BASRAH GOVERNOR SAYS UK REPRESENTATIVE BOYCOTT NOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000552

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL IZ
SUBJECT: BASRAH GOVERNOR SAYS UK REPRESENTATIVE BOYCOTT NOT
HIS IDEA


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ZALMAY KHALILZAD FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a February 19 meeting with the Ambassador,
Basrah Governor Mohammed Mossibh al-Wahili and Fadhila Party
General Secretary Nadeem al-Jabiri said they do not favor the
Basrah Provincial Council's (PC) boycott of UK
representatives. The Governor said that he was in Italy for
ten days and that the PC decided on the boycott in his
absence. Al-Wahili added that he would like to work closely
with the UK but fears the UK does not want to work for the
best interests of Basrah. The Governor denied responsibility
for police brutality and corruption in Basrah, saying that he
is working to clean things up. It is important that the
Basrah government succeed in these efforts, al-Jabiri said,
because many forces are working to take control of the
provincial government. According to Al-Jabiri, this cannot
be allowed to happen because other parties do not want what
is best for the province. Al-Jabiri added that he thinks a
coalition of Kurds, the Allawi camp, and Tawafuk may come
together to nominate a candidate to be Prime Minister. END
SUMMARY.

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Governor Disavows Boycott, Wants to Work With UK
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2. (C) Basrah Governor Mohammed Mossibh al-Wahili and Fadhila
Party General Secretary Nadeem al-Jabiri told the Ambassador
that the Basrah PC's boycott of UK representatives does not
have their support. Governor al-Wahili said that the PC
decided on the boycott while he was in Italy. The Governor
stressed that he would like to cooperate with the UK, and he
agreed with the Ambassador that refusing to cooperate with
the UK is not in the best interests of the people of Basrah.
However, the Governor asserted that the UK does not take some
issues seriously. For example, the Governor said he has
spoken to the UK several times about the manner in which UK
forces arrest people, including "terrorizing" people with
helicopters in the middle of the night.


3. (C) Nadeem al-Jabiri added that the UK could do a lot to
help the Basrah PC. He predicted that fear of Iran would
lead London to seek a compromise with Tehran, leaving Basrah
open to greater Iranian influence. Governor al-Wahili
agreed, saying that he gave the UK details about Iranian
agents and high-ranking Iraqi security officials smuggling
rockets into Basrah. The UK, he alleged, has done nothing to
stop it. He then alleged that the UK is not telling the U.S.
the whole truth regarding such matters.

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Governor Denies Police Brutality
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4. (C) Governor al-Wahili denied reports that he condones
illegal acts committed by the Division of Internal Affairs
(DIA) of the Basrah Police. The DIA was not created by him,
al-Wahili said, adding that he has tried to disband the unit.
According to al-Wahili, when he took office the DIA had 400
members, which he since has cut down to 40. The Governor
added that he has ordered the Police Chief to dissolve the
group so that its duties could be assumed by parts of the
police department.

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Governor Denies Corruption in Basrah
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5. (C) Governor al-Wahili told the Ambassador that he does
not condone corruption in the Basrah Provincial Government,
claiming that he has asked the Commission on Public Integrity
to set up an office in the province. Dozens of cases will be
referred to it, he predicted, adding that corruption hurts
the people as well as the credibility of the government.

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Fadhila Under Threat
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6. (C) Nadeem al-Jabiri asserted to the Ambassador that it is
in the best interests of Iraq and CF that Fadhila retain
control of Basrah Province. Al-Jabiri added that SCIRI is
working with the Sadrists, Thar Allah, Hezbollah, and other
groups to take control of the PC away from Fadhila. If
another party takes over the Basrah Provincial government,
al-Jabiri warned, there will be many problems. He elaborated
that brutal measures, including assassinations, are being
used in a concerted effort to knock Fadhila out of power.

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Jabiri on Government Formation
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7. (C) Al-Jabiri reported that a coalition of Kurds, the
Allawi camp, and Tawafuk may join forces and nominate a
candidate for PM. SCIRI, he said, has begun reaching out to
this coalition and may join with it. However, he said the
Fadhila Party has not joined it.


8. (C) Nadeem al-Jabiri told the Ambassador that he still
considers himself to be a possible compromise candidate for
PM. He argued that the Fadhila Party has good relations with
many groups. In Basrah Province, Governor al-Wahili added,
Fadhila enjoys good relations with the Allawi camp. Sunni
Arabs, al-Wahili continued, make up 10-15 percent of the
population in Basrah Province, so it is conceivable that
Sunni Arabs would back Nadeem al-Jabiri for PM. The
Ambassador argued, however, that the Sadrists would object to
al-Jabiri becoming PM. Al-Jabiri countered that the Sadrists
would object to any candidate other than Jafari.

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Comment
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9. (C) COMMENT: Governor al-Wahili denied responsibility for
all the problems in Basrah Province that the Ambassador
raised. His explanation for the boycott of UK
representatives -- that he was in Italy and the PC decided on
a boycott without his knowledge -- is rather implausible.
The Governor has, after all, called two boycotts of Coalition
partners, in September and November 2005. Nor does his
explanation correspond to what PM Jafari told the Ambassador
on February 15 (septel). We suspect that this is the
Governor's face-saving way of telling us he intends to end
the boycott soon. END COMMENT.
KHALILZAD