SADR ENRAGED BY PM'S APPEAL TO IRAN

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 000922

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2023
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: SADR ENRAGED BY PM'S APPEAL TO IRAN

Classified By: Pol Counselor Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S) In a brief pull-aside with Sadirst CoR member Baha
al-Araji this morning, Baha said that he had personally
advised PM Maliki several days ago not to travel to Basra.
"I knew about his trip, even though it was supposed to be a
secret." Al-Araji told the PM that no matter how long his

SIPDIS
visit to Basrah, he (Maliki) would inevitably have to return
to Baghdad and would not have resolved all of Basrah's
problems. He predicted that further chaos would ensue, as
Basrah residents would conclude that if even their
commander-in-chief could not restore order, then there was
truly no functioning order in the city.


2. (S) Al-Araji added that he is in phone contact with
Muqtada al-Sadr, who he insisted has not lost control over
the Sadrist movement. Al-Araji attributed the IDF attacks on
the Green Zone to JAM Special Groups, which he likened to
uneducated, emotional children (who, he conceded, happen to
be armed by Iran and looking for a reason to fight). In
contrast, he said that the forces fighting in Basrah were
mainstream JAM. He compared Muqtada to a father trying to
get several unruly children to behave. Al-Araji said that he
personally remains open to any dialogue with the GOI aimed at
peacefully resolving the crisis, but seemed skeptical that
Maliki would agree to dialogue at the moment. Baha noted
that Muqtada al-Sadr was furious when he learned that PM
Maliki had spoken to the Iranians asking them to pressure
Muqtada to cool things down. "We should solve our problems
without foreign interference," Muqtada told Al-Araji.
Al-Araji agreed to remain in contact with the Embassy and
acknowledged that the U.S. and most Iraqis share a similar
interest in ensuring Iraq's stability.
CROCKER