QUIET CONTINUES; ASSOCIATION OF MOSLEM SCHOLARS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000594 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016 TAGS: PINS PTER PHUM IZ SUBJECT: QUIET CONTINUES; ASSOCIATION OF MOSLEM SCHOLARS CALLS FOR "UNITY" IN THE SPIRIT OF FALLUJAH AND NAJAF REF: A. BAGHDAD 584 ¶B. BAGHDAD 574 Classified By: Political Counselor Robert Ford for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY Iraq was relatively calm on February ¶24. There was a curfew in effect most of the day in Baghdad and three surrounding provinces. There were no or reduced prayers at many Baghdad mosques. The Mahdi militia was out in force in some cities. Political and religious leaders, both Sunni and Shia, appealed for calm. Although Friday seems calmer thus far, sectarian tensions remain high. END SUMMARY -------------- Baghdad -------------- ¶2. (C) City streets leading to public buildings were reportedly being patrolled by the Iraqi Army, police and neighborhood citizens, who are controlling traffic into these areas. In Sadr City, Jaysh al- Mahdi (JAM) forces have blocked off streets and effectively shut down traffic, reportedly out of fear of VBIEDs, according to an Embassy FSN who lives in Sadr City. Sadrist mosques in this area held Friday prayers and demonstrations, despite the ban in effect in Baghdad. JAM is also conducting round-the-clock patrols in Sadr City. ¶3. (C) On the morning of February 24, the National Joint Operations Center, combining MOI and MOD data, reported that the Baghdad body count was highest on Wednesday, February 22 and that the level of confirmed killed decreased on February 23. The body count as of mid-afternoon February 24 also pointed to a continued decreasing level of body counts. In a conflicting report, Deputy Mayor Hussein Bahrani told PolOff that the body count in Baghdad resulting from violence after the attack on the Samarra mosque could be as high as 500, citing police and hospital numbers from across the city. MOI's IG office reported that as of the afternoon of February 23, 29 mosques had been attacked (septel) and 57 people killed since the Samarra explosion. ¶4. (C) Tawafuq member Professor Hassan al-Bazzaz asked for USG assistance to control militia and the Iraqi Police, whom he accused of taking advantage of the curfew to raid homes and kill Sunnis in seven Baghdad neighborhoods. In addition, Allawi ally Saad al Janabi told PolOff that MOI Police Commandos had arrested 70 Sunni men late February 23 with CF asssistance. (COMMENT: MNF-I has no information to confirm this report. END COMMENT.) He suggested that Sadr militia and Badr Corps are coordinating efforts to cause 'civil war'. Janabi accused the Iraqi Police of colluding with JAM militia in Salman Pak to arrest Sunni men from their homes. Another Sunni Arab contact on February 24 told us that the Mahdi Army was operating openly in Salman Pak. An Embassy contact in Lutifiya, south of Baghdad, reported that Jaysh al-Mahdi elements were driving through the city and ignoring checkpoints. -------------- Basrah -------------- ¶5. (C) As Friday prayers ended around 13:30, Basrah remained relatively calm, according to REO Basrah. 2000-3000 people gathered at the Al Ubala mosque for a unity prayer, and small but peaceful demonstrations continue around the city. Local REO staff report that Jaysh al-Mahdi is out in the streets in force and is "protecting" Sunni mosques. (NOTE: In a February 23 press conference, the Association of Moslem Scholars AMS called for Moqtada al-Sadr to remember the unity between the Sunnis and his supporters shown during the attacks on Fallujah and Najaf in 2004 and called for JAM to take back all the Sunni mosques and protect them.) ¶6. (C) Sadr's office in Basrah is reportedly saying that the Coalition and the central government are to blame for the attack on the Samarra mosque, and is vowing to protect Shia shrines themselves. Local REO staff is reporting that individual Sunnis BAGHDAD 00000594 002 OF 002 throughout Basrah province have been harassed or threatened on the streets or in their homes. -------------- Political Responses -------------- ¶7. (C) Ayad al-Samarai told PolOff February 24 that he and Tariq al-Hashimi would meet Sadrist (and Transportation Minister) Salam al-Maliki later in the day at TNA Speaker Hachim al Hashimi's home to discuss how to decrease the violence. The three leaders of the Sunni Arab Tawafuq Coalition, Adnan Dulaymi, Khalif al-Alayan and Tariq al-Hashimi, will also meet President Talabani on February 25, according to Tawafuq member Hassan al Bazzaz. ¶8. (C) On February 24, Arab media broadcast a pre- recorded speech by Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim calling for calm and for his followers not to attack Sunnis. Al-Furat TV on February 24 highlighted in its news crawlers throughout the day the condemnations by Sunni figures, including the Iraqi Sunni Endowment head, the Jordanian King and the Kuwait Government. ¶9. (C) Many mosques did not have Friday sermons because of the curfew. SCIRI Chief of Staff Haitham Husseini told PolOff that SCIRI called on associated mosques to obey al-Hakim's demands, telling the people to calm down, avoid confrontation and maintain stability. IIP's Ayad al-Samarai told PolOff February 24 that his party had issued a similar message to Sunni mosques. Sammari said he believed Friday sermons called for calm, and for Iraqis to put down their weapons and stop attacks on all mosques, Sunni and Shia. (By contrast, the Prime Minister's office was furious at coverage on February 24 the Islamic Party's Baghdad TV station that they said was encouraging Sunnis to arm themselves.) In Baquba, the local head of the Sunni Waqf received a phone call from Sunni Waqf leader Ahmed Abdul Ghafur al-Samarai and was asked to give peaceful messages during Friday sermons. In the Istiqlal District of Baghdad, Sunni and Shia leaders agreed to have a joint worship service in district mosques. KHALILZAD