PRT MAYSAN: ABU HATIM THE PRINCE OF THE MARSHES

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000458 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2018 TAGS: PINR IZ SUBJECT: PRT MAYSAN: ABU HATIM THE PRINCE OF THE MARSHES Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Greg D'Elia for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Maysan biographical reporting cable. ¶2. (SBU) Summary and comment: Kareem Mahood al-Muhammadawi, aka Abu Hatim or 'The Prince of the Marshes,' is a charismatic and controversial figure in Maysani politics. A former guerilla who fought against the Saddam regime, Abu Hatim was the dominant political force in Maysan immediately after the 2003 invasion. Since resigning from the Interim Governing Council he has concentrated on provincial-level politics and is associated with the founding of two tribal-based political groups. Abu Hatim's continuing machinations, including a failed plot to be installed as governor, point to his own ambition as well as popular and tribal dissatisfaction with the current govnerment. End Summary and comment. Opposition to Saddam -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Abu Hatim is known as the 'Prince of the Marshes' for his role as leader of the Hizballah (Party of God) militia that fought a &War of Fleas8 against Saddam,s forces after the aborted Shi,a uprising. (Note: The Iraq Hizballah is not affiliated with the Lebanese group by the same name and is not known to have any ties with Iran. End Note.) Estimates of the size of his guerilla group, mostly composed of fellow tribal members, vary widely. Post-invasion politics -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In 2003, the British determined Abu Hatim's powerbase to lie primarily among the Shadda tribes of the an-Nawafil, the Albu Bakhait, and the Albu Ghanam. He exploited the power vacuum in Maysan following the collapse of the former regime to install himself as the dominant force in the province from April to October 2003. He briefly served as a member of the Interim Governing Council in Baghdad, but resigned in protest over U.S. operations in Fallujah in 2004. His resignation may have reflected the fact that most of his tribesmen had joined the Sadrist movement and hundreds of them had been killed in the insurrection. Abu Hatim resigned as leader of Iraqi Hizballah in December 2005. ¶5. (S/NF) Since his resignation Abu Hatim seems to have focused his energies at the provincial level. He has established himself as a successful businessman with construction interests in the province. Abu Hatim reportedly founded two tribal-based advocacy groups, the Maysan Noble's Council and the National Front for the Salvation of the South. At present, the role of these groups seems limited to an advocacy role for otherwise underrepresented groups in Maysan (Note: Further information on these tribal groups will be reported septel. End Note.) Leader or con man? -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Readouts on Abu Hatim's popularity vary. One recent visitor to the PRT described him as an ardent self-promoter who didn,t bring much to the table, whereas another Maysani visitor said that he was held in high regard by much of the population. British sources hold that his support initially derived from Kuwait and the West, but he has since claimed to have severed those ties. Abu Hatim is reportedly not a &shaykh8 or a formal tribal leader, but he is described as an effective, charismatic, eloquent speaker and a proven tribal/political boss, if occasionally prone to hysteria and overreaction. He is ostensibly pro-Coalition Forces (CF),but clearly motivated by self-interest. On numerous occasions Abu Hatim played a mediating role between CF and the local population and in inter-tribal disagreements. ¶7. (S) According to U.S. Military reporting in May/June 2007, the heads of Maysan,s most influential tribes and al- Amara,s JAM leadership intended to replace current Governor Adhil Mhoder Radhi al-Maliki with Abu Hatim. In accepting the appointment of governor, Abu Hatim reportedly agreed to a one-year probationary term to accomplish the objectives he had set forth. Abu Hatim promised to resign at the end of the one-year period if he failed to accomplish the following tasks: significantly improve living conditions, improve the delivery of electricity and water, build new hospitals, improve the roads and reduce the number of extrajudicial killings. (Note: For reasons that are unclear this replacement did not occur. End Note.) CROCKER