FADILLAH EMISSARIES SEEK CLOSER TIES WITH U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000028 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/15/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ IR SUBJECT: FADILLAH EMISSARIES SEEK CLOSER TIES WITH U.S. REF: (A) 06 BASRAH 112, (B) 06 BASRAH 156 BASRAH 00000028 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Louis Bono, Director, Basrah Regional Embassy Office, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) CONFIDENTIAL SIPDIS PROG 04/15/07 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: FADILLAH EMISSARIES SEEK CLOSER TIES WITH U.S. REFS: (A) 06 BASRAH 112, (B) 06 BASRAH 156 ¶1. (C) Summary. Two senior figures in Fadillah, Sheikh Abbas al-Zaydi from al-Kut Province, and Ismail al-Wa'eli, the younger brother of Basrah Governor Mohammed al-Wa'eli, met with the Basrah Regional Embassy Office (REO) director April 12. Sheikh Abbas said that Fadillah is interested in improving its relations with the United States and Britain and distancing itself from Islamic parties, particularly OMS and SCIRI. The younger al-Wa'eli made a buffoonish effort to convince the REO director that his reputation as his older brother's commander of Fadillah kidnapping and assassination squads is untrue. The visit of the two Fadillah members came at a time of rising political tensions in Basrah. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Sheikh Abbas told the director that Fadillah seeks to improve its ties with the United States and Britain, following its March 2007 withdrawal from Prime Minister Maliki's United Iraqi Alliance (UIA),which he derided as Iranian "proxies." Abbas said the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and the Office of Martyr Sadr (OMS) have hereditary, family-based power structures; are deaf to dialogue; and a threat to Fadillah, which welcomes closer ties with the MNF Coalition. The sheikh said that Fadillah refuses to subjugate itself to Iran. Rather, it seeks to define itself as a nationalist, non-sectarian organization, supported by all Iraqi Arabs. He added that Fadillah is trying to expand beyond its power base in southern Iraq by establishing branches in Kirkuk, Mosul and Anbar. ¶2. (C) Ismail al-Wa'eli, the younger brother of the Basrah Governor, piggy-backed on Sheikh Abbas' visit to meet the REO director and presented himself as the new chief of Fadillah's international bureau. Ismail made a pathetic, long-winded denial of wide-spread reports that he commands his older brother's assassination and kidnapping squads. He showed the director his gaudy ring and wrist watch encrusted with shiny stones, and bragged that his jewelry cost "$240,000," money he made as a "businessman 18 years ago." (Note: Ismail is about 35 years old. For more on Ismail's buffoonish manner and murderous reputation, see ref A.) He said he just returned from Baghdad where he accompanied his brother to meetings with General Petraeus and senior commercial officers in the U.S. Embassy. Commenting on the planned April 16 street demonstrations in Basrah to remove Governor al-Wa'eli, Ismail said that his brother took office through the democratic process and will leave office the same way. (Note. Last September Sheikh Abbas and Ismail were parties to conspiratorial talks about forming a political group to unseat Prime Minister Maliki. Abbas and Ismail accompanied Governor Wa'eli to Dubai where the talks took place. Salih al-Mutlaq, Nadeem al-Jabiri and Sheikh Muzahim, the head of the Basrah tribal council, were the other participants. See ref B.) ¶3. (C) Abbas and Ismail questioned the REO director about his views of Fadillah, the governor and Ismail. "I hear bad reports about you and your brother," the director said to Ismail. "Given your reputation, I think it is important for Fadillah to build support among the common people." The director silenced Ismail's renewed flurry of protestations, by asking, when the next elections come, if there are no jobs, roads, or electricity, who will the people blame? "The governor," Ismail said meekly. The director said that was the point: regardless BASRAH 00000028 002.2 OF 002 what the political opponents say, the governor's and Fadillah's actions to improve the lives of the people of Basrah will speak more loudly. He added that the United States does not support or oppose any political party but will work with any that share the goal of building a stable, prosperous Iraq that is at peace with its neighbors. ¶4. (C) Comment. Sheikh Abbas' and Ismail's visit comes at a time that Fadillah's relations with OMS and SCIRI, the dominant parties in Prime Minister Maliki's government, show signs of growing strain. Governor al-Wa'eli and local Fadillah members have been increasingly cooperative with the REO and the British since the beginning of 2007 when Britain made clear that it intends to reduce its military presence in Basrah and turn responsibility for security over to Iraqi authorities later this year. The REO director's two-hour meeting with Abbas and Ismail provided an opportunity to obtain first-hand impressions of two Fadillah members who have engaged in high stakes political discussions. Ismail's shameless self-aggrandizement and mendacity poison Fadillah's attempts to portray itself as a competent, honest political party. Nevertheless, he has been a source of reliable information in the past on matters unrelated to himself and his brother. End comment. BONO