DAILY LIFE IN MUTHANNA PROVINCE: ASSORTED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 BAGHDAD 000439

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SCUL ECON IZ
SUBJECT: DAILY LIFE IN MUTHANNA PROVINCE: ASSORTED
VIGNETTES


1. This is a PRT Muthanna cable.

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Summary
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2. In many important ways, daily life in Muthanna Province
differs little from that of life in 18th and 19th century
Islamic society in Iraq. Religious dominance in daily life,
rampant unemployment and persistent security concerns
determine a daily existence rooted in hard work (mainly
agricultural, petty business or governmental work),the
search for work and religious rituals; there is hardly much
time available for social interactions of the kind prevalent
in western societies. There is however evidence of several
changes in the Post Saddam era, and there is evidence that
further changes may occur, even though they are more likely
to be movements back to the way things were in the Pre-Saddam
era. An examination of social, religious, economic and
political activities generally addresses daily life in the
province and seeks to identify those changes that have
occurred. End summary.

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Social Activities
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3. There are extremely limited social outlets in Post Saddam
Muthanna. As is typical in most Islamic societies, there is
practically no intermingling of adult males and females in a
social context. This social taboo contributes directly to the
limited social space.


4. In the Saddam era, a large bar operated in downtown
Samawah that was usually open from approximately 0900 to 0200
hours daily. This bar served as a meeting house, coffee shop,
point of intellectual exchange and source of cultural
enlightenment, even though the actual clientele is uncertain
and it may have only catered to out of town Baathists and/or
government officials. The persistent rumor that this bar
also served beer and whisky may help explain some of the
nostalgia associated with its existence. In the Post Saddam
era, the religious leaders closed the bar in recognition of
its perceived influence on the community. In central Samawah,
the capital city, tea sellers, coffee sellers and hooka
owners still do a relatively thriving business. Coffee shops
prevail in market places, especially covered ones, and
operate from 1000 to 0100 hours daily. Some measure of
socializing occurs through "walk arounds" in the market
places.


5. Prostitution, long held in check by the dominant
religious influences in the community, began to grow in the
period after the 1980s war with Iran. Many families became
desperately poor when the main "breadwinner" either did not
return from the war or returned incapacitated. Even though
many families did receive compensation in the form of lands
to build homes and/or cultivate, particularly in the Shahada
district, poverty inevitably followed. A few homes in Al
Samawah are still identified as homes of prostitution, even
though the local religious leaders have threatened to close
them down.


6. Marriage continues to be arranged between families,
particularly the women, and even though an adult male may get
a quick glimpse of a partial face in the market place and try
to get his sisters and other female family members to acquire
information on looks, pedigree, personality for him, the
decision is ultimately still that of the families. A recent
innovation that may soon revolutionize this institution
hinges on the cell phone. Adult males relate that youngsters
are now engaging in secret text messaging and cell phone
calls, which may ultimately undermine the system of arranged
marriages and introduce courtship in the more familiar
western sense.


7. A "gymnasium" exists in the capital city of Samawah and
is usually open from 0800 to 1400 hours daily. During
opening hours soccer, basketball and dominoes are allowed,
but there are, reportedly, few takers. There are reports of
casinos (four) on the banks of the Euphrates, in Samawah, but
the clerics have threatened to close the doors and they have
been repeatedly threatened by the Jaysh )al - Mahdi (JAM)
militias.


8. There are several primary, secondary and tertiary schools
in the Province, including an Agricultural Institute.
Primary and Secondary school hours are 0800 to 1300 hours.
Schools are reportedly well attended. Recently, provisions
were made for the rapid inclusion of children of over 700
displaced families from Baghdad and its surroundings that
moved in, largely with relatives, in the province.

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9. No public transportation system exists. Private
mini-buses ply the roads and an average 20 minute ride around
the city of Samawah costs 250 Iraqi Dinars (approximately $US
0.20). There is a large train station in Samawah, but
passenger trains no longer run North through Baghdad to the
Northern provinces or South to Basra, due to security
concerns. Occasionally industrial freight trains from Basra
rumble by.


10. Media activity in the province is muted, even though
several national newspapers, including two large dailies )
The "Sabah" and "Zaman" along with several local newspapers
are sold. The Government owned daily "Al Samawa" last
published an edition on December 18, 2006. There are,
reportedly, few readers and circulation is extremely limited.
A local TV station and radio station (same owners) broadcast
one-hour inserts of national news daily. There are satellite
dishes in most urban and rural homes; even the Bedouins are
proud owners. There is a government owned TV station and a
local TV Station ) Al Samawa. Internet services are under
private sector control and several companies compete. Average
subscription costs are $40.00 (US) monthly. Most Muthanna
internet customers use internet cafes, and several have
sprung up in the cities of Samawa, Rumaitha and El Khidr.


11. Residents point out that social activities in the
province do exist, but consist of home visits among friends.
They do, however, admit that even during these periods of
"socializing" men go to one part of the home and discuss
matters of import, while women go to another part of the home
to discuss "women's matters".

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Religious Activities
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12. Religious activities in Muthanna province, where over 97
percent of the population are Shiites, remains much as it has
been for the last several hundred years. The most important
change in the post-Saddam period is the competition for
religious authority between those with traditional religious
schooling and credentials, and those who lack these
particular attributes but rely instead on popular appeal,
demagoguery and street power. There are several Sunni mosques
in the main cities of Samawa and Rumaythah, and the calls to
prayer five times daily continue to determine the rhythm of
daily life. There is much speculation that financial support
for most of the religious centers, which engage in helping
the poor and religious instructions for all, is provided by
Iran and Saudi Arabia principally, and also by the Gulf
States. The power of the religious clerics continues to
grow, as evidenced by their ultimatums to groups and
businesses such as the casinos, bars and houses of ill
repute. The growing power of the clerics is only kept in
harness by the return to power of the tribal sheikhs who have
won for themselves some measure of political power in the new
Iraq.

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Economic Activities
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13. Economic activity within the province remains largely
linked to agriculture, which has experienced a steady decline
since the 1980s, when government support dwindled. PRT
activity within the province has focused heavily on
revitalizing this sector, and several projects have been
planned and examined. A list of these projects was submitted
to PRT Muthanna on January 15, 2007 at a meeting with the
Provincial Reconstruction Development Council (PRDC) and at a
meeting with the Agricultural Working Committee on January
16, 2007. Prior meetings with the Agricultural committee had
examined several agricultural sub-sectors, and wheat, dates
and rice production, coupled with related de-salinization and
canal cleaning operations had been thoroughly discussed,
costed and examined with a view to determining who and how
many Iraqis would benefit from each project. The agriculture
group also hopes to benefit significantly from a USAID plan
to disburse over 100 million dollars (US) to the provinces
for agricultural projects in 2007 (400 million over 5 years).
A seminar on the Provincial Development Strategy (PDS) and
Sector Planning, planned for Amman, in February of 2007 will
also assist in agricultural planning in the province.


14. Iraqis within the province note that most of the goods
provided in the market places are of Iranian, Turkish, Syrian
or Gulf State origin. These imports range from fresh
vegetables and fruits to clothing and heavy equipment. Iraqi
intermediaries are beginning to conduct a brisk trade,
limited only by low median incomes within the province. Shops
are open from 0900 to 1900 hours with some closures for

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prayers. A more often seen business innovation is the
wheeled tray on which items for sale are openly displayed.
These "shops" move from place to place, following
pedestrians. Many of the vegetable "traders" purchase their
vegetables from Basra, Najaf and the closest Iranian towns
and villages.


15. Twenty percent of the working population are employed in
the public sector. These include the police, army, teachers,
and civil servants in such ministries as the ministry of
immigrants and immigration, which has an office in Al
Samawah. A cement factory, owned by the government in Samawah
reportedly hires approximately 100 employees, and has plans
to expand to over 2,500 by August 2007. Local newspapers for
January 15, 2007 claim that the Al Samawa cement factory has
started operating the third production line, after 8 months
of renovation and rebuilding, and that a fourth production
line will soon be ready. The publications however warned that
operations will continue to be affected by electric power and
transportation shortages. Power Generators, which were funded
by the Japanese government and constructed by a local
contractor, reportedly remain unoperational due to
maintenance issues and neglect. There is also a government
owned Salt factory and six government owned gas stations in
the province. According to recent newspaper reports, the
provincial council is seeking to open the factory to private
investors. The Provincial Council is reported to be working
assiduously at creating new jobs. Several citizens are
currently employed in cleaning the cities for the
municipalities.


16. There is a tiny private sector. There are, reportedly,
more than 18 small family owned Brick factories and 10
private gas stations, which receive some help from the
government. The mayor of Al khidr also reports that there are
two Bee keeping operations in the province. Private tea and
coffee sellers in the market places amount for a sizeable
portion of the private economic activity within the province.
The informal private sector does however employ a
substantial number of persons, especially in construction
wage labor.


17. On Monday, January 15, 2007, The Al Rumaythah city
council publicly confirmed that many projects were in fact
completed in 2006 within the town. They also stated that a
list of priorities for 2007 was currently being coordinated
with the various economic sectors and funding agencies.

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Political Activities
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18. The political arena is currently dominated by the
Provincial Councils, the Tribal Chieftains and the Shiite
militias, particularly Muqtada al Sadr's JAM. There are
several political parties, which following the last
provincial elections, comprise the provincial council:

--SCIRI ) 8 Seats
--ISLAMIC FADILAH ) 6 Seats
--MIDDLE EUPHRATES PARTY ) 6 Seats
--INDEPENDENT ISLAMIC ORGANIZATION ) 5 Seats
--DAWA ) 4 Seats
--ASSEMBLY OF MUTHANNA ) 4 Seats
--ALLEGIANCE COALITION ) 3 Seats
--IRAQI NATIONAL ACCORD ) 3 Seats
--IRAQI COMMUNIST PARTY ) 2 Seats


19. The Provincial Council, comprising several committees
and sub-committees, meets in Samawah on a regular basis, and
appears to be under the direct and able control of Governor
Muhammad Ali Hassani of Muthanna. Twenty Five percent (25%)
of the Council, in keeping with constitutional directives,
are women. There are two highly vocal women councilors in
this group. They are self-proclaimed leaders of female
oriented NGOs in the region. Ms. Bedur al-Yassiri, the more
vociferous of the two, heads the "Free Women Organization"
NGO, which focuses on internet courses in sewing and related
"feminine" issues. The NGO reportedly receives substantial
funding from International donors, and the office building
itself was reportedly rehabilitated by Coalition Forces.


20. A very few NGOs, such as the Iraqi Red Crescent, the
Free Women Organization and the Iraqi Reconstruction
Institute (IRI - an NGO which focuses on agricultural issues)
continue to operate in the province. These NGOs are largely
subsidized and, in the case of the IRI, utilized by
international donors. Orphanages for children without
parents are scarce, but a new Orphanage building, built by
the local government, is currently nearing completion in
Samawah.


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21. There are several tribes in Al Muthanna, and there is
some confusion over the exact definition of tribes and
sub-tribes. Some of the known tribes in the Muthanna region
are:

a. Bani Zraige ) 70,000 approx. ) strong tribe
b. Al Ajib ) 30,000 approx.
c. Al Zayad ) 20,000 approx.
d. Al Tauba ) 3,500 approx.
e. Albu Jayash ) 20, 000 approx.
f. Al Abbas ) the criminal heavyweights in the province
g. Albu Hassan ) a dominant tribe ) 30,000 ) many JAM
members. Governor belongs to this tribe
h. Al Duwalim -
j. Al Sufran
k. Al Burkat
l. Al Ghanim
m. Al Attawa
n. Al Juwabir
o. Al Furtose
p. Al Mohssen


22. The tribes have begun to play a major role in political
negotiations within the province, providing support for the
provincial government when tribal members have been attacked
by militias or inconvenienced by stringent curfews in
response to militia attacks. They have brokered agreements
with JAM, threatened to fight the militias with the Iraqi
military and Para-military forces and experienced an enhanced
profile in the political space.

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Security
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23. Muthanna Province is fortunate to have a strong acting
Police Commander, Lcol Ali, and a committed Army commander in
Col. Salam Jabar ) 2/10 IA Brigade. Lcol Ali has faced down
the militias in at least two recent encounters, insisting on
upholding the law, while the army commander has indicated his
commitment to eradicating the militias, if permitted. PRT
Muthanna has established strong working relations with both
commanders, and training for the Iraqi Army continues under
the Australian Overwatch Brigade. Recent efforts by Baghdad
to replace the Police Chief with Brigadier Basim of Baghdad
met stony defiance from the provincial council. Even though
there is currently a Baghdad inspired investigation to
determine what role, if any, Lcol Ali played in the torture
of four recent JAM prisoners, the prospects for continued
security in the province appear to be good.

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Comment
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24. Whereas political activity in Muthanna has grown
significantly, and the provincial council appears to be a
model of a young democracy at work, social activities have
changed little and some security concerns remain within the
province. Life in Muthanna province continues at the
leisurely pace it has always been known for (except perhaps
in the 1920s when it was a hotbed of anti-British activity),
and PRT Muthanna has managed to engage in constructive
dialogue with both the Qadas (local governments) and the
Provincial Council. Bringing the two entities together is a
realizable goal. Muthanna Province appears ideal for
experiments in capacity building, State Owned Enterprise
revitalization and large scale agricultural activities. The
presence of strong tribal affiliations coupled with the
willingness of the tribes to defend their own against the
militias and the current strength of local Police and Army
commanders augurs well for the development of the Province.
End comment.
KHALILZAD