylons. There are no transformers. The electricity itself is on for 3-4 hours per day. Naturally the people won’t accept this, and thus won’t cooperate with the government to improve the level of services.
Do you think that Adil Abdul-Mahdi’s government can fix all the destruction due to the war against ISIS in Iraq?
A country like Iraq that exports more than 3.5 million barrels [of oil] per day has the capability and resources [to rebuild]. The state, however, doesn’t pay much attention to the liberated provinces. They don’t look the same way at us the way they do at Karbala, Najaf, or Amara. We are from devastated provinces. ISIS entered them and for four years caused actual and utter destruction. It shouldn’t be that me, Ramadi, Diyala, Nineveh [are treated] like the provinces of the south. Imagine, our budget is equal to Hillah, which is 120 kilometers from Baghdad. Nothing has happened to it. How can this be? My province sustained utter destruction. My infrastructure lies in ruins. How can you treat me like a southern province? Thus, the approach of the state is weak, not serious and unreal in bringing reconstruction to these areas.
I get the impression that Abdul-Mahdi has a fear, especially concerning not rebuilding these areas. In case there is no reconstruction in this province, what is his fear as a government official in this province?
What fear? If you treat me like any other province, like nothing has happened, no occupation, and ISIS didn’t enter it… Assume that I have two children. One of them is sick and one is healthy. I should be giving special treatment to the sick to give him morale or cure him to become like the healthy one. The state doesn’t act this way. The state should take care of us, as liberated areas, to focus on us, increase funds for us, get involved with us, and help us. It is illogical for there to be a liberation only in name.
Each area needs ten water projects, needs one thousand electricity transformers, roads, sewage, municipality services, equipment, government buildings. From where do I get these if not from the state, which gives me cash or itself supervises the projects? There
the approach of the state is weak, not serious and unreal in bringing reconstruction to these areas.
What are you afraid of given the level of poverty, lack of services, and unemployment?
We have two districts that are completely destroyed – Baiji district and Aldor district. The residents of these two places are still residing in Erbil or other provinces of Iraq. Why haven’t they returned up to now? First, there are people among the ranks of Hashd al-Shaabi [Popular Mobilization Forces, PMF], tribal Hashd, and security forces whose names exist in the computer but are barred from returning. They are permanently banned from returning. Why? Nobody knows the reason, only that they are relatives of Saddam Hussein. This is not right.
We want to bring life back. Let us bring life back, let the relatives of Saddam Hussein return. Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq is in the past, over. We are supposed to make a new start so that all citizens equally work.
We have 1,800 destroyed houses in Baiji. This means 1,800 families. How can they return when their houses lie in ruins? It is the same for Aldor. The government has no serious intention to have these people return. We still have IDP tents existing in Saladin two years after liberation, from 2016 and now we are in 2019. We have entered the third year and there are still IDP camps for the Seneia residents [southwest of Baiji]. Even those who have returned to Seneia for two to three months have received no services, neither at the level of the governorate, which doesn’t have the capability, nor at the level of the state. How can we say the level of services is high and the people are comfortable? No, by Allah the citizen is not comfortable. This is the truth. Even the militarization of cities continues. There are military personnel up to now in cities from all military sectors – the army, Hashd, police.
They are in the cities?
They are inside the city.
There is poverty, joblessness, lack of services, and the government doesn’t do its work. Do you have fears of a terror resurgence in a new form?
Yes, yes. We have fears. For us, if you don’t provide a citizen with services, shelter, a house, and the government doesn’t take care of him, he might be an easy target for terrorists. Maybe ISIS might come again and he might help them. This is what we expect. We
If there are security, services, and protection, then there is no terrorism. If there are no security, services, and protection, then there is terror
There is a reaction among the people. He says he won’t help the state. Why? The secret informant of [the state] is still active. I hate you, so I will go write a report on you. Yes, governmental. I will write a report on you and say that you are that and that. Then you will be detained. You will be in prison for six months or a year and will not be cleared until you pay a sum. This is not right, especially when you are a good and law abiding citizen who served the province.
Terrorism in itself, ISIS itself, you see them being influential in some authorities and located in areas. This is not right. There are specific ISIS terrorists in the province. Everyone says they were with ISIS, but they were pardoned because they became an informant for the state. This causes lack of cooperation with the state.
Do you fear that ISIS movements might increase due to the government not doing its job?
What is terrorism? If there are security, services, and protection, then there is no terrorism. If there are no security, services, and protection, then there is terror. This is my opinion. This is a triangle.
In your opinion, is Adil Abdul-Mahdi aware of Saladin’s situation? It feels like Abdul-Mahdi is different from the previous prime ministers.
Adil Abdul-Mahdi, up to now, has a weakness or fault in that he depends on reports. He depends on ministers, governors, and what they relay to him. Therefore, every official relays a positive image, not the negative image. Even if they do, it is in a mild form so that it doesn’t affect his job. We hope that the prime minister, especially since he is an educated, understanding, and conscientious person, will visit these liberated areas and see with his own eyes… If he sees with his own eyes, it will be different from the reports.
Are government informants a huge problem?
They are liars. The reason for the destruction of the Iraqi state is that the security apparatus do the same as Mr. Adil Abdul-Mahdi. They depend on reports. They don’t go to the areas and see it for themselves. I, as a security officer or an intelligence officer, I have to know the area where I am stationed. I have to know the people there. As such, a security or intelligence officer coming from a
Adil Abdul-Mahdi, up to now, has a weakness or fault in that he depends on reports
I feel like the informants are not aware of the situation of the province.
Now they have come up with a new method. Because reports from one person won’t be accepted, they make reports from four individuals about one person. Only if four people can write about it, then I can be investigated. They formed a clique. They would target someone. Four people, all friends, would write a report against him. We have a problem with secret informants.
Why don’t we activate the law?
There are two things in the law. There is a legal complaint and legal evidence. If there is a problem with me or you, then we take legal measures. There is no need for this. Secret informants are used in wars to relay information. There is no need for them inside cities. These are unprecedented. Without any evidence, this can’t happen. For information alone, it is wrong. As the Arabic saying goes, “hate and talk about it.” I like you, I compliment you. I hate you, I talk about of you.
What is the solution for the families who had a member in ISIS? Many are in Syria now.
We have a program for this issue. Iraqi families are big families, consisting of seven to eight individuals. It is illogical that one commits a crime and joins ISIS and then we sentence the other seven to death, judging them all as ISIS. This is a wrong thing. At the time, I suggested bringing in psychologists, self-help courses, and Islamic courses for these people to re-enter society. Let them communicate with society in a two month course to leave behind the harmful ideas.
How can we be sure that they won’t go back to ISIS after two months? Should they be monitored after the two month courses?
The state’s policy is a failure. They have left these in a camp. They don’t allow them to leave. They give them food that is actually worth $10 but is sold for $100. Everyone is benefitting.
The state spends on these camps. There are parties and employees taking advantage of that. They don’t want the camp to be gone. If $10 is spent on a person, he says $100 was spent. There is a difference of $90. There are people making a profit from this. They want these camps to remain. They don’t want them removed. They don’t want the people out. Why? Because he is making a financial profit.
