SISTANI ADVISES SPEEDY FORMATION OF INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000022

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/20/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL IZ
SUBJECT: SISTANI ADVISES SPEEDY FORMATION OF INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT IN
NAJAF MEETING WITH JAFARI


CLASSIFIED BY: GARY ANDERSON, ACTING REGIONAL COORDINATOR, REO,
AL-HILLAH, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (U) This is a SET Najaf cable.


2. (C) Summary: Shi'a Religious Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali
Al-Sistani advised Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari to quickly form
a new government and to ensure that the new government is
inclusive in a February 20 meeting at Sistani's home in Najaf's
Old City. After the meeting, which lasted about three hours,
Jafari told local reporters that his government would reflect
the will of the Iraqi people, but would also consider the
"opposition." End summary.


3. (C) On February 20, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari, the United
Iraqi Alliance (UIA) nominee to serve as Prime Minister in the
new government, met with Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani at his
Najaf home. According to SET Najaf local staff, the meeting
lasted from about noon until 3 p.m. Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army
units and special units of the Ministry of the Interior sealed
off the entire Old City of Najaf, where Sistani lives, blocking
all major streets leading into the quarter.


4. (C) Jafari was accompanied by Najaf Deputy Governor Abdul
Hussein Abtan. Also present in the meeting, according to SET
Najaf local staff, were Provincial Council (PC) Chairman Abdul
Hussein Al-Mousawi, PC Member Hassan Al-Zamili, other
UIA-affiliated government officials, IP Chief General Abbas
Al-Moadal, Iraqi Army Commander General Majeed Hanon, and other
high-ranking Najaf security officers. Sahib Al-Ameri, the head
of Shaheed Al-Allah, a Najaf-based organization affiliated with
Moqtada Al-Sadr, was also present.


5. (C) Jafari described the political process and negotiations
between the UIA and other political groups to form a government,
SET Najaf local staff reported. Sistani reportedly told Jafari
that the new government must be inclusive, and must be formed
with a view towards preventing ethnic conflicts. Sistani said
that the new government must engender stability and political
balance. Government positions should be filled based on
experience and reputation, in order to avoid political conflict,
Sistani reportedly told Jafari. And Sistani advised Jafari to
form the new government as soon as possible.


6. (U) After the meeting, Jafari spoke to local reporters,
including representatives of the National Iraqi News Agency
(NINA),an independent web-based newswire. NINA reported that
Jafari told the press that Sistani advised him to act quickly to
form a government. Jafari said that the will of the people would
drive the formation of the government, but that he would pay
attention to "the opposition." Jafari told NINA that he would
resist any foreign government pressure on the political process,
and denied, when asked, that there was an "American veto" over
nominees to the positions of Minister of Interior and Defense.

ANDERSON