FADHILA MEMBER CRITICIZES MALIKI FOR BASRAH OPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000042

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/4/2018
TAGS: PGOV PINR PINS PREL KDEM MOPS PBTS IR IZ
SUBJECT: FADHILA MEMBER CRITICIZES MALIKI FOR BASRAH OPERATION

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CLASSIFIED BY: Howell H. Howard, Director, U.S. Regional Embassy
Office, Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C//REL USA, MCFI) SUMMARY: Basrah Provincial Council (PC)
member and Fadhila insider, Sheikh Khazl Jaloob Falih al-Saidi
(aka Abu Salam),criticized Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's
Charge of the Knights (CoK) as a political move to eliminate the
Jaysh al-Mahdi so that the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq
(ISCI) could do better in future elections. He also claimed
that Maliki obtained Kurdish support for the operation by
striking an oil-related deal. Abu Salam tried to distance
Fadhila's guilt by association with JAM, but admitted that there
are ties. He was elusive as to Fadhila rejoining Maliki's
governing coalition and urged U.S. intervention to avoid
repeating the problems of the last provincial election. End
Summary.

"CHARGE OF THE KNIGHTS WAS POLITICAL"
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2. (C//REL USA, MCFI) Abu Salam met REO poloff on April 22. He
was thankful that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Charge of the
Knights (CoK) was helping to restore Basrah's peace. However,
he claimed it was politically motivated to improve the Islamic
Supreme Council of Iraq's (ISCI) future electoral chances. As
evidence, he said that operations were directed against the
Sadrists; ISCI/Badr/Dawa- affiliated Army and Police officers
were being promoted; technical directors were being switched out
for ISCI and Dawa members; and the central government was
violating the Constitution by sidelining the Governor and PC in
running Basrah's affairs. He also claimed that Maliki obtained
Kurdish support for CoK provided the PM would temporarily ignore
oil contracts the GOI considers illegal in Kurdistan and push
for passage of the hydrocarbons law.

WE'RE NOT SADRISTS, BUT WE KNOW SOME
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3. (C//REL USA, MCFI) Abu Salam eagerly downplayed rumors that
Fadhila militamen fought alongside the Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM)
during CoK. He said that Fadhila suffered such accusations only
because the two shared religious ties to the same Marjaiyah. In
fact, he claimed that JAM once raided Fadhila's HQ, killing one
person, injuring two and kidnapping ten. In the same breath,
however, he called GOI operations focused against JAM alone
"unfair." He admitted having links to Sadrists and was
pleasantly surprised when Poloff clarified the U.S. position,
saying that the U.S. is not opposed to the Sadrist movement but
to harmful activities against Iraqis and the Coalition and that
Sadrist energies were best channeled through the political
process.

DIVISION BETWEEN FADHILLA AND UIA
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4. (C//REL USA, MCFI) In response to our question of whether
Fadhila would rejoin Maliki's United Iraqi Alliance (UIA),Abu
Salam was elusive. He said that Fadhila needed to be treated
like an equal partner in the UIA. When the UIA asked Fadhila to
rejoin, he claimed Fadhila asked for a couple of ministries, but
was denied. He also said that Fadhila had earned Tehran's anger
for leaving the UIA and claimed that foreigners did not support
Fadhila.

ELECTIONS
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5. (C//REL USA, MCFI) Looking towards future elections, Abu
Salam predicted that the perceived favoritism of CoK towards
ISCI would increase the competition among the political parties
and ultimately, turn violent closer to the elections. He urged
the U.S. to fix the problems of previous elections: voter fraud
committed by polling station workers, party pressure on
electoral officers and lack of neutral observers. He also
supported an open list system to give rural candidates a better
chance at representation and to prevent religious clerics from
choosing which candidates served. What Basrah needed, he
opined, was a PC full of technocrats.

COMMENT
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6. (C//REL USA, MCFI) Abu Salam's complaints against CoK are
sour grapes given his admitted ties to the Sadrists. He is
reportedly one of Fadhila's most influential members, dangerous,
religious and possibly tied to Iran. According to some, he may
represent a factional split in Fadhila competing against

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Governor Mohammed Wa'eli. He was distressed we raised such
rumors, claimed Fadhila was united, but said that he and the
Governor disagreed on some religious matters. That said, Abu
Salam is a close friend of Wa'eli's brother, Ismael, who runs
Fadhila's militia, which may explain why Abu Salam is considered
to be dangerous. End Comment.
HHOWARD