Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BASRAH140
2006-08-28 09:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
REO Basrah
how-toVZCZCXRO2533 PP RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHBC #0140 2400932 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 280932Z AUG 06 FM REO BASRAH TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0442 INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE RUEHBC/REO BASRAH 0461
C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000140
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF IZ
SUBJECT: SUNNIS RETURNING TO BASRAH?
REF: (A) BASRAH 113 (B) BASRAH 105 (C) BASRAH 101 (D) BASRAH 89 (E) BASRAH 78
(F) BASRAH 54
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000140
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF IZ
SUBJECT: SUNNIS RETURNING TO BASRAH?
REF: (A) BASRAH 113 (B) BASRAH 105 (C) BASRAH 101 (D) BASRAH 89 (E) BASRAH 78
(F) BASRAH 54
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)
1. (C) Summary: The Regional Coordinator (RC) and poloff held
separate meetings with three prominent Sunni leaders - Sheik
Khalid al-Mullah, Sheik Yusif al-Hamdani and Sheik Adnan
al-Ghanim - to determine if there has been any improvement in
the security environment for Sunnis in Basrah All three sheiks
agreed that the situation for Sunnis continues to be miserable
and assassinations and threats still occur regularly. The
sheiks cited the lack of security and the absence of assistance
from the local government and the security forces as the main
reason for the continuing exodus of Sunnis. A few Sunni
families have returned to Basrah, but only because living
conditions elsewhere are just as bad or dangerous. End summary.
NO IMPROVEMENT IN SECURITY
2. (C) The RC in the last week held separate meetings with
three prominent Sunni sheiks to discuss the plight of Sunnis in
Basrah. (Reftels describe the deteriorating security conditions
for Sunnis in Basrah during the last six months.) According to
Sheik Khalid al-Mullah, a moderate Sunni imam and close Regional
Embassy Office (REO) contact, the situation in Basrah has not
improved. He lamented that Basrah lacks all basic services and
its few remaining Sunnis are still targets of militias and death
squads. Sheik Yusif al-Hamadi expressed the same sentiments and
said that continued threats have caused Sunnis in Basrah to hide
their identities and to refrain from going to mosques to pray.
All three sheiks offered examples of killings of members of
their tribes or close associates in recent days as proofs of
continued assassinations.
NO ONE IS HELPING
3. (C) The sheiks echoed one another's belief that the Iraqi
Police Service (IPS) in Basrah is responsible for the majority
of assassinations. When asked if the Iraqi Army (IA) provides
protection, they gave slightly different opinions. Sheik Yusif
gave credit to the IA and Majed al-Sari, the Ministry of Defense
representative in Basrah, for helping protect Sunnis and for
responding to their calls for help. He explained that when the
IA entered a Sunni home to make an arrest, the officers are
respectful of the occupants of the home and conduct their
searches in a reasonable manner. However, Sheik Adnan al-Ghanim
opined that the IA had been infiltrated and were loyal to
various members of the local government and political parties.
4. (C) Sheik Yusif said that Sunni leaders have had many
meetings with Basrah Provincial Council members and the
Governor, but received only empty promises. Sheik Khalid
stressed that the Sunnis do not have anyone to turn to for help.
Sheik Khalid admitted that he believed that if he were a
terrorist, he would be able to make more people listen to him.
SUNNI FAMILIES RETURN - "I'D RATHER DIE IN MY HOME"
5. (C) Some Sunni families have returned to Basrah, but the
estimates on the numbers fluctuate. According to Sheik Adnan,
20-30 families have returned; Sheik Yusif believes that as many
as 150 families have come back. All of the sheiks explained
that the families returned because their new homes (mostly in
Beyji and Mosul) were almost as violent as Basrah and employment
opportunities just as chimerical. The sheiks said that many
returnees said that they preferred to die in their own homes
rather than in a strange land.
COMMENT
6. (C) Comment: The situation for the Sunni community in
Basrah remains bleak. A stable and secure Basrah is still only
a faint hope for most residents, and the Sunni community is
among the most vulnerable groups. All of the sheiks agreed that
until the overall security situation improves and the Shia
militias are eliminated, Sunnis would not be able to resume a
normal life in Basrah. Governor al-Wa'eli told the RC on August
21 that he had assured the Sunni community that he would provide
for their security if they returned and that they now were
streaming back to Basrah. The Sunni leaders scoffed at this
suggestion and noted that the only reason Sunni families have
returned to Basrah is because they believe there is no safe
harbor for them anywhere in Iraq. End comment.
GROSS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/28/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF IZ
SUBJECT: SUNNIS RETURNING TO BASRAH?
REF: (A) BASRAH 113 (B) BASRAH 105 (C) BASRAH 101 (D) BASRAH 89 (E) BASRAH 78
(F) BASRAH 54
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)
1. (C) Summary: The Regional Coordinator (RC) and poloff held
separate meetings with three prominent Sunni leaders - Sheik
Khalid al-Mullah, Sheik Yusif al-Hamdani and Sheik Adnan
al-Ghanim - to determine if there has been any improvement in
the security environment for Sunnis in Basrah All three sheiks
agreed that the situation for Sunnis continues to be miserable
and assassinations and threats still occur regularly. The
sheiks cited the lack of security and the absence of assistance
from the local government and the security forces as the main
reason for the continuing exodus of Sunnis. A few Sunni
families have returned to Basrah, but only because living
conditions elsewhere are just as bad or dangerous. End summary.
NO IMPROVEMENT IN SECURITY
2. (C) The RC in the last week held separate meetings with
three prominent Sunni sheiks to discuss the plight of Sunnis in
Basrah. (Reftels describe the deteriorating security conditions
for Sunnis in Basrah during the last six months.) According to
Sheik Khalid al-Mullah, a moderate Sunni imam and close Regional
Embassy Office (REO) contact, the situation in Basrah has not
improved. He lamented that Basrah lacks all basic services and
its few remaining Sunnis are still targets of militias and death
squads. Sheik Yusif al-Hamadi expressed the same sentiments and
said that continued threats have caused Sunnis in Basrah to hide
their identities and to refrain from going to mosques to pray.
All three sheiks offered examples of killings of members of
their tribes or close associates in recent days as proofs of
continued assassinations.
NO ONE IS HELPING
3. (C) The sheiks echoed one another's belief that the Iraqi
Police Service (IPS) in Basrah is responsible for the majority
of assassinations. When asked if the Iraqi Army (IA) provides
protection, they gave slightly different opinions. Sheik Yusif
gave credit to the IA and Majed al-Sari, the Ministry of Defense
representative in Basrah, for helping protect Sunnis and for
responding to their calls for help. He explained that when the
IA entered a Sunni home to make an arrest, the officers are
respectful of the occupants of the home and conduct their
searches in a reasonable manner. However, Sheik Adnan al-Ghanim
opined that the IA had been infiltrated and were loyal to
various members of the local government and political parties.
4. (C) Sheik Yusif said that Sunni leaders have had many
meetings with Basrah Provincial Council members and the
Governor, but received only empty promises. Sheik Khalid
stressed that the Sunnis do not have anyone to turn to for help.
Sheik Khalid admitted that he believed that if he were a
terrorist, he would be able to make more people listen to him.
SUNNI FAMILIES RETURN - "I'D RATHER DIE IN MY HOME"
5. (C) Some Sunni families have returned to Basrah, but the
estimates on the numbers fluctuate. According to Sheik Adnan,
20-30 families have returned; Sheik Yusif believes that as many
as 150 families have come back. All of the sheiks explained
that the families returned because their new homes (mostly in
Beyji and Mosul) were almost as violent as Basrah and employment
opportunities just as chimerical. The sheiks said that many
returnees said that they preferred to die in their own homes
rather than in a strange land.
COMMENT
6. (C) Comment: The situation for the Sunni community in
Basrah remains bleak. A stable and secure Basrah is still only
a faint hope for most residents, and the Sunni community is
among the most vulnerable groups. All of the sheiks agreed that
until the overall security situation improves and the Shia
militias are eliminated, Sunnis would not be able to resume a
normal life in Basrah. Governor al-Wa'eli told the RC on August
21 that he had assured the Sunni community that he would provide
for their security if they returned and that they now were
streaming back to Basrah. The Sunni leaders scoffed at this
suggestion and noted that the only reason Sunni families have
returned to Basrah is because they believe there is no safe
harbor for them anywhere in Iraq. End comment.
GROSS