BABIL SADRISTS HOLD "RECONCILIATION" CONFERENCE

UNCLAS HILLAH 000048 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV IZ IR PTER SUBJECT: BABIL SADRISTS HOLD "RECONCILIATION" CONFERENCE ¶1. (U) This is a PRT Babil cable. ¶2. (SBU) Office of the Martyr Sadr (OMS) Babil leader Shaykh Sadiq al-Isawi and Council of Representatives (COR) Member Ahmad al-Massudi invited tribal shaykhs, governmental officials, and political party representatives to the Provincial Artist Union meeting hall on April 19 for what was coined a "reconciliation" conference. The meeting was organized in response to the tribal gathering called by Governor Salim Salah al-Mahdi and Abu Muhammad al-Issawi during the clashes in Basra. Although described as a reconciliation gathering, the meeting was more a recap of the violent events of early March/early-April and the perceived mistreatment of Sadr trend followers by the government of Iraq. ¶3. (SBU) Despite the approximately 250 invitations disseminated to the provincial political community, the conference was primarily attended by Babil tribal leaders. Shaykh Sadiq and COR member al-Massudi criticized the dominant political parties, specifically ISCI and Dawa, who refused to send representatives to the meeting. Abu Mohammad al-Issawi was the governor's only unofficial representative and he left the meeting visibly frustrated after less than an hour. Sadrist provincial council members Kadhum Majid Tuman and Hassan Mihrij attended, but did not speak. Common themes included: criticism of al-Furat news for portraying all Sadrists as criminals; concerns that the current political players are instigating Shia on Shia violence to better position themselves in upcoming elections; and the possibility of OMS negotiations with the USG. ¶4. (SBU) At the close of the three-hour meeting the delegation announced several demands. First, they request that the government respect the human rights of all the provincial players. Second, they seek the current leadership's adherence to the rule of law. Third, they demand tribal support. Finally, Shaykh Sadiq announced the establishment of several committees; one to look into recent assassinations, one to visit detainees in local prisons, and one to assess the damage to buildings and infrastructure as a result of the March and early-April violence. ¶5. (SBU) Following the meeting, provincial political players told the PRT that they were in fact invited, but refused to attend. Dawa Babil party head Abu Ahmed al-Basri told the PRT that he had to decline the invitation in order to follow the Prime Minister's directive not to have any dialogue with OMS unless Jaysh al-Mahdi elements turned in their arms. PC member Tuman praised the gathering and encouraged USG interference in "cleaning up" the Iraq Security Forces (ISF). Tuman criticized the Provincial Director of Police General Fadhil Raddad for kowtowing to the political leaders in the province and expressed concern that IA Commander General Abdul Amir Kamal would follow a similar path thus leading to rampant corruption throughout the ISF. HILLAS