Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAGHDAD2446
2008-08-05 07:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
how-toVZCZCXRO3346 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #2446 2180745 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 050745Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8679 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002446
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV IR IZ
SUBJECT: WASIT SADRIST: THERE IS NO MORE JAM
Classified By: Senior Advisor Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002446
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV IR IZ
SUBJECT: WASIT SADRIST: THERE IS NO MORE JAM
Classified By: Senior Advisor Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
Summary
--------------
1. (C) "The character of the GOI justifies Sadrist
resistance," claimed Sadrist Provincial Council (PC) Member
Ahmed Ebrah in a July 29 meeting with Senior Advisor Gordon
Gray and PRT members. However, Ebrah claimed that Sadr's
June 13 statement was tantamount to a dissolution of Jaysh
al-Mahdi (JAM) and that Sadr's stated intention to form a new
group to fight Coalition Forces was "just words spoken under
Iranian pressure." Ebrah confirmed that Sadrists would
participate in the provincial elections as independent
candidates or as part of other lists and said U.S. pressure
was needed to pass the elections law. He said he understood
the potential benefits of developing a relationship between
the U.S. and national Sadrist leadership but emphasized that
such meetings would need explicit authorization from Sadr.
End summary.
JAM is gone, no special group
--------------
2. (C) "The character of the GOI justifies Sadrist
resistance," claimed Ebrah. However, he said that following
Sadr's June 13 statement, "there is no more Jaysh al-Mahdi."
Ebrah added that the Sadrists realized most JAM members
lacked military experience and claimed that "We don't use
arms, even to defend ourselves." Sadr's June statement also
discussed the creation of a group "pointed...at the occupier
alone." Asked about the existence of this group, Ebrah
laughed and said "Where is it? I went to Najaf and asked
this question to Salah al-Obeidi. He said it was just words
spoken under Iranian pressure." Ebrah emphasized the
importance of following Arab, as opposed to Persian,
marja'iyya, accusing Iranians of reading Arabic improperly
and distorting the meaning of the Qu'ran. Asked about
connections between Lebanese and Iraqi Shi'a, Ebrah said that
each group followed its own religious leaders and any ties
that existed were informal in nature.
Sadrist participation in elections
--------------
3. (C) According to Ebrah, Sadrists support open lists,
reject the use of religious symbols in the elections, and
hope to field technocratic candidates. Ebrah added that
although Sadr forbade the Sadr Trend from participating in
elections, he had allowed individual members to participate,
and that many Sadrists were running as part of the Fadilah
party. He said that until now he had not decided whether and
how he would personally participate in the elections. Ebrah
predicted that Wasit's tribes will each run two to three
candidates, but dismissed all of Wasit's new and independent
parties and candidates as "powerless; not one of them is
well-known or has a decent chance." Ebrah said that U.S.
intervention was needed to pass the election law, and accused
President Jalal Talabani of acting according to "special
interests." "Where do they think they are going to take
Kirkuk?" he asked, "It will always be part of Iraq."
Message to U.S.
--------------
4. (C) Asked if he had a message for U.S. officials, Ebrah
said "Give us space and don't back us into a corner." He
claimed he understood the potential benefits of a
relationship between the U.S. and the Sadrist Trend, but that
developing national-level contacts would require explicit
authorization from Sadr. "It needs more time," he said. He
expressed concern over Iranian influence in southern Iraq and
called the U.S. an 'obstacle' to the Iranian government.
"Without the U.S.," he warned, Iran would destroy the Sadrist
Trend in Wasit."
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Comment: The most recent meeting with Ebrah highlights
the limits of southern U.S. engagement with Sadrists: while
provincial political leaders are increasingly willing to
meet, as of yet these engagements have failed to produce
actionable intelligence on Jaysh al-Mahdi noncompliant
special groups; increased engagement with national Sadrist
leadership; or a noticeable change in Sadr's rhetoric against
the 'occupation.' Ebrah's claim that Sadr's June 13
statement was tantamount to a dissolution of JAM has been
echoed by other Sadrist contacts, including Maysan Governor
Maliki. End comment.
CROCKER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2018
TAGS: PGOV IR IZ
SUBJECT: WASIT SADRIST: THERE IS NO MORE JAM
Classified By: Senior Advisor Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
Summary
--------------
1. (C) "The character of the GOI justifies Sadrist
resistance," claimed Sadrist Provincial Council (PC) Member
Ahmed Ebrah in a July 29 meeting with Senior Advisor Gordon
Gray and PRT members. However, Ebrah claimed that Sadr's
June 13 statement was tantamount to a dissolution of Jaysh
al-Mahdi (JAM) and that Sadr's stated intention to form a new
group to fight Coalition Forces was "just words spoken under
Iranian pressure." Ebrah confirmed that Sadrists would
participate in the provincial elections as independent
candidates or as part of other lists and said U.S. pressure
was needed to pass the elections law. He said he understood
the potential benefits of developing a relationship between
the U.S. and national Sadrist leadership but emphasized that
such meetings would need explicit authorization from Sadr.
End summary.
JAM is gone, no special group
--------------
2. (C) "The character of the GOI justifies Sadrist
resistance," claimed Ebrah. However, he said that following
Sadr's June 13 statement, "there is no more Jaysh al-Mahdi."
Ebrah added that the Sadrists realized most JAM members
lacked military experience and claimed that "We don't use
arms, even to defend ourselves." Sadr's June statement also
discussed the creation of a group "pointed...at the occupier
alone." Asked about the existence of this group, Ebrah
laughed and said "Where is it? I went to Najaf and asked
this question to Salah al-Obeidi. He said it was just words
spoken under Iranian pressure." Ebrah emphasized the
importance of following Arab, as opposed to Persian,
marja'iyya, accusing Iranians of reading Arabic improperly
and distorting the meaning of the Qu'ran. Asked about
connections between Lebanese and Iraqi Shi'a, Ebrah said that
each group followed its own religious leaders and any ties
that existed were informal in nature.
Sadrist participation in elections
--------------
3. (C) According to Ebrah, Sadrists support open lists,
reject the use of religious symbols in the elections, and
hope to field technocratic candidates. Ebrah added that
although Sadr forbade the Sadr Trend from participating in
elections, he had allowed individual members to participate,
and that many Sadrists were running as part of the Fadilah
party. He said that until now he had not decided whether and
how he would personally participate in the elections. Ebrah
predicted that Wasit's tribes will each run two to three
candidates, but dismissed all of Wasit's new and independent
parties and candidates as "powerless; not one of them is
well-known or has a decent chance." Ebrah said that U.S.
intervention was needed to pass the election law, and accused
President Jalal Talabani of acting according to "special
interests." "Where do they think they are going to take
Kirkuk?" he asked, "It will always be part of Iraq."
Message to U.S.
--------------
4. (C) Asked if he had a message for U.S. officials, Ebrah
said "Give us space and don't back us into a corner." He
claimed he understood the potential benefits of a
relationship between the U.S. and the Sadrist Trend, but that
developing national-level contacts would require explicit
authorization from Sadr. "It needs more time," he said. He
expressed concern over Iranian influence in southern Iraq and
called the U.S. an 'obstacle' to the Iranian government.
"Without the U.S.," he warned, Iran would destroy the Sadrist
Trend in Wasit."
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Comment: The most recent meeting with Ebrah highlights
the limits of southern U.S. engagement with Sadrists: while
provincial political leaders are increasingly willing to
meet, as of yet these engagements have failed to produce
actionable intelligence on Jaysh al-Mahdi noncompliant
special groups; increased engagement with national Sadrist
leadership; or a noticeable change in Sadr's rhetoric against
the 'occupation.' Ebrah's claim that Sadr's June 13
statement was tantamount to a dissolution of JAM has been
echoed by other Sadrist contacts, including Maysan Governor
Maliki. End comment.
CROCKER