FEUD FLARES AS MINISTER MALIKI CLOSES BASRAH INTERNATIONAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000016 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/7/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER PREL IZ SUBJECT: FEUD FLARES AS MINISTER MALIKI CLOSES BASRAH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REF: ( A) BASRAH 0010 (B) BASRAH 0012 (C) BASRAH 0013 (D) BASRAH 0014 (E) BASRAH 0015 CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, DRC, REO BASRAH, Dept. of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) 1) (C/NF) Summary: Upon his departure from Basrah International Airport (BIA) on February 4th, Minister of Transport (MoT) Al Maliki ordered the Director of BIA, Abdul Razzaq, to shut the airport down until further notice. The closure seems to have been motivated by his perceived maltreatment by the British military at the airport's security checkpoint. Although the closure of the airport during a boycott of the British military by the Basrah Provincial Council (see refs) is bad optics, preliminary indications are that the closure is not linked to the boycott. End Summary. 2) (C/NF) On Saturday, February 4 MoT Salam Al Maliki was scheduled to fly to Baghdad from BIA. According to the BIA director Abdul Razzaq, the British airport guards were informed that the Minister would be flying three hours in advance of the plane's scheduled departure at 1500 hrs. Mr. Razzaq posted the airport's assistant director at the airport entrance to facilitate the Minister's entry. His convoy was stopped at the security checkpoint where, according to Mr. Razzaq, the British military insisted that only Mr. Razzaq could identity the Minister, causing a delay of approximately twenty minutes. Eventually, Mr. Maliki and his party were permitted to enter and proceed to the aircraft for boarding. Just prior to boarding, Mr. Al Maliki instructed Mr. Razzaq to close the airport until further notice. This is the fourth time that Mr. Maliki has claimed to be mistreated by British guards at BIA. 3) (C/NF) BIA has had this type of difficulty in the past. On November 24, 2005 Minister of Woman's Affairs, Dr. Azhar Al Shaikhli missed a speaking engagement at a NGO conference because her VIP greeting party (Deputy Governor Al Battat and Deputy Council Chairwoman Al Saad) were refused entry after refusing to allow a personal body search by the checkpoint guards. Eventually Mr. Razzaq drove the Minister to the checkpoint. The delay of two hours was enough to prevent Mrs. Al Shaikhli from speaking at the conference. On the same day, Minister of Immigration Mrs. Sajedah also complained about maltreatment at the checkpoint. 4) (C/NF) On November 17, 2005 the Governor and Provincial Council Chairman refused a personal search at the same gate and instead elected to drive to Baghdad. During a meeting held at the BIA on January 12, 2006, Group Captain and Base Commander Malcolm Brecht mentioned in his briefing that access to the civilian terminal for Iraqis was a problem. He stated that there was a plan in place to alleviate the problem by having a separate check point; however he did not indicate a timeline. 5) (C/NF) Comment: The treatment of Iraqi VIP's at the checkpoint at BIA has historically been a source of friction between Iraqi notables and the British military. Mr. Al Maliki's decision to close the airport may very well be an attempt to remedy a perceived insult to his pride and position as well as an attempt to focus attention on the issue. However, such action at a time when the Basrah Provincial Council is embroiled in a boycott of the British forces is at the very least bad optics and at most indirect pressure on the British to release the detainees. With Mr. Al Maliki being from the Sadr Party and some of the individuals arrested by the British military also being from the Sadr Party, one might be tempted to see this airport closure as more than a matter of hurt pride. End comment. MARRANO