C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000087

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/18/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: POSING AS A STATESMAN, MUQTADA AL-SADR CONDEMNS
REESTABLISHMENT OF U.S.-LIBYA TIES

CLASSIFIED BY: Alfred Fonteneau, Regional Coordinator, REO
Hillah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)




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


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: On May 16, in response to a query from a
group of Iraqi teachers based in Libya, Muqtada Al-Sadr issued a
"fatwa" decrying the reopening of full diplomatic ties between
the United States and Libya. (NOTE: Because he does not have
the necessary clerical qualifications, few Shi'a beyond his
followers believe Sadr has the required religious authority to
issue a fatwa. END NOTE.) The teachers asked for Sadr's
comments. Sadr stated that in allowing diplomatic ties, Libya
had forgotten the suffering of countries occupied by the U.S.
He went on to accuse the U.S. and Libya of planning together the
kidnapping of Ayatollah Mousa Al-Sadr (NOTE: Mousa Al-Sadr was
an Ayatollah living in Lebanon. Born in Qom, Iran, he
disappeared after a meeting with Muammar Qadhafi in 1978. He is
considered a cousin of Muqtada Al-Sadr. END NOTE) Sadr closed
by asserting that the U.S. was enticing countries to have closer
relations in an attempt to enslave them. A move, Sadr claimed,
that would only lead to humiliation. END SUMMARY.


3. (U) Begin text of Sadr fatwa, which was broken down into
four points:
-- One: Libya's acceptance of restored relations with the U.S.
means that Libya has forgotten the suffering of nations occupied
by the U.S., countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, whose
people starve under the oppression of U.S. policies.

-- Two: The relationship's restoration is an indication that the
U.S. is pleased with Libya after many issues like the Bulgarian
nurses scandal, the hijacked airplane incident and [undetermined
phrase], etc. This is humiliation and subordination to the
inauspicious trinity (the U.S., Israel and Britain). Also, this
is an invasion. Not a military invasion, but a political one,
as my father said.

-- Three: The relationship's restoration and reopening of the
U.S. Embassy is a gift for the Libyan regime after it kidnapped
the Ayatollah Mousa Al Sadr based on U.S. requests, as part of a
U.S. plan to eliminate patriotic figures. I take this
opportunity to demand an investigation of Libya and the U.S. and
any other suspects in this kidnapping crime.

-- Four: This is just the beginning of an effort to open an
Israeli embassy in Libya. The U.S. is sending a message to
other countries that they should obey the U.S. and make
compromises. They shall be rewarded economically and
politically. As my father said, "America is trying to enslave
as many countries as they can." I advise all other countries to
be slaves only to God. For all who do, victory is coming. To
follow the Americans is only humiliation.


4. (C) COMMENT: In recent months, Muqtada Al-Sadr has begun to
take on U.S. foreign policy outside of Iraq. Sadr is clearly
positioning himself as more of a regional figure and a
statesman, and working to distance himself, at least publicly,
from his militia. It is likely that he hopes to find an eager
audience for this new image outside of his own country and among
his fellow Shi'a in Iraq. With the recent withdrawal of the
candidacy of Ibrahim Al-Jafari for Prime Minister, which Sadr
had strongly supported, he suffered a political blow. An
opportunity to harp at the U.S. internationally, Sadr may
believe, might restore some of his political credibility. END
COMMENT.

MEURS