ABU HATEM URGES U.S. TALK WITH IRAN, SYRIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000027

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/12/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ IR
SUBJECT: ABU HATEM URGES U.S. TALK WITH IRAN, SYRIA

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CLASSIFIED BY: Louis Bono, Director, Basrah Regional Embassy
Office, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



CONFIDENTIAL

SIPDIS
PROG 04/12/07
LLBONO
PCKURATA

EXEC POL

REO BASRAH
SECSTATE WASHDC, PRIORITY
WHITE HOUSE NSC WASHDC, PRIORITY
SECDEF WASHINGTON DC, PRIORITY
IRAQ COLLECTIVE
IRAN COLLECTIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958; DECL
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ IR
SUBJECT: ABU HATEM URGES U.S. TO TALK WITH IRAN, SYRIA


1. (C) Maysan's legendary resistance leader Abu Hatem (Abdul
Kareem Mahod) met with the director of the Regional Embassy
Office (REO) Basrah Louis Bono April 8 and urged the U.S.
government to open talks with Iran and Syria. "There can be no
stability in Iraq without dialogue with Iran and Syria," he
said. Nicknamed the Prince of the Marshes for his leadership of
the Marsh Arabs against Saddam Hussein, Abu Hatem admitted that
he is in contact with Iran for "strategic reasons." He added
that genuinely warm relations do not exist between the peoples
of the two countries. He declined to name his Iranian contacts,
but reported that Iran's intelligence agency backs the Ja'ish
al-Mahdi (JAM) militia, ostensibly loyal to Moqtada al-Sadr,
while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard supports the forces of the
Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI),led
by Abdel Aziz al-Hakim. Iraq is the battleground for Iran's
internal power struggle, he said. Abu Hatem added that a
Washington-Teheran dialogue also would provide a framework for
the United States to address Iran's uranium enrichment program
and for Iran to air its security anxieties caused the U.S.
military presence in its eastern and western neighbors.


2. (C) Abu Hatem said the Iraqi people are caught between the
hammer of the United States and the anvil of Iran. In his view,
the Iraqi leaders, who are largely returned exiles from Iran,
are out of touch with the suffering of the Iraqi people. He
asserted that the United States and its British allies are
responsible for the Iraq debacle, removing Saddam Hussein only
to allow hundreds of small dictators to replace him. "The
United States needs to change course, then good things can begin
to happen," he said. He added that the United States has tried
to build a new political order in Iraq without knowledge of
local conditions. He laughed derisively at the Coalition plan
to implement Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) in Maysan Province
April 18. "PIC is a joke. The Governor is an OMS (JAM)
member," he said. He added that militia warfare will break out
in Maysan between JAM and SCIRI. He described the JAM gunmen as
brainless rabble, intent only on wreaking violence, but said the
SCIRI forces have a far-reaching political vision. Abu Hatem
said that the Coalition squandered opportunities to stabilize
Iraq by ignoring his counsel to initiate massive educational
exchanges between American and Iraqi universities and to create
jobs for unemployed youths who have since been recruited by the
militias.


3. (C) The REO director agreed with Abu Hatem's assessment of
the dire future prospects and the lack of effective political
leadership. "Iraq is at a fork in the road. It can become like
Dubai. Or it can become like Somalia," he said. The director
said that the United States came to Iraq with the intent of
bringing peace and democracy, but after four years, it is
unclear how much longer the Coalition can stay in Iraq. What is
clear, the director said, is that the Coalition can not do the
job alone. "We need to mobilize Iraqi civic leaders, who are
trusted by the people and who share our vision for a better
Iraq," he said. As for Abu Hatem's suggestion to open talks
with Iran, the director noted that Secretary Rice has stated
that she will meet her Iranian counterpart anywhere to discuss
any topic if Iran ceases its uranium enrichment and reprocessing
program.


4. (C) Comment. Abu Hatem's recommendation for talks with Iran
and his assessment of Coalition failures in Iraq carry a lot of
weight because of his towering reputation as an Iraqi
nationalist who stayed in Iraq and resisted Saddam then threw

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his support behind the Coalition after Saddam was toppled. End
comment.
BONO