PM'S OFFICE RELEASES STATEMENT DENYING

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 000554 SIPDIS SIPDIS THIS IS A CORRECTED COPY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PINS IZ SUBJECT: PM'S OFFICE RELEASES STATEMENT DENYING AUTHENTICITY OF AL-SADR LETTER ¶1. (U) The office of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki issued a written statement on February 4 denying the authenticity of a letter, dated January 14 and circulating on the internet, which summarized an alleged conversation he had with Moqtada Al-Sadr to send senior Al-Mahdi members to Iran to protect them from the new Baghdad Security Plan. ¶2. (U)Embassy informal translation of the statement is as follows: Begin Text "The Office of the Prime Minister February 4, 2007 - The Prime Minister Mr. Nouri Kamel Al-Maliki, who launched The National Reconciliation Initiative has persevered in rejecting favoratism toward any component of Iraqi society while totally respecting each component. He strongly opposes the policy of marginalization, exclusion and discrimination and calls on everyone to work to spread and consolidate the culture of brotherhood and tolerance. - At a time when we remind people of these firm positions and policies of the Prime Minister, which has become known to all those who are fair and monitor Iraqi issues, we would like to point out an intentional slander campaign through fabricated statements attributed to the Prime Minister's office regarding correspondence accusing him of having a sectarian bias. These dubious statements aim to inflame sectarian sedition and exposes the parties behind it as individuals who do not wish our people well or support stability. - The publication of these statements coincides with preparations to implement the plan to enforce the Law, which has entered a new stage in consolidating security and stability in our beloved capital. It is an attempt to stir up doubts and poison the atmosphere surrounding the aims of the plan. - These exposed attempts will have absolutely no effect on the national unity government resolve and will to implement the plan to enforce the rule of law which will be based on professionalism and neutrality aiming to consolidate civil peace and to confront all the outlaws irrespective of their political, party and sectarian allegiances. - We would like to stress to our people that these malicious statements reveal the morale bankruptcy of those opposing the democratic experiment in the new Iraq, and the Government pays no attention to fabricated statements issued by these parties." End Text KHALILZAD