Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BASRAH60
2006-04-25 04:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
REO Basrah
Cable title:
BASRAH GOVERNOR: "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE"
how-toVZCZCXRO3331 OO RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS DE RUEHBC #0060 1150422 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 250422Z APR 06 FM REO BASRAH TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0316 RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE INFO RUEHBC/REO BASRAH 0334
C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000060
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: BASRAH GOVERNOR: "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE"
REF: (A) BASRAH 53; (B) BASRAH 58; (C) BASRAH 59
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000060
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: BASRAH GOVERNOR: "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE"
REF: (A) BASRAH 53; (B) BASRAH 58; (C) BASRAH 59
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) Basrah Governor Muhammad al-Wa'eli met with the Regional
Coordinator (RC) for the Regional Embassy Office Basrah on April
23 and discussed the move afoot to vote him out of office and
replace him with another Basrah Provincial Council (BPC) member.
(See Refs A - C.) Stressing his and the Fadillah party's
strict adherence to the democratic process, he said the BPC
members opposed to him had only 20 votes, far short of that
needed to oust him from the governorship. The Governor said
"for sure, they will not be able to get two-thirds of the
council to remove me, and that is the only lawful way to do so."
2. (C) Governor Muhammad, alluding to a possible extra-legal
attempt to remove him from office, said he would not let anyone
oppose democracy. "I came in to office through democratic
means, and when I leave office it will be through the democratic
process," he said. The Governor stated he would stay in office
since much more needs to be done for Basrah. He said that he
had been nominated to serve in one of the ministries in Baghdad,
but was turning it down to remain and focus more attention on
Basrah.
3. (C) Comment: The Governor's professed support for the
democratic process is less than convincing. Many people in
Basrah blame the Governor for the continued high level of
violence in Basrah and allege that he is directly involved or,
at a minimum, ineffective in dealing with it. There is a strong
division in the BPC between his supporters and the rest of the
members, and the resulting paralysis of the BPC has caused it to
cease functioning as an effective governing body. Though the
Governor talks tough about retaining his office, public
dissatisfaction, combined with the political aspirations of his
opponents, could mean an early end to his tenure.
GROSS
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: BASRAH GOVERNOR: "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE"
REF: (A) BASRAH 53; (B) BASRAH 58; (C) BASRAH 59
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) Basrah Governor Muhammad al-Wa'eli met with the Regional
Coordinator (RC) for the Regional Embassy Office Basrah on April
23 and discussed the move afoot to vote him out of office and
replace him with another Basrah Provincial Council (BPC) member.
(See Refs A - C.) Stressing his and the Fadillah party's
strict adherence to the democratic process, he said the BPC
members opposed to him had only 20 votes, far short of that
needed to oust him from the governorship. The Governor said
"for sure, they will not be able to get two-thirds of the
council to remove me, and that is the only lawful way to do so."
2. (C) Governor Muhammad, alluding to a possible extra-legal
attempt to remove him from office, said he would not let anyone
oppose democracy. "I came in to office through democratic
means, and when I leave office it will be through the democratic
process," he said. The Governor stated he would stay in office
since much more needs to be done for Basrah. He said that he
had been nominated to serve in one of the ministries in Baghdad,
but was turning it down to remain and focus more attention on
Basrah.
3. (C) Comment: The Governor's professed support for the
democratic process is less than convincing. Many people in
Basrah blame the Governor for the continued high level of
violence in Basrah and allege that he is directly involved or,
at a minimum, ineffective in dealing with it. There is a strong
division in the BPC between his supporters and the rest of the
members, and the resulting paralysis of the BPC has caused it to
cease functioning as an effective governing body. Though the
Governor talks tough about retaining his office, public
dissatisfaction, combined with the political aspirations of his
opponents, could mean an early end to his tenure.
GROSS