LOCAL TRIBAL SUPPORT COUNCIL SHEIKHS STAGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003654 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/18/2018 TAGS: PGOV IZ SUBJECT: LOCAL TRIBAL SUPPORT COUNCIL SHEIKHS STAGE DEMONSTRATION IN MUTHANNA REF: BAGHDAD 3569 Classified By: PRT Muthanna Team Leader Brad Lynch for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Muthanna reporting cable. ¶2. (C/REL) Summary: On November 15, a variety of influential tribal leaders incited a demonstration to protest recent Kurdish statements against the tribal Support Councils (SC). The peaceful demonstration of more than 1,000 people was designed to show support for the Maliki government, his branch of the Da'wa party, and the SC program more generally. The event, broadly covered by local media, was also an implicit power play against one of Maliki,s main rivals, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) party. End summary. ¶3. (C/REL) On November 15, a variety of influential tribal leaders, including Munem Jabbar Manshad al-Ageebi, Khaleel Jameel al-Jayashi, and Abu Cheffat, staged a peaceful demonstration to denounce recent Kurdish statements against the Support Council program. At least one other PRT has reported similar demonstrations in the recent past (see reftel from PRT Karbala). ¶4. (SBU) The demonstration march started at 0900 local time on River Street in Muthanna,s provincial capital of Samawah, and proceeded to Festival Square near the governor's office. At Festival Square, Abu Cheffat read a statement condemning Kurdish declarations against the SC program, which was broadcast on the local al-Muthanna television station. According to locally engaged staff hired by the PRT, more than 1,000 people participated in the demonstration. Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) were on hand to protect the crowd, but there were no reports of violence. ¶5. (C/REL) Comment: A number of sheikhs have privately told PRT staff that they support the Maliki government, not necessarily because they are in favor of his policies, but because he -- and by extension his branch of the Da'wa party -- are currently in power. In particular, Sheikh Nori Azara Al-Ma'ajoon, leader of the important Bani Hichaim tribe, said this to PRT staff in an October 2008 meeting. The PRT believes that many sheikhs joined the SC in order to curry favor with the Maliki government in order to be closer to the important patronage system. The Da'wa party helped organize the Muthanna demonstration in a similar fashion to the march by Support Council members in Karbala the same morning (reftel). ¶6. (C/REL) Comment, Cont.: Da'wa is weaker in Muthanna than in Karbala, and the Samawah demonstration was much more directed toward the local governance structure, and specifically the ISCI party. ISCI, which has the strongest presence among major parties on the Muthanna Provincial Council (PC),has been largely excluded from the SC program in the province. The demonstration,s official purpose, condemning Kurdish statements against the SC, was at best a secondary reason for the event. Major ISCI politicians in Muthanna, most notably PC Chairman Abdul Hussein al-Dhalimi, had no official comment on the march. PRT Muthanna believes that similar political events will be staged in the next several weeks as the provincial elections draw closer. End comment. CROCKER