WASIT ISCI PARTY CHIEF SLAMS DA'WA, SADRISTS, AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003024

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: WASIT ISCI PARTY CHIEF SLAMS DA'WA, SADRISTS, AND
IRAN

REF: A. BAGHDAD 2471

B. BAGHDAD 2089

C. BAGHDAD 1761

D. 07BAGHDAD 0212

Classified By: PRT Wasit Team Leader Robert Kagler for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).


1. (C) Summary. PRT met on September 14 at al-Kut's ISCI
headquarters building with Wasit ISCI party chief Ahmed
al-Hakim. Al-Hakim is vehemently critical of Da'wa and the
tribal support council concept, and mildly negative about
ISCI's electoral prospects given public irritation over the
lack of services. He was dismissive of Sadrist electoral
prospects and criticized Iran for helping arm Jaysh al-Mahdi
(JAM) fighters. Al-Hakim also made a renewed plea for the
release of detained Provincial Council (PC) members Sayid
Qasim al-Araji and Fadhil Jasim Mohammed al-Zirgani. End
summary.

Provincial Elections Law Leads to Shifting Alliances
-------------- --------------


2. (C) PRT met September 14 at al-Kut's ISCI headquarters
building with Wasit ISCI party chief Ahmed al-Hakim and ISCI
media affairs chief Qasim al-Lami. Hakim described ISCI's
preferred alternative elections proposal, using the 2005 law
but with the addition of open lists. "We must have elections
by the end of the year, for the good of the country, for the
good of the country, for the legitimacy of the PC." Dawa,s
role in ramming an elections law through the CoR in July has
significantly strained ISCI's working relationship with
Da'wa. "Da'wa took some steps without thinking," al-Hakim
said, adding that the relationship in Wasit had suffered as a
result. &We do not work harmoniously with Da'wa in Wasit
now. We work with the Communists and with (Independent PC
member, and son-in-law of al-Kut Sistani representative) Saad
Sharhan," he commented.

Tribal Support Councils Too Powerful
--------------


3. (C) Additional stress is building between the parties as a
result of Da'wa pushing the Tribal Support Council (TSC)
concept. "ISCI supported the TSCs in Anbar when the
government was weak. But we are afraid that the councils
will get too strong and will be supervising the security
forces, and that is not right," said al-Hakim. (Note:
Al-Hakim used interchangeable phrases when describing TSCs
and Sons of Iraq units.) "If the national government is
sending us the names of people that we have no control over,
that is a problem. We have very strong tribes here. We
could take 100 people from each tribe and direct them to
assist the security forces. There is probably a political
motive here: Da'wa wants these tribes to support them during
the elections. But they need to follow the regulations of
the Iraqi Security Forces." Asked to clarify, al-Hakim said
the idea of taking 100 members from each tribe was "an idea,"
not a plan. (Note. Although there have been reports of as
many as 20 TSCs in Wasit, al-Hakim referred to just one, the
League of Sayyids and Tribes -- Rabbatat al Sadat wal Ashayer
-- which is run by Sheikh Mohammed Reda al Nomani. End note.)


4. (C) Al-Hakim decried government tendencies to centralize
power and undermine democratic principles. The strength of
the country, he said, is in the constitution, but the
constitution is being ignored. "We have to follow the
constitution even when it does not benefit us directly. The
Supreme Court is just people writing on paper. But in the
future it could be the most powerful institution in the
country." Asked for examples of transgressions against the
constitution, he mentioned Iraqi Army activities in Khanaqin
and the proliferation of TSCs.

Electoral Prospects
--------------


5. (C) Asked about the common refrain among Wasit's political
class (REF A) that ISCI will seek to manipulate voting and
elections results, al-Hakim was unfazed: "People just talk.
There has been no official discussion of influence in
elections. In fact, we have helped IHEC by getting the word
out about registering, on our TV station (al Nahrain) and
during the elections we will provide donkeys to help rural
voters get to the polls."


6. (C) Asked about ISCI's political prospects in provincial
elections (REFS B and C) al-Hakim did not raise expectations,
and again returned the discussion to the power of tribes.
"The security operations in Basrah and Mosul have helped push
us (ISCI) up a little, but we are hurt much more by public
unhappiness at the lack of services." He argued, however,

BAGHDAD 00003024 002 OF 002


that ISCI will still attract support since maybe 80 or 90
percent of the members for other parties are based in al-Kut,
whereas ISCI maintains strength in the outer areas. "The
simple people in the countryside follow the marja'iyya and
their sayyid. The tribes have a strong connection with the
rural people, and we have a solid bond with the tribes, who
respect Sayyid Mohammed Mohsin al-Hakim going back 50 years."

Role of Religious Leaders
--------------


7. (C) Al-Hakim described the role of religious leaders in
steering voters as a one-two punch, in which senior leaders
encourage voting in general while local clerics give more
direct guidance to voters. "The marja'iyya are concerned
that the people will not vote. There has to be a
relationship between the people and the ballot box. It is
forbidden to direct the congregation of a mosque in how to
vote, but during Ramadan, in the evening, the sayyids give
public lectures on moral topics, and they also discuss
political matters and how to vote."

Sadrists and Iran
--------------


8. (C) Asked about Sadrist electoral prospects, al-Hakim
noted that "Sadr does not want anyone who enters the
Muhamidoon to run for office, so the Sadrists will run under
Jaafari's National Reform Trend (tayyar al-islah al-watani)
and some will run as independents. The Sadrists have made
some big mistakes. Now that they are getting help from Iran
and the people are beginning to hate Iran for contributing to
violence here."

Request to Release Detainees
--------------


9. (C) In conclusion, al-Hakim turned to the continuing
detention of PC members Sayid Qasim al-Araji and Fadhil Jasim
Mohammed al-Zirgani (a.k.a. Abu al-Tayyib). (Note: CF
detained both members on January 16, 2007 during a PC
meeting, see REF D. End note.) "It would be a good thing
for the American forces to release these men. It would
change the image of U.S. forces, and it would be a gift to
two powerful tribes. It would build a bridge of love and
respect." PRT explained that a recent review of the cases
indicated that they would not be released soon, but noted
that control over many detainees could shift, post the
expiration of the UN Mandate.


10. (C) Comment. Al-Hakim was at pains to talk up ISCI's
connections with Wasit's tribes, which he described as the
second most important force in Wasit politics after the
marja'iyya. The latter's apparent reticence to endorse
candidates leaves tribal leaders holding more power than they
did in the 2005 cycle, per al-Hakim. (Note. Tribal groups
have virtually no representation in the current PC. End
note.) Al-Hakim's criticism of Iran is more perplexing, but
may be nothing more than his way of pushing back on the
common criticism of his party's linkages with that country.
End comment.
CROCKER