Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUBAI1904
2006-04-04 14:33:00
SECRET
Consulate Dubai
Cable title:  

SITUATION IN IRAN'S KHUZESTAN AND REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT

Tags:  PGOV PREL IR PHUM PINR SOCI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1791
PP RUEHBC RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHDE #1904/01 0941433
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P R 041433Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9579
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 2511
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 DUBAI 001904 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/4/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR PHUM PINR SOCI
SUBJECT: SITUATION IN IRAN'S KHUZESTAN AND REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT

DUBAI 00001904 001.2 OF 003


CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L Davis, Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 DUBAI 001904

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/4/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR PHUM PINR SOCI
SUBJECT: SITUATION IN IRAN'S KHUZESTAN AND REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT

DUBAI 00001904 001.2 OF 003


CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L Davis, Consul General, Dubai, UAE.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1.(U) This is an action request -- see para 15-16.

2.(S) Summary: In the past two weeks ConGenoffs have had two
sets of meetings with people claiming to be persecuted human
rights activists from Iran's Arab Khuzestan region. The first
meeting was with two activists in UAE to seek political asylum.
The second two say they are not seeking asylum but are
requesting USG help publicizing the plight of their families
held in prison in Iran and unspecified logistical support from
the U.S. for their separatist movement. A London-based
Khuzestan activist complained that Iran was settling Persians in
Khuzestan, causing Ahwazi Arabs to emigrate. Meanwhile, another
Khuzestan group, calling itself the Democratic Arabic Nation
Organization, is requesting, via email, contact with the USG.
Please see action request in para 16-18. End summary

British Ahwazi Friendship Society
--------------

3.(C) XXXXXXXXXXXX, treasurer of XXXXXXXXXXXX met PolEconChief while in Dubai February 27
to discuss the current situation in Khuzestan. He said
Khuzestan's Arabs have no lobbying power to rally international
support for their cause, despite the fact that in his view,
their situation is worse than that of the Palestinians, and
despite the fact that the area produces 10 percent of OPEC
output of oil (other sources claim 20%). He claimed that
through land confiscation, Iran is setting up Persian
settlements on their land and many Ahwazi Arabs are choosing to
emigrate. XXXXXXXXXXXX said President Ahmadinejad's program or
provincial outreach had no benefit for Khuzestan Arabs and that
the IRGC had "no sympathy" for Arab Sunnis.

4.(C) Asked about the letter that sparked violence last year --
reputed to have been written in 1999 by an advisor to then
President Khatami about policies to reduce the percentage of
ethnic Arabs in Khuzestan -- XXXXXXXXXXXX said he does not believe

government claims that the letter was fraudulent. This is
because he sees the projects referenced in the letter being
carried out. Asked his view of government claims of foreign
assistance for attacks in Khuzestan, he said the government was
trying to deny the truth that it is a local grass roots
movement. That said, the British retain their influence in the
region, based on their historical support for semi-independence
for the region. XXXXXXXXXXXX claimed to have met with British FS
Straw, which he said fanned the conspiracy rumors. He also said
the group had met with Canadian officials.

5.(C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said the British Ahwazi Friendship Society is
against the use of violence and is secular. The group suspects
the Iranian government is behind the bombings over the past year
in Khuzestan. It cooperates with the U.S.-based Ahwazi Human
Rights Organization. He also mentioned ties to the Democratic
Solidarity Party of Ahwaz (DPSA),which represents Ahwaz at the
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO). He said
the DPSA advocates a separation of mosque and state and a
federalist system, and that it rejects pan-Arabism. The group
is also part of the Congress of Nationalities for a Federal
Iran, an umbrella organization based in London with Kurdish
(Kurdistan Democratic Party and Komala),Azeri (Cultural Center
for Azerbaijan),Balochi (People's Party of Baluchistan and
another group),and Turkmen parties, as well as Ahwazi.
According to XXXXXXXXXXXX, none of these groups advocates separatism.
He mentioned that there are other small separatist groups in
Khuzestan.

6.(C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said his group broadcasts into Iran one hour a week
from California but that following the Persian New Year, it
planned to expand broadcasting using satellite time leased by
Kurdish groups.

7.(C) His argument for U.S. support for Ahwazi Arabs included
the following points:

- Khuzestan is against Islamists and is the only place where
Islamists would not win free elections

- Pan-Arabists have ignored us, so we don't like them

- Unlike most Arabs who do not like the U.S. because of its
support for Israel, Ahwazi Arabs do not question Israel's right
to exist

- If the U.S. helps them, its standing will rise in the region
because the Arab world will see that it has helped Arabs

- Khuzestan is the only place in Iran where demonstrations occur
monthly

- Ahwazi Arabs have good relations with anti-Iranian Iraqi Shia,
as well as with Kurds.

Political Asylum Pleas
--------------

8.(S) Two men, XXXXXXXXXXXXand XXXXXXXXXXXX, came to ConGen
Dubai March 28, having been referred to us by the Ahwazi Human
Rights Organization, looking for political asylum. Details of
their reports of human rights abuses in Khuzestan are reported
septel. Conoff instructed them that we could not take action on
their cases without a UNHCR review. One had already applied to
UNHCR, but the other was reluctant to do, claiming fear of
Iranian security presence in the UAE; however, he has since
started the process. PolEconChief will follow up with UNHCR to
track their cases.

Help for Imprisoned Families and More
--------------

9.(S) Two additional men showed up April 3, claiming to be
Ahwazi political activists XXXXXXXXXXXXand XXXXXXXXXXXXand
saying they were referred by the Ahwazi Human Rights
Organization. They were accompanied by another man, who only
identified himself as "Fareed" and said he lived in the UAE. A
U.S. based Ahwaz human rights group had alerted post to the
presence of these two activists in UAE, but they came without an
appointment. They gave PolEconChief Internet reports from the
British Ahwazi Friendship Society and Amnesty International
regarding persecution of family members of activists in
Khuzestan. We cannot confirm the identities of the two men we
saw, but the one claiming to be XXXXXXXXXXXX said his wife and
four-year-old son are currently in prison. AI reports XXXXXXXXXXXX
has received threats his family will be tortured or killed if he
does not return. The man claiming to be XXXXXXXXXXXX said his wife
was pregnant when she was detained and had apparently has since
lost the child after being mistreated. AI reports that other
women and children of activists are being held in similar
situations. "Fareed" also spoke of a husband and wife, XXXXXXXXXXXXand XXXXXXXXXXXX, whom he said were being held
together in prison, each forced to watch the other being abused.
According to the British Ahwazi Friendship Society, none of the
women has been charged with any crimes.

10.(S) "XXXXXXXXXXXX" said he was a teacher and had run for
parliament, and was being persecuted for speaking out about Arab
rights and democracy. "XXXXXXXXXXXX" only said he was a businessman
and activist and gave no details of his activities. Both men
denied any connection to recent bombings in Khuzestan.

11.(S) "Fareed" then asked for a follow-on meeting with an
Arabic speaker, saying he and the other two men were not
comfortable speaking Farsi. He also proposed they meet with
"CIA" claiming they had information to give and also wanted
support for their activities, which he said were in support of a
separate state. He said they had heard the Iranian government
make accusations that British and Americans were supporting
them, and added that he "only wished it were so."

A Request for Contact
--------------

12.(S) A third group calling itself the Democratic Arabic Nation
Organization (www.al-ahwaz.org) has been requesting, via email,
a meeting with Embassy Abu Dhabi. (They say they do not want to
come to Dubai because they fear the Iranian security presence
here.) They too claim to have information to offer.

13.(S) According to a letter in Arabic sent by email, they claim
to be a political party that calls for protection of human
rights according to international standards, democracy, "and
achieving all of our political, economic, and social goals using
every available source." They claim responsibility for the
April 15, 2005 "revolution" in Khuzestan that was "hailed" by
the State Department, as well as responsible for the Ahwazi
rebellion in 2002.

They say they seek support from the U.S. because:

- the U.S. has important interests in the area

- the U.S. has always driven democracy in the Middle East

- the best way to weaken the Iranian system is from within

14.(S) The group is offering documentation of human rights
abuses to help the U.S. gain international support for its
campaign against Iran. They write, "It is also certain that we
shall require much support from your side for our case." They
do not specify whether or not they are a separatist group,
stating only that they want democracy "within our state." The
letter says the group is requesting a meeting with a high level
official with "decision-making ability," and warns that
communication should be handled as classified, as "we continue
to live in Ahwaz." The letter is signed XXXXXXXXXXXX.

Action Requests
--------------

15.(SBU) Post recommends the Department issue, in the
appropriate venue, a statement on the overall situation in
Khuzestan, criticizing in particular the reported mass
displacement of Arabs, as well as the arrests of families,
including young children, of political activists. (See Amnesty
International Index: MDE 13/028/2006 for details)

16.(S) Additionally, Post requests general guidance on meetings
with Ahwazi groups. The British Ahwazi Friendship Society in
particular appears to be a well-established, legitimate group.
Once the Iran watcher is in place in London, s/he could perhaps
continue the contact. XXXXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX, and Fareed called itself
separatists but did not give any particular name to their group.
Should advocacy of separatism be a red-line for continuing
contact with such groups/individuals? Should our response to
requests for support be to suggest they partner with an
international NGO? The possibility exists, of course, that the
two "activists" may in fact be Iranian intelligence agents
looking to identify their American counterparts and determine
how the U.S. would react to such approaches. An Internet search
revealed no photos of the two supposedly prominent political
activists, only of their wives and children. Post also requests
guidance for any follow-on action related to the Democratic
Arabic Nation Organization, which could also be a front for
Iranian intelligence. We have so far not responded to their
letter. Checks done locally at post have revealed no
information about the group.
DAVIS