Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BAGHDAD822
2006-03-14 19:32:00
SECRET
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
SHIA HARDLINER HINTS THE SHIA COALITION MAY YET
how-toVZCZCXRO8599 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHGB #0822 0731932 ZNY SSSSS ZZH P 141932Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3289 INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000822
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2026
TAGS: PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: SHIA HARDLINER HINTS THE SHIA COALITION MAY YET
DUMP JAFARI
Classified By: PolCouns Robert Ford, reason 1.4 (d)
S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000822
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2026
TAGS: PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: SHIA HARDLINER HINTS THE SHIA COALITION MAY YET
DUMP JAFARI
Classified By: PolCouns Robert Ford, reason 1.4 (d)
1.(C) On March 14, Shia Islamist hardliner Sayyid Jalal ad
Din al-Sagheer, a top figure in the Shia Coalition's SCIRI
party, told PolCouns that there are three things the
Shia Coalition needs to do for government formation: bring
the Kurds back to the Shia side of the negotiating table;
allow Tawaffuq to participate - even though the Shia do not
trust the Sunni Arab bloc; and give PM Ibrahim Jafari a few
days, and no more, to fix his problems. He recognized that
the situation in Iraq is urgent and needs a unity
government. Al-Sagheer hinted that the Shia Coalition could
select another PM nominee if Jafari cannot find broader
support from the Kurds and Tawaffuq. Smiling quietly,
al-Sagheer observed that the Najaf clerics do not support
Jafari and would not object to moves to remove him.
2. (S) Al-Sagheer added that before the Shia Coalition PM
nomination vote Jafari was weak and had no cards to play.
He blamed the Sadr movement's unflinching support for
Jafari, the Kurdish public rejection of Jafari and American
criticism of the Interior Ministry that had rallied Shia
support behind Jafari. Al-Sagheer reported that Jafari is
attempting to pull Saleh Mutlak and Adnan Dulaimi away from
Tawaffuq. Al-Sagheer said he was not sure if Jafari would
prevail in the end. However, he was adamant that the
violence (that he thought targets mainly Shia) must stop
with the intervention of a strong government hand. He
warned PolCouns that the U.S. should be careful so that
Iran's nuclear problem with the West is not played out in
Iraq. (Comment: Al-Sagheer, who has connections with Iran,
seemed to be speaking more from broad anxiety than from any
certain knowledge about a particular Iranian intent. End
Comment.)
KHALILZAD
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2026
TAGS: PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: SHIA HARDLINER HINTS THE SHIA COALITION MAY YET
DUMP JAFARI
Classified By: PolCouns Robert Ford, reason 1.4 (d)
1.(C) On March 14, Shia Islamist hardliner Sayyid Jalal ad
Din al-Sagheer, a top figure in the Shia Coalition's SCIRI
party, told PolCouns that there are three things the
Shia Coalition needs to do for government formation: bring
the Kurds back to the Shia side of the negotiating table;
allow Tawaffuq to participate - even though the Shia do not
trust the Sunni Arab bloc; and give PM Ibrahim Jafari a few
days, and no more, to fix his problems. He recognized that
the situation in Iraq is urgent and needs a unity
government. Al-Sagheer hinted that the Shia Coalition could
select another PM nominee if Jafari cannot find broader
support from the Kurds and Tawaffuq. Smiling quietly,
al-Sagheer observed that the Najaf clerics do not support
Jafari and would not object to moves to remove him.
2. (S) Al-Sagheer added that before the Shia Coalition PM
nomination vote Jafari was weak and had no cards to play.
He blamed the Sadr movement's unflinching support for
Jafari, the Kurdish public rejection of Jafari and American
criticism of the Interior Ministry that had rallied Shia
support behind Jafari. Al-Sagheer reported that Jafari is
attempting to pull Saleh Mutlak and Adnan Dulaimi away from
Tawaffuq. Al-Sagheer said he was not sure if Jafari would
prevail in the end. However, he was adamant that the
violence (that he thought targets mainly Shia) must stop
with the intervention of a strong government hand. He
warned PolCouns that the U.S. should be careful so that
Iran's nuclear problem with the West is not played out in
Iraq. (Comment: Al-Sagheer, who has connections with Iran,
seemed to be speaking more from broad anxiety than from any
certain knowledge about a particular Iranian intent. End
Comment.)
KHALILZAD