PRT-WASIT: 57 WASIT SHEIKHS TOUR IRAN AT MALIKI'S

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004146

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: PRT-WASIT: 57 WASIT SHEIKHS TOUR IRAN AT MALIKI'S
INVITATION

REF: DIIR-TFM-81-819-08-107

Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Greg D'Elia for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).


1. (S//REL TO USA, ACGU) Summary. According to an influential
ePRT contact, 57 Wasit Sheikhs visited Iran from 21 November
to 6 December at the invitation of Prime Minister Nouri al
Maliki. While in Iran, the sheiks received lectures in
"five-star hotels," met religious leaders and visited Shi'a
shrines and the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Themes
repeatedly sounded by the hosts included: appeals to join
fellow Muslims to fight the Americans in Iraq, encouragement
to send their sons to Iran for education, and the need to
support Iraqi "federalism." Sheikh Mohammed said this was
the second such tour, and that the first, for 37 Wasit
sheikhs, occurred approximately two months ago. End summary.

The Invitation and Border
--------------


2. (S//REL TO USA, ACGU) On 18 December, CDR 214th Fires
Brigade, Team Leader 819th HUMINT Collection Team and IPAO
PRT-Wasit met with Sheikh Mohammad on FOB Delta in Al Kut.
Sheikh Mohammad said he and 56 other Wasit sheikhs had
recently returned from a fifteen-day, all expenses paid visit
to Tehran, Qom and Mashad that took place between 21 November
and 6 December. The invitations, from Ayatollah Khamenei,
were delivered to Wasit province sheikhs by Mohammed
al-Numani, a Wasit-based representative of Nuri Kamel Maliki.
A tourism company called "The Sons Ruhullah" organized the
trip. (Note. Ruhullah is the first name of the former
Supreme Leader of Iran, Grand Ayatollah Ruhullah Musawi
Khomeini. End note.) Sheikh Mohammed said a tour bus took
the sheikhs from Al Kut to the Zurbatiyah Point of Entry
where an unnamed Iraqi Department of Border Enforcement
Lieutenant boarded the bus, collected passports, and stamped
and returned them without further immigration or customs
checks (Refel). Upon arrival in Iran, the sheikhs were
greeted by an unknown Iranian cleric while passports were
stamped. After expedited immigration, the group ate lunch in
Mehran and proceeded to Tehran.

The Visit
--------------

3. (S//REL TO USA, ACGU) Sheikh Mohammed said the Tehran
visit included tours of the Ayatollah Khameini Palace, the
grave/shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini and the closed US Embassy
compound where the hosts lectured on the 1979 victory over
'The Great Satan.' After Tehran, the group continued to Qom
and Mashhad for tours of Shi'a shrines and other sites of
interest.

The Messages
--------------

4. (S//REL TO USA, ACGU) Sheikh Mohammed said that throughout
the visit, the hosts lectured their guests on Iranian
policies and positions. The general theme was partnership:
Muslims must unite to fight the US because "together we are
more powerful than the Americans," and that Iraq could look
like Europe with Iran's help. The Iranians encouraged the
sheikhs to send their sons to Iran for education and advised
them to support federalism in Iraq. When asked if
'federalism' meant a regional southern government like the
Kurds have in the North, Mohammed said yes. In the midst of
the anti-American rhetoric, an apparent unintended message
slipped through in Qom from Sheikh Fadl al Maliki, an Iraqi
originally from Al Hay. According to Mohammed, Sheikh al
Maliki told the group that the current Iraqi government
should be voted out of office and that Iraqis were better off
siding with Americans rather than Iranians. (Note. In this
context, the term Sheikh refers to a Shi'a cleric, not a
tribal leader. End note.)


5. (S//REL TO USA, ACGU) Mohammed said that despite the fact
that all the sheikhs knew the trip had been arranged by Prime
Minister Maliki and Da'wa, there was no overt pressure to
support Da'wa or Maliki in future elections.

Comment
--------------

6. (S//NF) Comment: Possible motivations for Iranian
overtures to the Wasit tribal community include (1) response
to CF/PRT tribal engagement and preemption of CF-sponsored
tribal mobilization to combat Iranian influence as Anbar
tribes mobilized to combat AQI, (2) effort to build popular
support for Iranian-favored political parties in advance of
provincial elections and support for formation of a southern
region in advance of the April 2008 implementation of the
Regional Formation Law, (3) recruitment of future agents
should the tribal community produce viable political leaders,
and (4) solicitation of potential intelligence collectors.

BAGHDAD 00004146 002 OF 002


In the course of its work, the PRT will monitor Iranian
connections with the Wasit tribal community as well as the
increasing number of interactions between the provincial
government and tribal leaders, all seemingly geared to shore
up the ailing reputation and unpopularity of the
now-governing political parties. End Comment.

Bio Notes
--------------

7. (S//REL TO USA, ACGU) Sheikh Mohammed is a member of the
Al-Sarayi tribe, in the Al Rabi'ah Tribal Confederation. Key
Iraqi contacts, including the Provincial Police Chief,
identify Sheik Mohamed as a senior, influential tribal sheikh
in Wasit. He identifies himself as a friend to the U.S. and
meets regularly with the ePRT. In November, he signed a
Critical Infrastructure Security Contract with CF to assist
with security for Wasit Highway 15 (Alternate Supply Route
Desna) from Al Kut to the Iranian border. He has told us on
several occasions of his contempt for Iran and Persian
influence within the Wasit government and political parties
now in power. He claims to have served as a Colonel in the
Iraqi Army and taken part in the Iran-Iraq war. Sheikh
Mohammed is not pious and recently noted that he enjoyed
celebrating Eid with a few drinks. He considers himself a
true Arab and Iraqi patriot. When asked why he traveled to
Iran, he said after many years of confinement under Saddam
Hussein, it was on opportunity to see "the North." He denied
having received money from Iranian intelligence officers
(although he said some of his fellow sheikhs did) and that he
refused to visit the Ayatollah Khomeini grave/shrine with the
tour group in Tehran. End bio notes.
CROCKER