C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003476

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E.O. 12958: DECL:5/30/11
TAGS: PREL PHUM PTER MARR ETTC UNSC IZ TU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN IRAQ: ISLAMIC JIHAD PARTY FORMED AFTER
SPLIT WITHIN ISLAMIC UNION MOVEMENT OF KURDISTAN

(U) CLASSIFIED BY POL-MIL COUNSELOR STUART BROWN, REASONS
1.5 B/D.


1. (C) ACCORDING TO PATRIOTIC UNION XXXXXXXXXXXXI, ON MAY 30 A SPLIT IN THE ISLAMIC
UNION MOVEMENT OF KURDISTAN (IUMK) RESULTED IN MULLAH ALI
BAPIR FOUNDING HIS OWN GROUP WHICH HE HAS NAMED THE ISLAMIC
JIHAD PARTY. BAPIR IS A RIVAL OF IUKM LEADER MULLAH ALI
ABDULAZIZ. BOTH LEADERS ARE BASED IN THE HALABJA DISTRICT,
HAVE ARMED MILITIA UNDER THEIR COMMAND AND RECEIVE SUPPORT
FROM IRAN. WHILE THE HALABJA DISTRICT HAS FOR SOME TIME
BEEN CONTROLLED BY THE IUMK, ACCORDING TO GALALI, ISLAMIC
JIHAD ON THE NIGHT OF MAY 30 SUCCEEDED IN TAKING THE
VILLAGES OF KURMAL AND ANAB WITHOUT A FIGHT. GALALI
CONTACTED US WITH THIS INFORMATION ON MAY 31 ON PUK LEADER
JALAL TALABANI'S INSTRUCTION.

2.(C) THE PUK IS CONCERNED THAT THE ISLAMIST SPLIT AND GRAB
OF TERRITORY MAY LEAD TO FIGHTING BETWEEN THE ARMED RIVAL
FACTIONS, THOUGH NONE IS YET REPORTED. TALABANI IS ALSO
WORRIED THAT IRAN MAY TRY TO USE THE EXISTENCE OF TWO
ISLAMIST FACTIONS HOLDING TERRITORY IN THE BORDER AREA AS A
PRETEXT TO CUT OFF TALABANI'S ROAD ACCESS TO IRAN BY
ENCOURAGING ISLAMIC JIHAD TO TAKE THE AREA AROUND PINJUIN.
(THE TWO MAIN ROADS FROM THE PUK AREA INTO IRAN RUN THROUGH
PINJUIN AND HALABJA RESPECTIVELY.) IN A FURTHER
COMPLICATION FOR THE PUK, TWO PUK "MINISTERS" AND TWO
"DEPUTY MINISTERS" ARE ISLAMISTS FROM THE IUMK AND IT IS
NOT CLEAR WITH WHICH FACTION THEY WILL ALIGN THEMSELVES.


3. (C) AS IS OFTEN THE CASE WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN NORTHERN
IRAQ, OUR INFORMATION IS LIMITED AND HAS NOT BEEN CONFIRMED
BY ANY OTHER SOURCE. WE WILL REPORT ANY FURTHER DETAILS WE
ARE ABLE TO LEARN SEPTEL.

JEFFREY