MUTHANNA TRIBAL LEADERS SUPPORT FOR SOFA,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003192

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR NEA/I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2018
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: MUTHANNA TRIBAL LEADERS SUPPORT FOR SOFA,
PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS

REF: BAGHDAD 3185

Classified By: PMIN Robert Ford for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: A delegation of Shia tribal leaders from
southern Iraq told Special Advisor Gray on September 24 they
supported the SOFA and expanded relations with the U.S. and
expressed concern about Iranian influence in the South. The
sheikhs looked forward to the upcoming provincial elections
and hoped the international community would play a vigorous
role in ensuring the election's credibility. While ISCI and
Da'wa were strong in the south, the sheikhs argued that open
lists would undercut their showing in an election. The
sheikhs, all from Muthanna province, decried lack of services
in the south and said they hoped more financial assistance
would be directed to tribes rather than political parties.
End Summary.

Support for SOFA
--------------


2. (C) Special Advisor Gray met with seven Shia tribal
leaders from Muthanna Province in southern Iraq on September
24 in Baghdad. The delegation expressed strong support for
the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and for
expanding relations with the U.S. Smoking and drinking tea
despite the Ramadan fast, the sheikhs assured Gray they had
"no agenda" with Iran and criticized (without elaborating on)
Iranian interference in the South. Gray welcomed the
sheikhs' support for the SOFA and said signing the agreement
was a top priority for the U.S.

Provincial Elections
--------------


3. (C) The sheikhs lauded the prospect of provincial
elections which they said were important for Iraqi unity
(Note: the discussion took place before the parliament's
passage of an elections law that afternoon. End Note.). They
supported the idea of open electoral lists. Expressing
concern that Iraq's Independent Higher Electoral Commission
(IHEC) was "controlled by political parties," they hoped the
U.S. would use its influence to ensure a free and fair
election. They wondered who would ensure the integrity of
the ballot boxes and whether there would be a rolling
election date.


4. (C) Gray said the U.S. shared the delegation's commitment
to free and fair elections and would engage with UNAMI and
NGOs on elections monitoring. IHEC and the GOI, however,
would have to address questions on process and conduct. This
is an Iraqi election, Gray stressed, and Iraqis have to
manage it. The U.S., he stressed, has good relations with
Iraq's political parties and did not support a particular
party or slate of candidates. Gray agreed that open list
balloting was more responsive to the needs of the Iraqi
people. Poloff described the various types of technical
assistance available through USG-funded democracy programs
and encouraged the sheikhs to make contact with organizations
such as the National Democratic Institute and International
Republican Institute.

Situation in the South
--------------


5. (C) The sheikhs described southern Iraq as neglected in
terms of resources and attention from the central government.
The region, with 70 percent of the population engaged in
agriculture and animal husbandry, needed more stable water
resources and more financial support, they said. They warned
that lack of central government support left the way open for
outside interference. Corruption in the Public Distribution
System hampered deliveries of basic foodstuffs. (Comment:
At a mid-September conference on the provision of services to
southern Iraq, governors and provincial council (PC) members
bemoaned to GOI officials shortages in everything from
electricity to medical resources to trash disposal.
Representatives from Muthanna cited a 60 percent shortage in
drinking water, high land prices, and shortages in
agricultural equipment as particularly acute. See Reftel).

ISCI and Da'wa
--------------


6. (C) Gray asked about the relative strength of the
influential Shia Islamist party ISCI in Muthanna, as well as
its coalition partner Da'wa. The delegation said the two
parties were strong but predicted that the provision of open
lists in the provincial elections would undercut their
showing (Comment: While the wishes of the Shia religious

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hierarchy have pushed ISCI to support open lists publicly,
contacts tell us that many party members privately prefer
closed lists and would benefit from them. End Comment).


CROCKER