Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BASRAH90
2006-06-02 10:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
REO Basrah
Cable title:  

IRANIAN CONSULATE OFFICIALLY RE-OPENS IN BASRAH

Tags:  PREL IZ IR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5884
OO RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHBC #0090 1531033
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 021033Z JUN 06
FM REO BASRAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0363
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHBC/REO BASRAH 0382
C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000090 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/2/2016
TAGS: PREL IZ IR
SUBJECT: IRANIAN CONSULATE OFFICIALLY RE-OPENS IN BASRAH

REF: A) BASRAH 80 B) BASRAH 28

CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, Deputy Regional Coordinator, REO
Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, Deputy Regional Coordinator, REO
Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, Deputy Regional Coordinator, REO
Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

C O N F I D E N T I A L BASRAH 000090

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/2/2016
TAGS: PREL IZ IR
SUBJECT: IRANIAN CONSULATE OFFICIALLY RE-OPENS IN BASRAH

REF: A) BASRAH 80 B) BASRAH 28

CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, Deputy Regional Coordinator, REO
Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, Deputy Regional Coordinator, REO
Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, Deputy Regional Coordinator, REO
Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b)


1. (U) On Saturday, May 27, Iran re-opened its Consulate in
Basrah which had been closed since the early days of the
Iran-Iraq war. The consulate is located in the Al Zaraji
neighborhood which is less than a kilometer from Basrah Palace
compound. According to media reports, this is one of two
Iranian Consulates in Iraq, the other one being in Karbala.


2. (U) Attendees at the ceremony included the following:
Governor Mohammed Al Wa'eli, Deputy Provincial Council Chairman
Nusayef Jasim Ali, all of the Basrah Provincial Council (BPC)
members, Chief of Police General Hassan Sawadi, Commander of the
Iraqi Army's 10th Division General Abdul Latief Thieban, new
Paliamentarian from Basrah Jaber Khalifa Jaber (Fadhila),Office
of the Martyr Sadr representative Sheikh Ahmad Al Maliki,
Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq
representative Sayed Furat Al Sharaa, Al Shuhadaa representative
Sayed Dagher Al Musawi.


3. (C) Comment: Local contacts regularly raise with REO the
pervasiveness of Iranian influence in Basrah. From the
continued "Islamification" of Basrah to the smuggling of various
weapons and devices smuggled over the border to be used against
MNF-I, there is no doubt that Iran wields significant influence
(Ref B). With the official re-opening of the consulate in
Basrah, citizens from all of the southern provinces will have
the ability to apply for visas to Iran to facilitate easy travel
between the two countries. Iran will also be able to strengthen
its ties with local governments in the south via cultural or
educational exchanges and any assistance they may provide. End
comment.

MARRANO