SADRISTS DECRY VETO OF PROVINCIAL POWERS LAW

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000632 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KISL IZ SUBJECT: SADRISTS DECRY VETO OF PROVINCIAL POWERS LAW ¶1. (S) A roundup of mosque sermons from different parts of Iraq indicates that the Sadrist/JAM faction is on the offensive against the Presidential Council's "veto" of the Provincial Powers Law (PPL). In Baghdad, Sheikh Abd al-Zahra al-Suwaydi, an imam at the al-Hikmah Mosque in Sadr City, complained that in vetoing the Provincial Powers Law, the GOI was attempting to subvert the Sadrists' "rightful" administration of the southern provinces. At the Kadimiyah Mosque in Baghdad, Sayid Hazim al-A'raji lamented that the worst mistake the Sadrists ever made was supporting the al-Maliki government and called for violent demonstrations against the GOI. Though few other imams were this extreme, several warned of dangerous repercussions for the GOI if this decision (i.e., the veto) was not reevaluated. Several imams questioned why the GOI and CF continue to detain Sadrists and JAM members in light of the recent cease-fire extension, while others asked why the same forces are rounding up new detainees. A d-Diwaniyah appears to be the focal point, with several imams singling out the large number of detainees that continue to be held in this city. At the Office of the Martyr Sadr in Sadr City, Sheikh Satar al-Batati called on Sadrists and JAM members to march peacefully on ad-Diwaniyah next Friday to pressure the GOI to release prisoners. ¶2. (S) Though many imams thanked the residents of Karbala for the warm welcome they extended to millions of Iraqis during the Arba'een commemorations, some commented that Sadrists were mistreated in Karbala. Specifically, they complained that their followers were not allowed to carry pictures of Moqtada al-Sadr and his father, and that transportation services were generally inadequate. In addition, there was little praise from the mosques for the GOI's handling of the pilgrimmage, with a few imams even blaming the Iraqi Police (IP) and CF for allowing the three attacks that occurred during Arba'een. CROCKER