Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD1558
2006-05-10 15:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
COUNCIL MEMBERS YELL AND SCREAM, THEN RETURN TO
how-toVZCZCXRO9859 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHGB #1558/01 1301508 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 101508Z MAY 06 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4377 RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001558
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: COUNCIL MEMBERS YELL AND SCREAM, THEN RETURN TO
BUSINESS
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001558
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: COUNCIL MEMBERS YELL AND SCREAM, THEN RETURN TO
BUSINESS
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary. At the May 10 session of the Council of
Representatives, Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani and SADR CoR
member Gufran Abbod Husayn al-Saadi entered into a long
and heated argument about a scuffle between their
bodyguards. This resulted in Mashhadani storming out of
the session. Al-Saadi rushed to the press while
Mashhadani took 30 minutes to cool down. After he
reconvened the session, members voted to extend IECI for
three months and heard the first reading of the
amendments to the CoR by-laws. The little fracas reminds
that the suspicion and anger that many parliament members
feel towards each others lies just below the surface, and
it will take more than a few parliament sessions to get
beyond that. End Summary.
--------------
Rumble in the House
--------------
2. (C) In the May 8 incident, Speaker Mashhadani's
bodyguard threatened and struck Sadr CoR member Gufran
al-Saadi's bodyguard with his pistol butt after the
bodyguard was too slow in turning off his cell phone.
Tawaffuq CoR member Azhar al-Samarai, who was present at
the incident, told PolOff on May 10 that the very loud
cell phone ring tone was a Sadrist song that was
disrupting a live TV interview being conducted nearby by
Speaker Mashhadani. Director General of the CoR Research
Directorate Saifaldin Abdul-Rahman said that the
Speaker's bodyguard was also rude to Sadrist CoR member
Gufran Abbod Husayn al-Saadi when she attempted to
protest. Azhar claimed that in retaliation, Mashhadani's
chief bodyguard was attacked and wounded by a knife-
wielding assailant in Baghdad on May 9.
3. (C) At the May 10 session, Sadrists distributed a
written complaint to all members upon arrival about the
incident. Shortly after the session convened, al-Saadi
spoke out of turn, demanding that she be allowed to have
the floor. Mashhadani said he would give her an
opportunity to speak after the CoR completed its
discussion of the Independent Election Commission of Iraq
(IECI). Mashhadani proposed that a committee be formed
to review the circumstances of the May 8 scuffle, but al-
Saadi vociferously refused. Al-Saadi left her seat and
sat down in the front row next to outgoing PM Ibrahim
Ja'fari (who had arrived late),ignoring guards who
attempted to have her sit in her proper place. According
to Abdul-Rahman, Ja'fari smiled at al-Saadi, reached over
and turned on her microphone. A yelling match ensued
between Mashhadani and al-Saadi. Da'wa member Kamal
Abdullah Khallawi al-Saidi came over to calm al-Saadi.
This did not work. Members of SCIRI, Iraqiyya and
Tawaffuq tried to calm her down. Shia Coalition
Independent Hussein Shahristani and Sunni Mithal al-Alusi
also tried in vain.
4. (C) When al-Saadi yelled, "There is terrorism in
this room!" Mashhadani abruptly adjourned the session and
stormed out of the room. Al-Saadi rushed straight to the
press corps. DPM Rosch Shaways commented to PolOff,
"What a circus!" The rest of the Kurds retreated from the
unair-conditioned chamber to the coolness of Deputy
Speaker Arif Taifour's office. After 30 minutes,
Mashhadani emerged from the shadow of Nasir al-Janabi
standing on stage. PM Ibrahim Jafari went about rounding
up members to reconvene, leading Tawafuq's Nasir al-
Janabi away from the stage and directing him to his seat.
--------------
Getting down to CoR Business
--------------
5. (C) The CoR, in its May 10 session voted to extend
for three months the Independent Electoral Commission of
Iraq (IECI) whose mandate expired on that day. During
the three month period, a CoR committee will be formed to
draft legislation for a new IECI. This was followed by
Da'wa member Hassan al-Senied reading the proposed
amendments to the CoR by-laws. The CoR will next meet on
Sunday, May 14 at 11:00.
--------------
Comment
--------------
6. (C) This incident reminds that while the Sunni Arabs
BAGHDAD 00001558 002 OF 002
and their Shia and Kurdish compatriots are all together
in the parliament, the suspicion and anger that many feel
towards each other lies not far below the surface. It is
also important to note that after the little fracas the
parliament was able to go back to work. Building trust
will take far more than some parliament and cabinet
sessions.
SATTERFIELD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/10/2016
TAGS: PGOV PNAT KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: COUNCIL MEMBERS YELL AND SCREAM, THEN RETURN TO
BUSINESS
Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Summary. At the May 10 session of the Council of
Representatives, Speaker Mahmoud Mashhadani and SADR CoR
member Gufran Abbod Husayn al-Saadi entered into a long
and heated argument about a scuffle between their
bodyguards. This resulted in Mashhadani storming out of
the session. Al-Saadi rushed to the press while
Mashhadani took 30 minutes to cool down. After he
reconvened the session, members voted to extend IECI for
three months and heard the first reading of the
amendments to the CoR by-laws. The little fracas reminds
that the suspicion and anger that many parliament members
feel towards each others lies just below the surface, and
it will take more than a few parliament sessions to get
beyond that. End Summary.
--------------
Rumble in the House
--------------
2. (C) In the May 8 incident, Speaker Mashhadani's
bodyguard threatened and struck Sadr CoR member Gufran
al-Saadi's bodyguard with his pistol butt after the
bodyguard was too slow in turning off his cell phone.
Tawaffuq CoR member Azhar al-Samarai, who was present at
the incident, told PolOff on May 10 that the very loud
cell phone ring tone was a Sadrist song that was
disrupting a live TV interview being conducted nearby by
Speaker Mashhadani. Director General of the CoR Research
Directorate Saifaldin Abdul-Rahman said that the
Speaker's bodyguard was also rude to Sadrist CoR member
Gufran Abbod Husayn al-Saadi when she attempted to
protest. Azhar claimed that in retaliation, Mashhadani's
chief bodyguard was attacked and wounded by a knife-
wielding assailant in Baghdad on May 9.
3. (C) At the May 10 session, Sadrists distributed a
written complaint to all members upon arrival about the
incident. Shortly after the session convened, al-Saadi
spoke out of turn, demanding that she be allowed to have
the floor. Mashhadani said he would give her an
opportunity to speak after the CoR completed its
discussion of the Independent Election Commission of Iraq
(IECI). Mashhadani proposed that a committee be formed
to review the circumstances of the May 8 scuffle, but al-
Saadi vociferously refused. Al-Saadi left her seat and
sat down in the front row next to outgoing PM Ibrahim
Ja'fari (who had arrived late),ignoring guards who
attempted to have her sit in her proper place. According
to Abdul-Rahman, Ja'fari smiled at al-Saadi, reached over
and turned on her microphone. A yelling match ensued
between Mashhadani and al-Saadi. Da'wa member Kamal
Abdullah Khallawi al-Saidi came over to calm al-Saadi.
This did not work. Members of SCIRI, Iraqiyya and
Tawaffuq tried to calm her down. Shia Coalition
Independent Hussein Shahristani and Sunni Mithal al-Alusi
also tried in vain.
4. (C) When al-Saadi yelled, "There is terrorism in
this room!" Mashhadani abruptly adjourned the session and
stormed out of the room. Al-Saadi rushed straight to the
press corps. DPM Rosch Shaways commented to PolOff,
"What a circus!" The rest of the Kurds retreated from the
unair-conditioned chamber to the coolness of Deputy
Speaker Arif Taifour's office. After 30 minutes,
Mashhadani emerged from the shadow of Nasir al-Janabi
standing on stage. PM Ibrahim Jafari went about rounding
up members to reconvene, leading Tawafuq's Nasir al-
Janabi away from the stage and directing him to his seat.
--------------
Getting down to CoR Business
--------------
5. (C) The CoR, in its May 10 session voted to extend
for three months the Independent Electoral Commission of
Iraq (IECI) whose mandate expired on that day. During
the three month period, a CoR committee will be formed to
draft legislation for a new IECI. This was followed by
Da'wa member Hassan al-Senied reading the proposed
amendments to the CoR by-laws. The CoR will next meet on
Sunday, May 14 at 11:00.
--------------
Comment
--------------
6. (C) This incident reminds that while the Sunni Arabs
BAGHDAD 00001558 002 OF 002
and their Shia and Kurdish compatriots are all together
in the parliament, the suspicion and anger that many feel
towards each other lies not far below the surface. It is
also important to note that after the little fracas the
parliament was able to go back to work. Building trust
will take far more than some parliament and cabinet
sessions.
SATTERFIELD