Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BASRAH148
2005-12-15 10:09:00
SECRET
REO Basrah
Cable title:  

IRAN PURSUING ACTIVE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROGRAM IN BASRAH,

Tags:  PREL PROP KPAO IZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000148 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD AND ECA DONNA IVES
DUBAI FOR JULLIAN BURNS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015
TAGS: PREL PROP KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: IRAN PURSUING ACTIVE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROGRAM IN BASRAH,
MAYSAN PROVINCES

CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Latimer, Regional Coordinator, Regional
Embassy Office Basrah, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000148

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/PPD AND ECA DONNA IVES
DUBAI FOR JULLIAN BURNS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015
TAGS: PREL PROP KPAO IZ
SUBJECT: IRAN PURSUING ACTIVE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PROGRAM IN BASRAH,
MAYSAN PROVINCES

CLASSIFIED BY: Alan Latimer, Regional Coordinator, Regional
Embassy Office Basrah, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary. Iran is pursuing an aggressive public
diplomacy campaign in Basrah and Maysan Provinces that includes
programs similar to the State Department's public diplomacy (PD)
programs: visitor programs, book fairs, book reprinting
services, libraries and media training programs. In November
and December 2005, Basrah TDY PAO met with local journalists,
educators and politicians who described in detail examples of
these programs operating in Basrah province. Contacts have
suggested that these programs are being expanded while coalition
PD engagement in the south is limited, particularly due to the
security situation. End Summary.

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Iranians Gain Influence in Basrah Through Public Diplomacy
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--------------


2. (S) On December 4, Basrah TDY PAO met with Dr. Hamid Al
Dhalemi, , professor at Basrah University and a member of the
provincial council. Dr. Al-Dhalemi is also a candidate on
Allawi's list (731) and is managing Allawi's campaign in Basrah.
Dr. Al-Dhalemi described in detail several Iranian public
diplomacy programs operating in Basrah, some in conjunction with
Basrah University. He said that in 2005 (specific date not
provided) 150 professors from Basrah University traveled to
Tehran on an Iranian government sponsored "international
visitor" program where they met with former Iranian presidents
Rasfanjani and Khatemi and visited with academic colleagues at
universities in Iran.


3. (S) Dr. Al-Dhalemi said that book fairs, translation
programs and bookstores make up a large part of Iran's PD
efforts in Basrah. Four times in 2005, Basrah University held
Iranian book fairs on campus. The book fairs included texts
promoting conservative religious philosophy and anti-Western
themes. Pictures of Iranian religious leaders and recordings of
prayers from major Iranian religious leaders were available. On
November 12, the university hosted an Iranian book fair. The

fair was organized by Toawlee Al Hajaj, who was educated in
Iran, and the current director of the central library in Basrah.
At the fair, organizers gave out several thousand copies of the
book "America in Khameni's point of view" at no cost to the
participants. Dr. Al-Dhalemi reported that "Fatim," who he
described as a known Iranian intelligence agent, opened the fair.


4. (S) The Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRG) are operating
"dozens" of private bookstores throughout Basrah, according to
Dr. Al-Dhalemi. When asked to name a specific store that was
being operated by the IRG, he named the "Ali Al Hadi" bookstore
in the Ashar district of Basrah. These bookstores are supported
by a printing operation in Iran that reprints religious and
anti-Western books at a fraction of their cost and illegally
transports them into Iraq for resale. Dr. Al-Dhalemi also
described a reprinting service at Basrah University operated by
professors with Iranian sympathies. These professors take their
colleagues' books, research papers and other academic
publications to Iran, where they are published in large
quantities and then transported back into Iraq for distribution.
This program is very attractive to even secular-minded
professors who simply want to have their works placed into the
public domain.


5. (S) On December 9, Basrah TDY PAO met with Dr. Abdul Kareem
Lazim, the head of the English Department at the Basic Education
College in Al-Amarah, Maysan province, and the director of
Al-Amarah's American Corner, located at the college. Dr. Lazim
described many of the same programs as Dr. Al-Dhalemi. In
September 2004, June 2005 and September 2005, Iran invited local
notables from Maysan province to participate on an international
visitor program where they met high level political and
education leaders, such as Rasfanjani and Shareeat Madari.
According to Dr. Lazim, the trip's participants included Dr.
Hussien Jabar Abdullah, dean of the college, Dr. Abbas Uda,
assistant professor of Arabic language and Khadim Al Mula,
teacher in the college of education. Dr. Lazim also named
Shaheed Al Muhrab, Dar Al Tableeq Al Islami, Thar'Allah,
Baathaat'Allah and Al Intefatha Al Shaabany'a as Iranian-funded
Islamic organizations that are active in cultural programming in
Maysan. Finally, Dr. Lazim said that Iran established the
Al-Ukali library in the city center of Al-Amarah, with over
50,000 volumes, a majority of which are religiously focused.

--------------
Media Outreach
--------------

6. (S) On October 4, Basrah TDY PAO met with Dr. Julianna the
chief editor for Al-Akbar newspaper. Dr. Julianna also cited
book fairs at Basrah University and visitor programs to Iran as
examples of Iran's public diplomacy outreach. She described a
new journalism program at the Iman Al-Sadiq college in
Al-Amarah, Maysan province. The program was launched this year
(no specific date given) and is designed to train Iraqi
journalists to portray the news in Iraq from an anti-coalition
religious angle. It includes press writing, still photography,
video camera operation, and journalistic research techniques,
according to Dr. Julianna. When to cite specifics about how the
program has a religious Iranian preference, Dr. Julianna replied
that in the press writing classes, the professor stresses choice
of language, telling the students to use "occupation forces,"
rather than "coalition forces," and "martyr" or "freedom
fighter," instead of "terrorist." When working as a
photographer or cameraman, the journalists are encouraged to get
footage of American soldiers pointing their weapons at Iraqi
civilians, particularly children.


7. (S) On December 5, Basrah TDY PAO met with Wa'ad Al-Sibahi,
managing director of Radio Shinasheel in Basrah. Wa'ad said
that one of his employees who formerly worked for Al-Nakheel TV
and Radio (directly affiliated with SCIRI) told him about an
Iranian media training program that he attended in October 2004
for Al-Nakheel employees in Ahfaz, Iran. The training program
consisted of technical training on new TV and radio equipment,
as well as press writing and videography skills development.
Again, there was an emphasis placed on covering the news from an
anti-coalition perspective. Wa'ad reported that after returning
to Iraq, Al-Nakheel received new equipment from SCIRI to augment
their training, including computers, cameras, antennas and
TV/radio production and broadcasting equipment.

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Iranian "Clear and Hold" Strategy Limits Coalition Influence
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--------------


8. (S) Comment: Iran is engaging in a substantial public
diplomacy outreach program to expand their religious and
political influence in southern Iraq. The programs implemented
by the Iranians provide highly sought after opportunities for
Iraqis: international travel, professional training and access
to information resources. Many of the Iranian's public
diplomacy programs are similar to ours, but far larger in size
and depth than the coalition's efforts in the south. While the
world focuses on the Sunni insurgency in central Iraq, Iran
continues to use a variety of tactics, including public
diplomacy, to expand and institutionalize its influence in the
south. Their program remains largely unchecked due to security
challenges that limit the coalition's access to the Iraqi
population. In many ways they are using a variant of the "clear
and hold" strategy of the coalition. The current security
environment effectively clears our resources out of key areas
and institutions, particularly programs and personnel that focus
on cultural and educational outreach. In turn, their
programmatic outreach, coupled with threats and intimidation,
limits engagement with coalition elements, hampering our efforts
to expand and improve relations with the Iraqi people. End
Comment.
LATIMER