WASIT PROVINCIAL COUNCIL CONDEMNS U.S. ROLE IN GOVERNMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000042 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/12/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM KISL PHUM PTER IZ SUBJECT: WASIT PROVINCIAL COUNCIL CONDEMNS U.S. ROLE IN GOVERNMENT FORMATION NEGOTIATIONS CLASSIFIED BY: ALFRED FONTENEAU, REGIONAL COORDINATOR, REO, AL-HILLAH, STATE. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. In a contentious meeting with Regional Embassy Office Al-Hillah staff in Al-Kut, the Wasit Provincial Council (PC) Chairman and members of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) harshly criticized the United States' role in the ongoing government formation negotiations. According to PC members, the U.S. bias against Shi'a political figures is hampering the ability of the Iraqi Government to fight terrorism throughout the country. PC members also accused the USG of tacitly supporting the February 22 Samarra Mosque bombing. END SUMMARY -------------- WASIT PC TO U.S.: MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS -------------- ¶2. (C) Jassim Mohammed Rudha, Wasit Provincial Council Chairman (PCC),speaking on behalf of the entire council, strongly criticized the perceived role of Embassy officials in the coalition negotiations in Baghdad. Rudha related an informal meeting held in Najaf on or about March 1 with other PCCs from the South Central and Southern provinces. In this meeting, the attendees agreed that decisions regarding the leadership of the new government should be left in the hands of the United Iraqi Alliance, not negotiated with the other major blocs or the United States. ¶3. (C) PC member Nasser Mahmud Al-Haddad (SCIRI) followed Rudha's critique with a long diatribe about the perceived U.S. involvement in the government formation negotiations. Al-Haddad said the UIA was perfectly capable of forming a government and remarked, "the U.S. will not be a coalition partner in the new Iraqi Government." The results of the December 15 election gave a clear mandate to the UIA to form a government and choose a prime minister, according to Al-Haddad, therefore advice from the U.S. and others is "undemocratic." The other eight PC members in the meeting, including independent PC members, as well as Dawa (Iraq) and Badr Organization representatives, echoed Haddad's comments. -------------- -------------- SCIRI REP: JABR, JAFARI KEY TO FIGHTING TERRORISM -------------- -------------- 4.(C) Al-Haddad described terrorism in Iraq as solely a Sunni phenomenon, and pointed to the relative lack of insurgent activity in Wasit compared to the Western provinces of Iraq as proof of this assertion. Minister of Interior Jabr and PM Jafari were doing everything in their power to combat Sunni terrorism, Al-Haddad opined. Therefore, U.S. efforts to prevent Jafari and Jabr from assuming ministerial level positions in a new government are evidence of U.S. bias toward all Shi'a, alleged Al-Haddad. REO Hillah staff, in response, noted reports of Ministry of Interior human rights abuses, and emphasized the importance of credible, non-militia affiliated leadership in the security ministries as the key to a government of national unity. -------------- -------------- PC MEMBERS AGREE: U.S. INDIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SAMARRA BOMBING -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Al-Haddad, supported by the other PC members in attendance, also assigned blame for the Samarra bombing to Coalition Forces. He stated that while it was "likely" that Coalition Forces were not directly involved in the incident, the bombing is evidence that Coalition Forces do not take their responsibility for securing Shi'a religious sites seriously. Security responsibilities across the country should be turned over to Iraqi Security Forces as soon as possible, as only ISF would take seriously the obligation to protect Shi'a shrines. ¶6. (C) COMMENT. For SCIRI Provincial Council members, the opportunity to posture before Provincial Council colleagues was too good to pass up. Nevertheless, the shrill and angry tone towards the U.S. over the Samarra bombing and coalition negotiations is new. There is intense interest and speculation at all levels of the Wasit provincial government in perceived U.S. involvement in government formation negotiations. For the Shi'a Islamists of Wasit, lip service to "national unity" is acceptable, but in the end, anything less than complete domination of the national government will be perceived as an affront to the results of the December 15 elections. END COMMENT. FONTENEAU