S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000048

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV IZ IR
SUBJECT: JOURNALIST DESCRIBES MAYHEM IN BASRAH

REF: Basrah 47

BASRAH 00000048 001.2 OF 002


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

(S) Following the killing of Basrah Ja'ish al-Mahdi leader
Wissam al-Wa'eli (aka Abu Qadir) on May 25 (see reftel), Basrah
Regional Embassy Office IPAO contacted a local journalist who
works as an anonymous stringer for a western news organizations
(protect source) to inquire about the situation in Basrah. His
reply is below.

Begin text:

Dear Sir,

Actually, I sometimes do not understand what is going on in my
city, because of the ambiguity and selfish policies of the
political parties fighting for control. Their aim is to control
this rich city.

For many months, the Fadhila party, which includes Basrah
Governor Mohammed al-Wa'eli and 12 of the 42 members of the
Basrah Provincial Council, has been struggling to become the
dominant power in the city. If they lose Basrah, they will lose
Iraq. Al-Wa'eli and the Fadhila Party have been resisting
pressure to give up the governorship. The Fadhila spiritual
leader, Sheikh Yacubi, has focused his attention on Basrah.

Since the Iranian-backed clerics dislike Yacubi, Fadhila is
automatically against Iran's ambitions. Fadhila's policy
opposing Iran has created enemies. I cannot say that the
Fadhila politicians are all faithful and honest servants of
Iraq. But they are 50 percent loyal to Iraq and 50 percent
committed to Fadhila's interests. The enemies of the governor
and the Fadhila party dislike looking at the progress of Fadhila
party through the governor. They fear Fadhila's horizontal and
vertical expansion in the Arab homeland. They voice slogans
against the governor, but their deep meaning is to limit
Fadhila's expansion. The enemies's justification (for their
anti-Fadhila campaign) is corruption and shortage of public
services in the city. They are trying to persuade the masses of
people in Basrah.

The Fadhila enemies:
--------------


1. Half the members of the Basrah Provincial Council

2. Sayid Yusuf, the head of the Thar Allah militia, an old
enemy of the governor.

3. The Sayid Ashuhada organization which belongs to Abdul A

ziz
al-Hakim. Sayid Dagher runs this organization in Basrah.

4. The Badr organization, headed by former Basrah Governor
Hassan al-Rashid.

5. Hezbollah.

And as always the Office of the Martyr Sadr in Basrah is in the
middle of this disorder as well as some ugly persons who join
these allies.

Maybe there is a political struggle in Baghdad, but in Basrah
the struggle is for economic benefits and individual interests.
Iran wants to make Basrah a hot area for well known reasons. It
pays money to some forces to play vital roles against the
Fadhila Party.

Kuwait and Gulf states pay money to the other side to balance
the powers. Fadhila receives money from Gulf states. "We would
not cooperate with others, only with you," a Kuwaiti VIP said to
the governor. Another Kuwaiti person said the same thing to
Thar Allah's Sayid Yusuf and offered him money.

In the middle of this conflict are the victims, the people of
Basrah. These people blame the Americans and the British for
their suffering because they do not understand that they have
been misled by dishonest politicians.

Iraqi Forces
--------------
I feel embarrassed when I talk about Iraqi forces -- General Ali
Hammadi, who is head of the Emergency Security Committee, and
his brother, Mohammed Hammadi, who is Basrah chief of police. I
will give you this example. The Mahdi Army visited General Ali
Hammadi and asked him to pay $20,000 because they need money to
buy weapons!!!!. Imagine that this man runs security movements
in this big city. Or his brother, the chief of police. He is
scared of his shadow. All military forces ran away when there
were clashes in this city. The events of the recent days prove
what I say. Seventy percent of Iraqi police are involved with
political parties, and the chief of police is aware of this
fact. If anyone asks them about security, they always answer,
"we control the city."

BASRAH 00000048 002.2 OF 002



After the killing of Wissam al-Wa'eli (aka Abu Qadir), the
Basrah commander of the Mahdi Army, his loyalists spread through
the city with their weapons and:


1. No Iraqi Army troops were in the streets.

2. Police cars helped the Mahdi Army by opening streets for
them. Some police cars carried Iraqi flags and Mahdi fighters.

3. Military and police leaders ran away from their homes.

4. Seven RPGs were fired at the house of the Iraqi Army
commander, who then sent a delegation to the Mahdi Army and
swore that he was not behind the killing of Abu Qadir. Imagine,
sir! (See reftel.)

I visited the Basrah government building and the Provincial
Council last week:

1. No governor for one month.

2. Three members of the Provincial Council.

So who runs this city? For this reason, I said at the beginning
that I do not understand anything sometimes.

Dear sir, if you have the authority to change something in my
city for the sake of my people, tell me please and I am ready to
help.

Keep your promise not to reveal my name.
End text.

Comment: While the letter may sound in-part pro-Fadhila, his
assertions are consistent with what we hear from other sources.
End comment.
BONO