IRAQI LEADERS FROM FIVE PARTIES ENDORSE MODERTAE

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 004609 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/2016 TAGS: PGOV IZ SUBJECT: IRAQI LEADERS FROM FIVE PARTIES ENDORSE MODERTAE FRONT REF: BAGHDAD 4553 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) As relayed to the Ambassador by KRG President Masoud Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on the evening of December 16, leaders of SCIRI, Dawa, KDP, PUK, and IIP met December 16 and endorsed the creation of a moderate front. The leaders gave a committee 24 hours to draft the front's institutional structure and program. The members of this committee are Adel Abdel Mehdi (SCIRI),Ali al-Adeeb (Dawa), Ali Baban (IIP),and Rowsh Shaways (KDP). (Note: SCIRI Chief of Staff Haitham al-Husseini told PolOff December 18 that the group was meeting on December 18. End note.) ¶2. (U) The leaders who participated in the December 16 meeting held a short press conference after the meeting to announce formation of the front. Al-Furat showed excerpts of their remarks. (Note: The meeting was held at SCIRI headquarters; al-Furat is SCIRI-controlled. End note.) According to the Open Source translation of al-Furat's coverage, Maliki said that the new bloc would be "an open door for those who seriously want to enter the political process" and that it would be "open to those who wish to be true partners as we are living a state of challenge and the partner working with us in the political process must be a true partner bearing his responsibilities." SPECKHARD