FADILA ON THE SADRIST INSURRECTION: MILITARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000961 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/28/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV KISL IZ SUBJECT: FADILA ON THE SADRIST INSURRECTION: MILITARY SOLUTION NOT THE ANSWER Classified By: Political Counselor Matt Tueller for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In a telephone conversation with Poloff on March 28, Dr. Basim al-Hechaimi, Fadila bloc and COR member, shared his opinions on the Sadrist insurrection with Poloff. Stating that a "military solution is not the answer," Dr. Basim suggested that a parliamentary committee be formed to resolve the situation. Pressed about Fadila's recent call for an end to hostilities "as soon as possible," Dr. Basim remarked that a cease-fire is necessary to prevent a widespread humanitarian crisis from occurring. ¶2. (C) Dr. Basim also leveled harsh criticism at PM Maliki for rushing into the situation without discussing his plans with the other branches of government. Asked whether Fadila would support a "no-confidence" vote against the PM, Dr. Basim indicated that people should not rush to act based on emotion. In the next breath, though, he said that any "no-confidence" measure should be based not on this one issue, but on an overall assessment of Maliki's performance as PM. When pressed further, he refused to speculate on whether Fadila would support such a vote. Questioned about media reports indicating that Fadila militants have joined forces with the Sadrist militias in Basrah, Dr. Basim stated that Fadila has requested that its members remain at home, but he added that Fadila is a large organization and it would be impossible for the party to control the actions of all its members. Reiterating his earlier comments, Dr. Basim concluded the conversation by stating that the situation could not be solved militarily, and that there must be a concerted effort to stop the hostilities in Basrah as soon as possible. CROCKER