SNAPSHOT OF MAYSAN - THE INDEPENDENT PROVINCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BASRAH 000047

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/6/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IZ ECON
SUBJECT: SNAPSHOT OF MAYSAN - THE INDEPENDENT PROVINCE

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




1. (SBU) Summary: Maysan province, which shares the longest
border with Iran, is regarded as the independent province, and
the population has a reputation as a self-reliant people who
look to their tribal leaders for leadership and guidance.
Politically and socially the province is conservative Shia. The
local government has been quick to work towards improving life
for its citizens. The province is relatively stable in terms of
security with almost all of the violence directed at MND-SE
forces. There is infighting between the two dominant Islamic
parties, OMS, which controls the local government, and Badr
Organization, which controls the security forces. The two
parties vie for power and influence in what could best be
described as a cold war. The province is known as a smuggler's
paradise, and although unemployment is high, citizens rely on
government employment and farming for income. End summary.

STATISTICAL OVERVIEW


2. (U) Maysan province is located in southeastern Iraq, shares
a 275 km border with Iran and has a population of 785,000. The
capital is Al Amarah (estimated population 420,000),which lies
on the banks of the Tigris River. The remainder of the
population resides mainly in the towns of Qumayt and Kabir.
Shias are approximately 95 percent of the population, with
Sunnis composing the remaining 5 percent. The province has
417,273 registered voters and had a 70-80 percent turnout in the
January 2005 provincial elections. The illiteracy rate is 35
percent, the third highest rate in Iraq.


3. (U) The annual median household income is 2,759,451 Iraqi
diners (approximately US $1840) and the median household size is
7 people. The unemployment rate is 23 percent, with the
majority of the employed working in the service sector. The
average median hourly wage is 1000 Iraqi dinars, and most
households report two sources of income. (Note: All statistics
except for voter turnout are from the UNDP and Ministry of
Planning Iraq Living Conditions Survey 2004. End note)

POLITICS


4. (U) Local politics in Maysan is dominated by the Al Husayni
Thought Forum, essentially a front for the Office of the Martyr
Sadr (OMS). The party holds 15 of the 41 seats in the Maysan
Provincial Council (MPC),and the remaining 26 seats are divided
among 10 other Shia political parties. The United Islamic Front
has the second largest representation on the MPC with only six
seats. OMS has control of the political situation in the
province and is supported in its endeavors by the Jaysh Al Mahdi
(JAM) militia. The other Islamic parties with strong influence
are the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI),
whose members ran on the United Islamic Front list, and Badr
Organization. Both the Governor, Adil Mahoder Radhi Al Maliki,
and the Chairman of the Provincial Council, Abdul Jabbar Waheed,
belong to the Al Husayni Thought Forum. The Deputy Governor,
Mohan Abdul Allah Al Jabri, who does not wield any power or
influence, represents Iraqi Hizbollah, and the Chief of Police,
Ismail Arrar Al Majidi (known as Abu Maythem),is from Badr
Organization.


5. (U) Of the four southern provinces, Maysan is seen by
Coalition Forces as being the best in terms of governance. The
Provincial Reconstruction and Development Committee is
completely Iraqi led with only background support from the
Coalition partners. However, the local population does not
believe that the MPC is doing enough to improve and provide
basic services, and the Governor frequently blames the Coalition
for the province's woes. He often claims that the MPC is unable
to solve infrastructure problems because the Coalition has not
delivered on promised funds. Maysan has long felt ignored and
badly treated by the central government, especially during the
previous regime. Most recently, the MPC has had to cope with
flooding, a possible Avian Influenza outbreak and the popular
outcry following the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra.
The bombing of the mosque coupled with the recent release of a
video of British soldiers beating young men on the streets of Al
Amarah resulted in significant tension in the local government's
relationship with MND-SE. Recent arrests by Coalition Forces
have resulted in a spike of attacks against MND-SE targets.


6. (U) Tribes wield considerable power in Maysan, and the
traditional Marsh Arab culture is very influential. During the
Iran-Iraq war and the subsequent draining of the marshes by
Saddam, the citizens of Maysan turned to their tribal leaders
for guidance and protection. This position of authority by the
tribes continues today. Abdul Kareem Mahod (known as Abu

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Hatim),leader of Iraqi Hizbollah and brother of the former
governor, has formed a tribal council to serve as an advisory
body for all matters in Maysan. The council held its inaugural
conference on March 30 and had 1,000 attendees made up of tribal
leaders, clerics, civil society and politicians. Comment: It
is unclear what the cooperation mechanisms will be between the
MPC and the Tribal Council. Many citizens hope that a power
struggle between the two will not ensue and that the council
will work strictly as an advisory council to the MPC. End
comment.

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT


7. (SBU) With OMS in control of local government and Badr in
charge of the security forces, skirmishes between JAM and Badr
Corps are frequent as they vie for power and influence. Despite
the violence that occasionally erupts between JAM and Badr
forces, locals consider the province to be relatively safe
because civilians are not the target of insurgent activity. The
current weapons of choice against Coalition forces are
Improvised Explosive Devices believed to come from Iran. Many
of the province's criminal elements reside along the border with
Iran and in the areas near the marshlands. They engage in
smuggling and, when necessary, violence to protect their
livelihood.


8. (C) Chief of Police Abu Maythem controls a police force of
over 4,200 men, more than double the Ministry of Interior's
standards for the province. The police force is hindered by
lack of equipment and vehicles. Overstaffing has caused severe
payroll issues, which the Chief of Police addresses by paying
salaries out of his own pocket with contributions from some
local tribal sheikhs. Comment: There is strong speculation
that Iran also contributes to the payroll of the Maysan Police
Force. End comment.

ECONOMY


9. (U) The primary industries in Maysan are agriculture,
fishing and animal husbandry. Agriculture in Maysan centers on
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates and fodder crops for
livestock. There are four major factories in the province:
vegetable oil, sugar cane, plastic and paper. Three of the
factories are no longer active due to deterioration of equipment
and lack of resources. The vegetable oil industry continues to
produce limited by-products including soap, washing powder and
cooking oil. Most of the factories were state-owned and
cintinue to pay wages to their employees even though the
factories are idle. With unemployment at 23 percent, much of
the population receives income from government employment or
farming. Maysan is a smuggler's paradise, and many people
engage in it.

COMMENT


10. (C) Comment: The potential for Maysan to grow economically
and become one of the more politically savvy provinces in Iraq
is quite high. Often described as the wild west, Maysan is used
to handling its own affairs without interference from or
dependence on the outside. The population believes that the
previous regime was an occupation that has now simply been
replaced by MND-SE. The citizens of Maysan were responsible for
the ouster of Sadaam's forces prior to the invasion in 2003 and
feel entitled to reclaiming their province. Its close proximity
to Iran makes Maysan important to watch in terms of infiltration
by Iran and the spread of Iranian influence. End comment.

BIO NOTES ON KEY/INFLUENTIAL INDIVIDUALS


11. (C) Governor Adil Mahoder Radhi Al Maliki - The Governor
was elected to office in January 2005 on the Al Husayni Thought
Forum list. Before entering politics he was an engineer. It is
rumored that prior to election to office Radhi was an active
participant in JAM and, as Governor, continues to support JAM
activities. Upon taking office he appointed various members of
OMS to key positions in the local government and is regarded as
a key OMS figure in the province. Relations between him and his
deputy as well as the Chief of Police are tense. Recently, he
has made frequent trips to Najaf in order to seek the support
and guidance of Muqtada Al Sadr.


12. (SBU) Deputy Governor Mohan Abdul Allah Al Jabri - He won
his position in the January 2005 elections on the United Islamic
Front list. He wields no power or influence and is relegated to
the background. The Deputy Governor has cancer (what type is
unknown) and frequently travels to Iran for treatment.


13. (C) Chairman of the Provincial Council Abdul Jabbar Waheid
Al Ogaili - He was elected from the Al Husayni Thought Forum
list in January 2005. He is a member of OMS and uses his
membership to wield power and influence. Abdul Jabbar worked in

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the previous regime with youth in Maysan. His relationship with
the Governor is currently strained and it is believed that he is
angling for power and would like to replace the Governor.


14. (SBU) Chief of Police Ismail Arrar Al Majidi (known as Abu
Maythem) - He was exiled to Iran during the previous regime and
developed strong ties with Badr Organisation while there. Abu
Maythem returned to Maysan immediately prior to the invasion
with a fighting unit he had established while in Iran. He and
his forces reportedly were responsible for retaking Maysan
province from Saddam five days before Coalition Forces arrived,
bringing him high regard with the people of Maysan. Due to Abu
Maythem's popularity, strong personality and tribal support,
recent efforts by the MPC and Governor to replace him have been
unsuccessful.


15. (SBU) Abdul Kareem Mahod (known as Abu Hatim) - He is the
brother of the former Governor, Riyad Mahod, and is the head of
Iraqi Hizbollah. Abu Hatim has recently formed a tribal council
consisting of Maysan tribal leaders, played a key role in the
Marsh Arab revolt in 1991 and was an unsuccessful candidate in
2005 on the 169 List for the National Assembly.


16. (SBU) Hussein Jaloob Al Saady (known as Abu Muslim) - He
returned to Maysan from Iran as the head of the Islamic Da'wa
Movement following the fall of Saddam. He studied in Qom for
many years and has good contacts in Najaf. Abu Muslim was a
member of the Interim Iraqi National Council from September 2004
to March 2005 . He did not win a seat in the January 2005
elections and instead turned his attention to his NGO, Al Huda
Foundation for Strategic Studies, in Maysan. The foundation
educates people on democracy via workshops, providing Internet
access and books and by research papers on various topics.


17. (C) Sayeed Mohanned - A recent rumored shift in the OMS
leadership in Maysan has Sayeed Mohanned, a moderate, taking the
political reins of the party. Muqtada Al Sadr reportedly made
the decision to change the leadership with the concurrence of
the Governor.


18. (C) Sa'ad Amar Al Battat - He reportedly recently lost the
leadership of JAM in the province. All that is known of his
replacement is that he goes by the name "Al'lah". Al Battat is
part of a hard line element within JAM that wields influence and
leadership in certain circles and will continue to do so even if
he has been replaced. Al Battat was held by U.S. forces in 2004
following the Al Sadr uprising in Najaf. Many moderates in
OMS/JAM have often lamented his release from custody by U.S.
forces.
GROSS