COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER COMPLAINS ABOUT JAFARI

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001155

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2026
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER COMPLAINS ABOUT JAFARI
SUPPORTERS' TACTICS

REF: BAGHDAD 1086

Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Michael J. Adler for Reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).



1. (C) SUMMARY. CoR and Iraqiyya list member (and head of
the Iraqi Communist Party) Hamid Majeed Mousa told PolOff and
PolFSN April 4 that a delegation of Jafari supporters from
Dawa and Dawa Tanzim had met with an Iraqiyya List delegation
April 3. The Jafari supporters reportedly said the Shia
Coalition will stick with Jafari, warned against his removal
(threatening to bring Iraq to the ground),and said Jafari
has the support of members from other lists, even pointing to
Allawi's April 3 interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat. The
pro-Jafari delegation also reportedly interpreted Article 76
of the Iraqi constitution as not requiring a CoR vote on the
choice of PM. END SUMMARY

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Pro-Jafari Delegation Defends His Selection and Issues Threat
to Iraqiyya List Delegation
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2. (C) CoR and Iraqiyya list member (and head of the Iraqi
Communist Party) Hamid Majeed Mousa told PolOff and PolFSN
April 4 that a delegation of Jafari supporters ) Jawad
al-Maliki (Dawa),Ali al-Adeeb (Dawa),and Khudayr al-Khuza'i
(Dawa Tanzim) ) met with an Iraqiyya List delegation (Adnan
Pachachi, Mahdi Hafith, Wa'il Abd al-Lateef, and Mufeed
al-Jazaraee) April 3. They reportedly told the Iraqiyya List
delegation that the Shia Coalition chose Jafari and will
stick with him. Mousa then claimed the group had warned
that, if Jafari is removed, the country will be brought to
the ground ("destroyed and burnt to the ground"). Mousa
remarked that Saddam Hussein used to make such statements and
asked, "how can we accept Jafari if he is saying such
things?" He added that there were no promises or guarantees,
just intimidation and threats.


3. (C) Mousa claimed the pro-Jafari delegation then asked if
the Iraqiyya List would tell the media that they are not
against Jafari. They reportedly said "no," but added that if
the Shia Coalition decides on the PM matter, then the
Iraqiyya List will respond. The pro-Jafari delegation then
remarked that they know some members of other lists support
Jafari, but they cannot make statements. Mousa opined that
there are probably members more interested in personal gain
(ministry positions) than in the benefit of Iraq.


4. (C) Mousa said the Iraqiyya List delegation told the
pro-Jafari delegation that Jafari will not succeed in getting
the necessary number of votes. The pro-Jafari delegation
responded that the vote is a vote on the cabinet, not on
Jafari, arguing that the PM is not in the voting since he is
chosen by the President. According to Mousa, the pro-Jafari
delegation was interpreting Article 76(4) of the Iraqi
constitution as a vote on individual ministers and not on the
entire cabinet. Jafari supporters are hoping to keep Jafari
and form a cabinet. (Note: Article 76(4) states that the
PM-designate gains the confidence of the CoR upon the
approval, by an absolute majority "of the individual
Ministers and ministerial program." The pro-Jafari
delegation's interpretation, even if it did mean that no vote
on Jafari's name was necessary, does not necessarily avoid
the fundamental problem that Jafari must win CoR acceptance
of a Jafari-led government. For example, under this approach
the rejection of a single minister would prevent a government
from being formed.)


5. (C) Mousa speculated that the pro-Jafari delegation will
not tell the Shia Coalition that they failed to convince the
other lists that Jafari is acceptable; they will lie and tell
the Shia Coalition that the other lists are divided, so there
is no need to change Jafari. Mousa underscored his belief in
the importance of the Iraqiyya list sending an unambiguous
signal of opposition to Jafarri's continuation in office. He
noted that the pro-Jafari delegation tried to inaccurately
spin comments Allawi had made to the press into expressions
of readiness to support the PM's continuation in office.


6. (C) COMMENT: Mousa's account of this meeting admittedly
may get some of its color from his strong conviction that
Jafari is the wrong man for the PM job. In a subsequent
conversation with PolFSN, shortly after the meeting with
Mousa, Wail Abd al-Lateef said that the Iraqiyya was not
against Jafari. We are seeking to triangulate details of the
Iraqiyya-Jafari supporters exchange with other reported
participants.
KHALILZAD