Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KIRKUK134
2006-07-25 12:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
REO Kirkuk
Cable title:  

(C/NF) KDSP LEADERS ON KRG'S CLOSURE OF KDSP OFFICES

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PINR PINS PTER PNAT PREF KDEM IZ TU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO0300
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL
DE RUEHKUK #0134/01 2061216
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P R 251216Z JUL 06
FM REO KIRKUK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0698
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0660
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 0046
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHKUK/REO KIRKUK 0726
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KIRKUK 000134

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

BAGHDAD FOR POL, NCT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PINS PTER PNAT PREF KDEM IZ TU
SUBJECT: (C/NF) KDSP LEADERS ON KRG'S CLOSURE OF KDSP OFFICES

REF: KIRKUK 00000133

KIRKUK 00000134 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Jim Bigus, PRT Leader, POL, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



(C/NF) INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY: Kurdistan Democratic Solution
Party (KDSP) representatives claim the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) framed the KDSP to justify closing the KDSP
Erbil and Dahuk offices. They said the KRG has not granted the
KDSP any legal status as a party. KDSP leaders insist their
party has no connection with terrorist organizations, is
becoming increasingly popular, supports the democratic process,
and is a strong advocate of women in Iraqi politics. They want
Kirkuk to become autonomous, but oppose holding a referendum on
its future. Attending the meetings were three KDSP leaders,
Faiq Mohammad Ahmed (KDSP Secretary General),Sabah Nuri (Dahuk
Office),and Najiba Omer Ahmed (Kirkuk Office). END
INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY.

(C) KRG CLOSES KDSP OFFICES
--------------


2. (C/NF) IPAO on July 11, 2006, met with KDSP members to
discuss the alleged KRG closure of KDSP party headquarters. The
KDSP leaders claimed KRG security forces attacked the KDSP
office in Dahuk in April and imprisoned the head of the office
for 13 days. KRG security forces also allegedly closed the KDSP
headquarters in Erbil. KDSP leaders argued the KRG had
justified the action by claiming the KDSP had planned a
terrorist attack by planting a bomb in a fire extinguisher. The
KDSP leaders asserted that the KDP created the scenarios in
order to attack the Erbil office and that the two police
officers accused of planting the bomb are not associated with
the KDSP. KRG security forces only held KDSP members from
Erbil, releasing the other 5 of 7 arrested, leading KDSP members

to conclude the KDP intended to handicap the Erbil office
because this branch had been particularly active. (Note:
Although Erbil and Sulaymaniyah have merged their KRG
administrations officially, the separate security services are
not expected to merge until sometime next year; Erbil's service
remains under KDP control. End note.) The Erbil Ministry of
Interior (MOI) allegedly did not let these two prisoners see
their lawyer, and when the KDSP leaders tried to check into the
arrests, they were informed that a judge, Umad Shay, had ordered
the offices to be closed. When the KDSP queried the judge, he
reportedly insisted he never gave such an order, and said the
Erbil MOI shut down the KDSP office, which the members claimed
now functioned as an Asayish HQ. The KDSP leaders said that
poor security in south and central Iraq was causing human rights
to be ignored in northern areas, where intellectuals and media
professionals increasingly are victims. The representatives
asserted the KDP and PUK were systematically repressing the KDSP
because the two parties know the KDSP is increasingly popular
among Iraqi Kurds. KDSP offices remain open in Mosul, Kirkuk,
Baghdad, and Sulaymaniyah, although the leaders feared
Sulaymaniyah would be closed next.

(C) DENYING ASSOCIATION WITH TERRORISM
--------------


3. (C/NF) The KDSP leaders asserted the party does not support
terrorism and has no connections with terrorist groups.
However, the representatives noted the KDSP does share the same
agenda with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK, formerly Kongra
Gel/KGK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, since they
are secular parties "struggling for Kurdish freedom and national
unity." KDSP leaders said that most of the KDSP funding of
approximately 13,000-15,000 USD comes from offices and members
abroad, especially in Europe and eastern Turkey.

(C) KDSP STRUCTURE AND GOALS
--------------


4. (C/NF) The leaders organized the KDSP four years ago and in
2004 submitted a request to the KRG to register legally as a
political party, but to date the KRG has not granted the KDSP
any legal status. The KDSP leaders claimed their party is a
secular, democratic party that supports the democratic process
and U.S. goals in the Middle East. The KDSP recently joined
with four other Iraqi Kurdish parties to form a bloc to enable
smaller parties participating in government to oppose and
possibly influence the two main Kurdish parties (Ref. Kirkuk
00000133). A 17-member Central Committee and a 6-member
Politburo lead the KDSP. The representatives claimed the KDSP
has 2050 members, and that the party is popular among women and
intellectuals, especially students.


KIRKUK 00000134 002.2 OF 002


(C) HIGH PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN
--------------


5. (C/NF) Najiba Omer Ahmed, Head of the KDSP Womens' Affairs
Office, claimed that women constitute 40 percent of the party's
membership; she argued that was higher than any other Kurdish
party, and another reason the PUK and KDP oppose the KDSP.
Ahmed said that 7 members of the Central Committee and 2 members
of the Politburo are women. In addition, she said the KDSP has
been active in criticizing the KRG for not having enough women
in the Kurdistan National Assembly.

(C) POSITION ON KIRKUK, ARTICLE 140
--------------


6. (C/NF) The leaders said the KDSP supports Art. 140, but the
KDP and PUK are pursuing this along ideological lines. They
argued Kirkuk is like Jerusalem for the Jews and the Arabs.
They said the best solution for Kirkuk is a confederated
province with autonomous relations with Baghdad, the KRG, and
other provinces. (Note: This position does not match that
proposed by the new Kurdish opposition bloc, of which the KDSP
is a member. End note.) The KDSP leaders asserted that Kirkuk
should have a separate judicial system and government elected by
the people of Kirkuk every 1 to 2 years and that a referendum
could not determine the status and destiny of Kirkuk.

(C) BIOGRPAHIC NOTES
--------------


7. (C) Dr. Faiq Mohammad Ahmed is from Halabjah, and formerly
was a surgeon in Sulaymaniyah and a PUK member of parliament
(Ref. Kirkuk 00000133). Sabah Nuri is from Kalar and studied at
Salah ad-Din University, but did not complete his studies for
economic reasons. Najiba Omer Ahmed is from Sulaymaniyah and
holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Business
Administration from Sulaymaniyah University.

(U) NOTE
--------------


8. (C/NF) This meeting took place before post knew that USG
policy is to avoid meeting with the KDSP.
JBIGUS