REO BASRAH CHALLENGES LOCAL MEDIA

UNCLAS BASRAH 000006

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO IZ PGOV MOPS EAID ENRG
SUBJECT: REO BASRAH CHALLENGES LOCAL MEDIA

REF: BASRAH 002


1. Summary. The Regional Embassy Office (REO) in Basrah hosted
a luncheon on January 3 for four journalists from Basrah and
Maysan provinces. The journalists focused on the security
situation and expressed a desire to maintain frequent contact.
The REO director stated that he wants to build a long-term
relationship with the local media that goes beyond discussing
problems and focuses on solutions. He challenged the
journalists to play a role in developing civil society. Plans
are under way to organize press briefings on U.S. Army Corps of
Engineer and British-led Multinational Force Division -
Southeast (MND-SE) operations. End Summary.


2. On January 3, 2007, REO Basrah invited three journalists
from Basrah and one from Maysan province to a luncheon in the
first step of our new public outreach program. The journalists
-- Majed al-Braikan of Radio Sawa; Abbas al-Fayad of Iraqiya TV;
Nathem Jawad of al-Basrah, the provincial council newspaper; and
Nazar Abdul Wahed of al-Sabah newspaper and other publications
in Maysan province -- engaged in an animated and frank
discussion with the director, deputy, and public diplomacy
officer (PDO). A British military press officer also
participated in part of the conversation.


3. The candid, off-the-record discussion focused on security
and economic issues besetting Basrah and Maysan. Jawad
criticized the recent disbanding of the Serious Crimes Unit
(SCU) and the demolition of the SCU headquarters building by
British forces. (Note: The SCU was infested by JAM and other
militia members who carried out assassinations, kidnappings and
extortion. Following the raid, Jawad's employer, the Basrah
Provincial Council disengaged from MND-SE in protest against the
attack. In contrast, the people of Basrah expressed support for
the raid. End note.) (See reftel.) Al-Braikan and al-Fayad
defended the operation, saying it freed scores of detainees who
had been tortured and probably would have been killed by the
SCU. The journalists complained that the lack of security was
impeding economic growth and fueling the militias. They also
complained about electricity shortages, receiving at times, only
four hours a day. They asked what is the Coalition going to do
about these problems.


4. The director stated that he is interested in developing a
long-term relationship with the media that would not focus on
the problems but instead on solutions. He dispelled the myth
that the Coalition alone is capable of solving all the problems
in southern Iraq. He said the U.S. government has sent
representatives to Basrah to help the people, but instead we are
subjected to daily mortar and rocket attacks. He talked about
the role of the media in democratic societies and challenged
them to speak out against militia violence and corrupt police,
acknowledging the risks they face. For our next meeting, he
asked the journalists to devise solutions, and said we would
discuss our respective roles in this process.


5. The journalists expressed a need to maintain regular contact
with the REO and with British forces. They noted the public is
out of touch with the efforts of the Coalition. The director
expressed his intention to hold regular roundtable discussions
and press conferences to convey information about Coalition
efforts in southern Iraq. The PDO pointed out that the United
States has spent huge sums on electricity and other
infrastructure projects, some of which are sabotaged by the
militants. The PDO offered to arrange press conferences with
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and British military officials
on Coalition reconstruction projects. The PDO also raised the
prospect of training programs for regional journalists. Both
offers were welcomed.


6. Comment. The current security environment has made it
difficult for us to maintain outside contacts. Nonetheless, we
plan on pressing ahead with a vigorous outreach program, and the
media luncheon was the first successful step. The guests said
they were delighted by the effort to renew regular contact with
U.S. officials. Jawad requested an interview with the director,
which the director agreed to schedule in late January. In a
similar vein, the PDO has scheduled a joint press conference by
British and Iraqi brigade commanders on Operation Sinbad, a
joint UK-Iraqi reconstruction operation funded by U.S. dollars.
End Comment.

BONO