(U) RESIGNATION OF CHIEF JUDGE RIZGAR AMIN:

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000264 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2016 TAGS: PGOV KJUS KDEM IZ SUBJECT: (U) RESIGNATION OF CHIEF JUDGE RIZGAR AMIN: SADR-JAFARI CONNECTION? Classified By: Political Counselor Robert S. Ford for Reasons 1.4 (B) a nd (D) ¶1. (C) During a lunch at his residence on January 27, President Jalal Talabani told Ambassador that Chief Judge Rizgar Muhammad Amin may have resigned due to pressure from Moqtada al-Sadr. Talabani related that Sadr had sent a letter to Amin stating that a Sadr-connected Sharia court was opening an investigation in Rizgar's performance during the Saddam trial. Talabani indicated that it was this threat to prosecute Amin after the trial that ultimately forced Amin to withdraw. (COMMENT: According to the Embassy's Regime Crimes Liaison's Office, on January 5 Amin received a letter from the Council of Ministers which criticized the manner in which he was handling the trial. A legal committee of Sadr's organization had submitted the letter to the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers endorsed the letter and forwarded it to the Iraqi High Tribunal. In response, Amin wrote a letter of resignation which he later submitted to the President of the Tribunal (Judge Jamal Mostafa) on January 9. END COMMENT.) ¶2. (C) Interestingly, Talabani also asserted that it was Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari or a Jafari aide who delivered the letter to Amin. Talabani speculated that Jafari might have done so because of his indebtedness to Sadr's support for his candidacy for Prime Minister. -------------- (C) Comment -------------- ¶3. (C) Sadrist political figures have organized several demonstrations protesting the trial and demanding Saddam's prompt execution. Embassy has a copy of the letter, and will follow up with the Prime Minister's office. If Jafari did indeed deliver this note to Judge Rizgar Amin, it raises a concern as to the length to which a Jafari government would have to go to appease Sadr - and his militia - in return for his political support. In addition, the Prime Minister's alleged interference with the judiciary is also troubling. KHALILZAD