IRANIANS SEEK TO THWART TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS

S E C R E T BASRAH 000115 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV ETRD IZ IR SUBJECT: IRANIANS SEEK TO THWART TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS REF: (A) BASRAH 103 (B) BASRAH 107 CLASSIFIED BY: Louis L. Bono, Director, Basrah Regional Embassy Office, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (S) Regional Embassy Officers met December 11 with representatives of a new tribal gathering called the Independent National Iraqi Tribal Assembly (INITA) (ref. A). The goal of their assembly is to end sectarianism, emancipate the political parties from religion, and unify Iraq. Their assembly is comprised of educated technocrats, local NGOs, and tribal sheikhs representing 33 tribes. They view themselves more as a civil society group than a political party with an all-inclusive membership regardless of religion; loyalty to Iraq, however, is paramount. They opened a headquarters in Basrah, but efforts were underway to slowly expand into Maysan, Dhi Qar, and Muthanna. They met last week in Baghdad with Tribal Affairs officials from the Prime Minister's Office and were encouraged by those representatives to continue their efforts. Representing INITA were General-Secretary Sheikh Lazim al-Ta'ie, Political Chief Sheikh Dosari, Assembly Member Sheikh Fadhil Rashid, and Head of Human Rights Abadi Mejman. ¶2. (S) They also said they are very concerned about countering Iranian influence through information operations. They estimated that 50-60 percent of Iranian intervention in Iraq occurs in Basrah and noted that Iranian intelligence has satellite offices throughout the province. Iranian agents, they claimed, have been infiltrating Basrah, the militias, and the Iraqi Security Forces for the past four years; can operate at will; and have laid the groundwork for Iranian domination in southern Iraq. They also claimed that Iran has undermined Iraqi farmers and manufacturers to push Iranian products into the markets and has targeted technocrats and professors to promote Iranian ideas. (Note: While foodstuffs do come in from Kuwait and grains come in through the seaports, other contacts have told us that most fresh produce in Basrah comes from Iran. End note.) ¶3. (S) Iran is extremely concerned over the successes of USG tribal engagement, they said and is seeking to pre-empt US efforts in the region. Already, several sheikhs in their assembly from Basrah and Amarah had been contacted by Iranian agents who said that Iran was closer to Iraq than the U.S. and promised support. Mejman added that Iranian agents are working with a Basrah Provincial Council member to recruit tribal sheikhs. He said the plan is to have the sheikhs approach the REO to establish a southern version of the Anbar model. They concluded that if the USG did not act soon to engage tribal leaders in the region, Iran's influence over the south would increase. (See ref. B.) ¶4. (S) Comment: Al-Ta'ie's assembly is not to be confused with another group recently formed called the Independent National Democratic Tribal Assembly, who claimed in a 23 November Al-Jazeera broadcast to have 300,000 signatures condemning Iranian influence in Iraq. Al-Ta'ie and Dosari admitted to hearing of this other group led by Sheikh Jassim al-Kazim, but questioned whether Kazim's group really existed as they have no contact with it. End Comment. BONO