IIP LEADERSHIP IN BASRAH SAYS SECURITY HAS IMPROVED FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000168

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: IIP LEADERSHIP IN BASRAH SAYS SECURITY HAS IMPROVED FOR
SUNNIS

REF: BASRAH 105

CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)


1. (C) On October 26, the RC and poloff met with Haji Khalaf
Mohammad Abid al-Mawla, parliamentarian and former head of the
IIP in Basrah, and Sheik Abdul Karim Jurad al-Dosari, acting IIP
head. Haji Khalaf was upbeat during the meeting and told the RC
that the security situation for Sunnis in Basrah has improved
substantially since his last meeting with the RC in June
(reftel). During that meeting, Haji Khalaf catalogued cases of
intimidation and assassinations aimed at Sunnis and told the RC
that Sunni clerics were contemplating issuing a fatwa ordering
all Sunnis to leave Basrah. According to Haji Khalaf, 2,500
families fled Basrah because of the violence, but 60 percent of
them have returned and "the rest are contemplating returning."
He noted that the Basrah office of the IIP recently re-opened.
(Note: It was attacked and torched in the immediate aftermath
of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in February. End Note.)
Haji Khalaf credited Major General Abdul Huddah, a member of
Prime Minister Maliki's security committee in Basrah, for
putting pressure on the Iraqi security forces to help effect
changes that led to more security for the Sunni community.


2. (C) Haji Khalaf and Sheik Abdul Kariem both complained that
some detainees held by Coalition Forces should be released or
turned over to the Iraqi justice system and those prisoners
being held without evidence should be released. Haji Khalaf
told the RC that Coalition detainment facilities were
functioning as schools for terrorists and served to subvert
young men. Sheik Abdul Karim told the RC that a committee made
up of both Sunnis and Shias should be constituted that would
look at the issue of detainees and work with Coalition Forces to
resolve the simple or easy cases.


3. (C) Comment: Haji Khalaf was much more positive in this
assessment of the security situation for Sunnis in Basrah.
Although most Sunni contacts report that Sunnis are returning to
Basrah, Haji Khalaf was the first to associate their homecoming
with improved security. Other REO contacts reported previously
that Sunni families came back to Basrah as a last resort - they
could not find employment or faced violence in their new homes.
Haji Khalaf stated quite simply that for the Sunnis in Basrah,
security is THE issue. Essential services, employment, etc.,
are all secondary to their desire to be able to live in peace in
their homes in Basrah. He did say that many of the returnees
could not reclaim their former employment or return to school.
If more Sunnis return and face the dilemma of unemployment, the
initial sense of relief that they are able to come home may
change into a more hardened demand for more assistance from the
community. Besides his humanitarian concerns, as a politician
Haji Khalaf is quite naturally pleased to see the return of
Sunnis since they are his voting constituency. End Comment.

GROSS