SHIA PROTEST AL JAZEERA REPORT

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 005010

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PINR PINS IZ
SUBJECT: SHIA PROTEST AL JAZEERA REPORT

Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD FOR
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (U) On December 14 at 2100, Al Jazeera TV broadcast the
political talkshow Al Et'jah Al Muakis (The Opposite
Direction),hosted by Faisal Al Kasim. Joining him on the
show was a former Shia Ba'athist Fadhil Al Rubae and
SISTANI loyalist Fuad Al Samawi. During the program,
Faisal and Fadhil made disparaging remarks about the Shia
clerical establishment (the Marjaiya),saying that the
Marjaiya should stay in their mosques. They also condemned
the whole Marjaiya system as backward. This sparked
protests in such places in Sadr City, Karbala, Hillah,
Najaf, and Al Kut. Protests are scheduled to take place on
December 15 in London as well.


2. (U) The protesters numbered about 5,000 in some places,
and have been supporters of SISTANI, SCIRI, and the Sadr
Bureau. In Najaf the policemen have even protested. They
have been chanting slogans that are anti-Al Jazeera, anti-
Qatar, anti-Ba'athist, and anti-Allawi.


3. (C) Allawi campaign headquarters coordinator Azzam
Alwash told Poloff December 14 that their office in
Nasiriyah was attacked and burned by demonstrators who were
in the streets after the al-Jazeera broadcast. Local
Allawi campaign workers also said the Iraqi Communist Party
office was about to be attacked. (REO Basrah sources later
confirmed that the Allawi and ICP offices were indeed
burned. They said voting was orderly on December 15
morning, however.)


4. (C) COMMENT: These events have come at a most opportune
time: one day before the December 15 elections. Shia
Islamist candidates can present themselves as injured
parties to garner the sympathy vote. These protests remind
of the street power the Shia Islamists can generate
quickly. END COMMENT.
KHALILZAD