Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08HILLAH63
2008-06-15 14:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
REO Hillah
Cable title:  

MEA SHEIKHS: FEED THE MOUTH, OWN THE MIND

Tags:  IZ IR PGOV PINR PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9758
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDIR RUEHKUK
DE RUEHIHL #0063 1671411
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151411Z JUN 08
FM REO HILLAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1096
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHIHL/REO HILLAH 1162
C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000063 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/15/2018
TAGS: IZ IR PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: MEA SHEIKHS: FEED THE MOUTH, OWN THE MIND

REF: HILLAH 00062

CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth M. Hillas, Team Leader, PRT Babil,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000063

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/15/2018
TAGS: IZ IR PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: MEA SHEIKHS: FEED THE MOUTH, OWN THE MIND

REF: HILLAH 00062

CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth M. Hillas, Team Leader, PRT Babil,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (U) This is a PRT Babil Cable.


2. (C) SUMMARY: Three of the key Mid-Euphrates Awakening (MEA)
sheikhs stressed that they have been loyal friends of the U.S.
and the Coalition and said the time had come for recognition
and compensation of their role in a June 10 meeting with the
PRT. For several hours the sheikhs levied assertions and
allegations concerning the Maliki government, Iranian-backed
political parties, and the future of the south. Topics raised
included the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA),Maliki's recent
visit to Iran, and Iranian meddling in Iraqi affairs, including
efforts to undermine the Coalition. They called for financial
assistance to the MEA, commenting pithily that if "you feed the
mouth, you own the mind." END SUMMARY.


3. (C) Babil PRT Deputy Team Leader met with Sheikhs Abdullah
Ghanam Shamran Al-Fatlawi, Abdul Karim Omran al-Shafi al-Yasar
and Adnan Rashid al-Hammad al-Mamuri at the Regional Embassy
Office (REO) on June 10. These Shia' leaders represent major
tribes in Babil, including the largely Sunni northern districts.
The conversation, which lasted well over three hours, ranged in
topics from the SOFA and upcoming elections to Maliki's most
recent visit to Iran, and the current political climate in
Babil. The sheikhs stressed that they fully supported Maliki
as well as the provisions of the SOFA as it was presented to the
GOI. They were disdainful of the Islamic Supreme Council of
Iraq (ISCI) and stated that the U.S. had brought ISCI to power,
hence it was the duty of the U.S. to remove ISCI from power.


4. (U) Maliki's recent visit to Iran troubled the sheikhs.
First there was their displeasure with his failure to wear a
tie. [Note: According to local lore the tie is recognized as a
'cross' and a symbol of the crusaders. Maliki, regularly known
to wear a tie conspicuously left it off during his visit with
Ayatollah Ali al-Khameni. End note.] The sheikhs were also
dismayed at the failure of the Iranians to have an Iraqi flag in
the meeting, when the Iranian flag was so prominently displayed.



5. (C) According to the MEA leaders, recent actions by the
province's Badr Corps (Badr) elements demonstrated that Badr was
preparing to attack Coalition Forces (CF). First, the sheikhs
raised recent attempts by Badr officials to remove the pistols
of the Iraqi Police (IP) in the province, including those
standing guard nearest to the REO. They described this as a
Badr attempt to secure arms for assassinations and attacks
against CF. Second, Badr purportedly held a recent meeting at
the Hillah Textile factory to plan for actions against CF.
Third, the sheikhs claimed that Badr is arranging for the
release of its cadres from prison by forging documents to allow
their release under the Amnesty law. [Note: The Ministry of
Justice has temporarily halted amnesty releases in order to
ensure there is no corruption following the recent arrest of
Director General Jum'aa, the head of prisons, and the discovery
of fraudulent release orders issued by him. End Note.] Fourth,
the MEA said that Hafiz al-Yassiri is the head of ISCI/Badr in
Hillah. [Note: This does not match with PRT information. Hafiz
al-Yassiri, also known as Sayyid Shihab al-Yassiri, was
appointed by Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim as ISCI's regional
coordinator. In that role Hafiz will nominate and form the
ISCI/Badr slate(s) in the upcoming provincial elections [see
reftel]. Governor Salam Salih al-Mahdi al-Muslimawi remains the
ISCI/Badr party head in the province (although he is not
expected to top the slates Hafiz is currently forming). End
note.]


6. (C) Shifting to the subject of elections, the MEA sheikhs
stated that they would support any list that the U.S. tells
them to support. [Note: Agreed Embassy-MNF-I guidance requires
neutrality and prohibits directing support to any Iraqi party to
the election. End note.] After initially fishing for a $25,000
payment to start a MEA political entity, then learning that the
deadline for registering political entities had expired, the
sheikhs shifted their efforts and appealed for financial support
to ensure the vote of their candidates on an U.S.-approved list.
As they put it, if you "feed the mouth, you own the mind."


7. (C) COMMENT: Despite having met with several of these
sheikhs, individually and among larger groups, in the past, the
PRT this time met with them collectively as representatives of
the MEA, in response to a CF request. The sheikhs offered
street rumors in a bid to find financing. END COMMENT.

YANAWAY