LACK OF NAJAF SECURITY THREATENS SHIA SUPPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 004071

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/NGA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2013
TAGS: PREL KISL SOCI KU IZ
SUBJECT: LACK OF NAJAF SECURITY THREATENS SHIA SUPPORT

REF: A. KUWAIT 1417

B. KUWAIT 1665

C. KUWAIT 2276

D. KUWAIT 3619

Classified By: CDA Frank C. Urbancic for reason 1.5 (d)


1. (C) Summary: Reacting to the death of Sayed Mohammed
Baqer Al-Hakim, prominent Kuwaiti Shi'is have again (reftels)
warned the Embassy that the absence of increased security for
Shi,a religious leaders based in the city of Najaf is
threatening coalition efforts in Iraq and turning the
country's majority Shi'i population against the U.S. End
Summary.

Security for Religious Leaders Paramount
--------------


2. (C) Members of the prominent Kuwait Shi'a Marafie family
met with Poloffs on the evening of Sept 1 to relay their
concerns and those of the Shi'a religious establishment in
Najaf, that the continued lack of security for Shi'a clerics
in the city is severely undermining coalition efforts in
Iraq. Abdul Ilah Marafie said that the office manager of
Sayed Mohamed Said Hakim had recently asked him to pass a
message to the USG that all religious leaders in Najaf are in
danger in the current environment. He said that Shi'a
worldwide were now beginning to blame the U.S. for the
instability in Iraq, and called on the coalition to provide
security for Shi'ism,s Najaf-based leadership. Iraqi
Governing Council Member Abdulaziz Baqer Al-Hakim has now
taken to referring to coalition forces as "invaders," the
Marafies said. "If you don't support the Shia, you will lose
many things," they added. " A big percentage of the security
of Iraq is the security of Najaf."

Responsibility for Al-Hakim's Death
--------------


3. (C) Speculating as to who was behind the recent murder of
Sayed Mohammed Baqer Al-Hakim, the Marafies said they were
convinced that Saddam Hussein had worked with elements of
Al-Qaeda to pull off the attack, especially after they heard
Al-Jazeera's broadcast earlier that same day of a tape in
which a voice believed to be Saddam Hussein's denied
responsibility for the incident. "When Saddam denies
something, you can be sure he is behind it," noted one of the
Marafie brothers. The brothers also stated they believed
"Wahhabis" may be taking advantage of the situation in Iraq
to further their goals.

Bahr-Al Oloum and the GC
--------------


4. (C) Lamenting that Iraq's Governing Council (GC) Member
Mohammed Bahr Al-Oloum had withdrawn from that body in the
aftermath of the Al-Hakim murder, Abdul Ilah Marafie claimed
that he personally had been the one who had persuaded a
reluctant Bahr al-Oloum to join the GC in the first place


5. (C) Comment: The well-connected Marafies want us to
succeed in Iraq, but fear the Shi'a community could erupt
uncontrollably if another major Shi'a cleric were to be
assassinated.


6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
URBANCIC