SADR RENEWS CALL FOR IRAQI UNITY, WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000157

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/16/2016
TAGS: PGOV PINR PINS PREL IZ
SUBJECT: SADR RENEWS CALL FOR IRAQI UNITY, WITHDRAWAL OF FOREIGN
TROOPS


CLASSIFIED BY: MARK G. DAVISON, LEADER, PRT NAJAF, NEA-I/REO AL
HILLAH, DEPT. OF STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b)


1. (C) Summary. December 11, Muqtada Al Sadr issued a statement
outlining his issues with United States presence in Iraq. Sadr
decried what he sees as the systematic destruction of Iraqi
society by the twin demons of the United States and Ba'athists.
He repeated his call for the withdrawal or ouster of all foreign
forces in Iraq. The self-styled cleric lay at the feet of
coalition forces, responsibility for bombings, murder and the
internal displacement of Shia, among other allegations. He
insisted, finally, that a failure to adhere to his demands would
lead to a war between the "invasion" on one side and God and the
prophet on the other. End summary.


2. (C) Referring to coalition forces as "the invasion",
political figure and militia leader Muqtada Al Sadr issued a
statement December 11 which detailed his grievances with a
number of groups. Most notably, Sadr singled out the United
States' effort in Iraq and the Ba'athists. Sadr blamed,
"Bombings, killings, terrorism, arrests, displacement, torture
in the jails and suppression of media and religion" on what he
termed "western corruptors." He stated that Coalition Forces
were sent to control the lives of the believers. Even striking
a mocking tone to belittle his apparent foes. "Give the
invasion a chance," he claims many plead. "Give the Ba'athists
a chance," he recalled as another common entreaty. "What has
been the result?" he asked rhetorically. Recalling attacks in
the market at Sadria in Baghdad and the December 9 vehicle-borne
improvised explosive device attack in Karbala, Sadr claimed that
Iraq had become a testing ground for western weapons and that
the only goal of coalition forces was to divide and terminate
the Iraqi people.


3. (C) In an apparent allusion to the recent meeting between
SCIRI leader Abdul Aziz Al Hakim and President George Bush, Sadr
noted with disingenuous surprise that the enemies of yesterday
had become the friends of today. "We need honorable Iraqi hands
to move the country to a prosperous stage," asserted Sadr. No
one has the right to allow the occupation to stay in Iraq except
the nation itself, he noted. (Note. Sadr appears concerned
that a deal may have been brokered between Al Hakim and
President Bush.) Finally, calling on religious, political,
academic and public figures to demand the withdrawal of
coalition forces or at the very least a schedule for withdrawal,
Sadr threatened that a war between the west and God would be the
result of the continued presence of coalition forces in Iraq.


4. (C) Comment. The majority of the rhetoric in Sadr's latest
statement mirrors his now familiar, oft repeated call for change
in Iraq. His apparent questioning of Abdul Aziz Al Hakim
signals Sadr's intent to position himself and the Office of the
Martyr Sadr as the only true Iraqi nationalists. It is no
coincidence that throughout the statement he calls on a wide
spectrum of Iraqis to stand up to what he sees as an illegal
occupation. Whether Sadr wants or needs an ally in his
continued quest for political power it seems clear that he
believes his greatest strength is in the Iraqi people and his
greatest asset the ability to speak to them directly. End
comment.

VIERGUTZ