BAGHDAD CHRISTIANS SAY INSURGENTS DISPLACING

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 BAGHDAD 001425

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017
TAGS: PHUM MOPS KIRF PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: BAGHDAD CHRISTIANS SAY INSURGENTS DISPLACING
CHRISTIANS IN DOURA, COALITION PATROLS DOURA

REF: A) US ARMY NEWS RELEASE 12 04 06 B) BAGHDAD 1190

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Classified By: DEPUTY POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT GILCHRIST, FOR REASONS
1.4 (B,D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: During separate meetings with PolOff, three
Christian contacts since April 16 have verified April 17
Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) on-line news
reports that Sunni insurgents have begun a new campaign to
displace Christian residents of Baghdad's Doura district.
Having already driven out many Shiite residents, Al Qaeda in
Iraq (AQI)-affiliated insurgents are reportedly now beginning
to drive out Christians. Contacts report that since April 4,
at least eight families have left Doura after insurgents gave
them the choice to convert, pay to support the insurgency,
leave, or die. The contacts alleged that the insurgents'
tactics include using children as spotters. On April 22,
Bishop Shlemoon Wardoni, the Vice Patriarch of the Chaldean
Church told PolOff that he was still seeking proof of these
claims. Meanwhile, Coalition Forces in Doura have not
directly observed AQI displacement of Christians, but say it
is consistent with AQI's alleged, prior displacement of
Shiites in Doura. The Coalition is taking steps to try to
address the situation, including increasing dismounted
patrols of the area. END SUMMARY.

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ANTI-CHRISTIAN THREATS IN DOURA
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2. (C) Three Christian contacts -- who are locally hired
staff from Baghdad -- informed PolOff in separate meetings
that as of April 14, Sunni AQI-affiliated insurgents have
issued a fatwa (religious edict) declaring that Doura is an
"Islamic State". The fatwa was reportedly "announced" by the
posting of paper fliers to the district's electrical poles.
One Christian contact on April 16 reported that AQI has
forced at least eight families from three different Doura
neighborhoods -- Mu'alameen (Mahalla 830),Iskan Shabi
(Mahallas 822, 824, and 826),and Mechanic (Mahallas 858 and
854) -- to leave their homes during the previous week.
(Note: "Mahallas" are numbered sectors within each district.
End note.) According to the contact, AQI also warned Sunni
families living in the area not to interfere.


3. (C) On April 22, Bishop Shlemoon Wardoni, the Vice
Patriarch of the Chaldean Church -- who has negotiated for
the release of numerous Chaldean priests kidnapped for ransom
-- told PolOff that that he had not been able to
independently verify the existence of the fatwa and the
stories of forced displacement. He said that he had asked
Doura Christians to provide him copies of the fatwa
announcement, but thus far no one had done so. Wardoni
argued that it was important to collect supporting evidence
for the claims of victimization, adding that people sometimes
exaggerate when they are afraid.

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INSURGENTS REPORTEDLY DEMAND: PAY, CONVERT, LEAVE, OR DIE
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4. (C) One Christian contact on April 19 reported to PolOff
that Sunni insurgents forced her uncle's family out of their
home located in Doura's Mahalla 838, Street 58, on April 4.
She said the family fled after insurgents burned the family's
Western-style women's clothing in the street, and then,
putting a gun to her aunt's head, gave the family the choice
to convert to Islam, pay the "jizya" tax, leave, or die. The
contact said that the amount the insurgents demanded for the
"jizya" was 30,000 USD. (Note: "Jizya" was a tax levied on
non-Muslims during early Islam. End note.) The family
immediately left the home, without taking any of their
belongings and is now living at another location in Baghdad.
The contact asserted that some Christians believe insurgents
are targeting them because they view Christians as
pro-American (ref B).

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AQI SAID TO USE RADIOS, PATROL STREETS, TRAIN CHILDREN
-------------- --------------


5. (C) The contact reported that during the April 4 raid on
her uncle's home in Mahalla 838, the insurgents used
hand-held radios to take instructions from their leader -- a
sheikh -- throughout the raid. She added that according to
Mahalla 838 residents, the insurgents patrol the streets in
cars to make sure that people are complying with their

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demands. Insurgents in Mahalla 838 reportedly rotate the
license plates on three vehicles they use for their patrols
-- a 1980s blue "Barazili" sedan, a 1980s red "Barazili"
sedan, and a newer light blue Kia double-cabin pickup truck.
The insurgents also reportedly use a Kia van, with a 10 to 15
passenger capacity, for kidnappings.


6. (C) The contact also alleged AQI is using several mosques
in the vicinity of Mahalla 838 on Fridays to teach children
as young as eight years old how to use weapons to combat the
U.S. military. She said the names of the mosques are: Abdul
Aziz, Othman, Bashir Al-Hudda, and Al-Mustafa.

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INSURGENTS SAID TO DISTRIBUTE ABAYAS, USE CHILDREN AS SPOTTERS
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7. (C) Another Christian contact, on April 18 reported to
PolOff that a woman from a Sunni family now occupying her
home in Doura's Mahalla 826, Street 17, told her recently
that the "mujahudeen" are now going door-to-door to
distribute black gloves, socks, and abayas for women to wear.
The same woman said the insurgents have implemented a rule
prohibiting women from using cell phones in public.


8. (C) The contact added that the insurgents were using
children as spotters to obtain information on the families
that they were targeting in Doura and identify locations that
Coalition Forces frequent in order to plant bombs in those
places. Meanwhile, the local residents -- including Sunnis
-- are reportedly too intimidated to say anything when they
see insurgents installing improvised explosive devices
(IEDs). The source commented that the insurgents are
good-looking, well-dressed young men, who sometimes wear
white and black patterned head-dresses when conducting
operations; however, she was unable to comment on their
number. She assessed that someone is paying them and
providing them equipment.

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FIRST THE SHIITES, NOW THE CHRISTIANS
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9. (C) The Christian contacts noted that the Sunni insurgents
had previously driven out or killed the Shiites living in
certain areas of Doura and that the campaign against
Christians appeared to be the next phase of a plan to rid the
district of its non-Sunni population. For example, one
contact reported that the insurgents had already forced
Shiites out of Iskan Shabi (Mahallas 822, 824, and 826). The
Christian contact that left her home in Mahalla 826, Street
17, stated that she fled after finding the corpse of Shiite
man at her doorstep in December 2006.

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COALITION ASSESSMENT/INITIATIVES IN DOURA
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10. (S) Coalition commanders in Doura cannot confirm these
specific accounts of intimidation and are not aware of
Christian enclaves in the referenced mahallas. Therefore,
the Coalition assesses the accounts may be from isolated
Christians in Sunni neighborhoods. At the same time,
however, the Coalition notes that an AQI campaign against
Christians in Doura would be consistent with AQI's previous
history of forcing the displacement of Shiite residents from
the area. The Coalition assesses that such intimidation will
likely increase in the near term, particularly with the
planned departure of Coalition Forces from the Combat Outpost
(COP) located at the Chaldean seminary in Doura at the end of
May -- at the request of the Chaldean Church (ref B).


11. (S-NOFORN) In order to continue protecting the residents
of Doura, the Coalition is exploring alternate COP sites near
the seminary, increasing dismounted patrols in the mahallas,
and conducting Human Intelligence (HUMINT) operations to
improve understanding of the local population. For example,
the Coalition initiated Operation "Close Encounters" designed
to identify systematically residents of each neighborhood and
determine occupied/unoccupied residences. This operation
strives to improve the Coalition's understanding of the
dynamics within the mahallas, as well as to target potential
insurgent caches, possibly based in deserted homes.

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COMMENT
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12. (C) At this time, Post cannot verify that there is a
large-scale AQI campaign in Doura to target Christians
exclusively. Post is attempting to collect specific
information on the location and nature of insurgent activity
in Doura to help the Coalition military units that patrol
Doura focus their efforts. Post will continue to seek
information from Christians able and willing to provide
evidence to validate allegations of intimidation. END
COMMENT.
CROCKER