IRANIAN KURDISH PARTY OUTLINES GOI SUPPORT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 STOCKHOLM 000585 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018 TAGS: PTER KDEM PREL PINR SW IR SUBJECT: IRANIAN KURDISH PARTY OUTLINES GOI SUPPORT FOR ANSAR AL-ISLAM Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robert Silverman for reasons 1.4(b)and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Salah Sharafi, a leading member of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) and Hussam Heydari, a local Swedish member, met with the Charge on August 13 and underscored the importance of the KDPI chapter in Sweden. The KDPI Sweden chapter is the largest in Europe, with 4,000 members, as well as youth and women's branches, two newspapers, and a radio station. During the meeting Sharafi outlined Iranian government support for Ansar al-Islam. He blamed the Iranian government for the kidnappings and killings of KDPI members in Iraq and the arrest of nine Kurdish journalists in Iran, most recently the week of August 3rd. As Post develops further contacts with KDPI, we might consider requesting a small grant for the group based on its activities in Sweden. ¶2. (C) KDPI LEADER IN SWEDEN TO MEET WITH LOCAL MEMBERS: On August 13, Salah Sharafi, advisor to his brother Hassan Sharafi who is the Deputy Secretary General for KDPI and Hussam Heydari, a Swedish KDPI member and President of the local Kurdish Union Association, met with the Charge. Sharafi highlighted KDPI's strong democratic principles and its desire to maintain positive relations with the United States. Sharafi stated KDPI was interested in receiving a U.S. government message that could be read at the upcoming KDPI 14th Congress in Koya, Iraq in September. Charge said he would pass the message to Washington. ¶3. (C) KDPI ACTIVITIES IN SWEDEN: Sharafi was visiting Sweden on the anniversary of the creation of the KDPI party in recognition of the significant KDPI presence in Sweden. Heydari reported that there are 4,000 members of KDPI located in Sweden ) making it the largest chapter in Europe. He said the Swedish KDPI party has special sections for women and youth groups, and that the organization also encourages its members to become active in mainstream Swedish parties. Heydari said the Swedish chapter utilizes the KDPI television station based in Paris )- called TISHK (or "sunshine" in Kurdish) -- and that the station reaches all over Europe and into Iran. Heydari said the station transmits two hours in Persian, two hours in Kurdish, and one hour in Arabic every day. Heydari said there are also two KDPI newspapers based out of Gothenburg, Sweden and a radio station. Heydari invited Post to attend a large Kurdish celebration in Vasteros in September 2008. ¶4. (C) IRANIAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR ANSAR AL-ISLAM AND OTHER TERRORIST GROUPS: Sharafi said that KDPI is constantly under threat from the Iranian government, specifically blaming the death and kidnapping of approximately 150 KDPI members from within Iraq on terrorist groups supported by the Iranian government. He said that Ansar al-Islam (AI) carried out many of these operations, and that the latest disappearance had occurred two months ago in the Qandil mountain region. Asked if the Iranian government was providing support to groups such as AI, Sharafi responded affirmatively. He said there were special mosques in the Mahabad area of Iran that are supported by the Iranian government and that serve as special training centers for groups such as AI. Sharafi added that AI members who are wounded during operations are taken to special Iranian government-funded hospitals. He said that groups protecting Iranian interests in Iraq, such as AI, Jundallah, and others, are often funded through the Iranian Quds Force and frequently prepared for operations in Basra and Diyala provinces. ¶5. (C) JOURNALISTS ARRESTED IN IRAN FOR REPORTING ON U.S. SANCTIONS: Sharafi said a number of Iranian journalists are reporting that U.S. and European sanctions against Iran are increasing prices and creating shortages of basic resources like eggs, meat and rice. He also said the Iranian government has arrested nine KDPI-associated journalists in Iran over the past two years for writing on the negative effects of the sanctions. He reported that the latest arrest, of Mahsoud Kandipoor, came on August 3, 2008. Sharafi asserted that the Iranian government is using people's fear of increasing economic uncertainty to encourage individuals to join militant groups such as the Basij ) if they join, they and their families are rewarded with financial rewards. Sharafi said support for the government of Iran was extremely poor in Kurdish areas of Iran and that KDPI had even shut down the city of Mahabad on July 13, 2008 in a strike honoring the assassination of Dr. A. R. Ghassemlou in Vienna (a former leader of KDPI) by Iranian-backed assassins. Sharafi said that in addition to the arrest of journalists and other harassment, some universities in Iran were refusing to allow KDPI student members to attend their final exams. STOCKHOLM 00000585 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) BIOGRAPHY: Heydari, Hussam: President of the Kurdish Union Association in Sweden. The Kurdish Union Association is an entity associated with KDPI. Heydari has a Masters in Diplomatic Studies and International Law, and speaks English fluently. Heydari has two sisters involved in KDPI and in mainstream Swedish politics, one a mayor representing the Social Democratic Party and the other a Liberal Party council member. Heydari reported that his grandfather was a Sheikh of the Nakhshabandi Sufi sect and that he held a senior position in the Republic of Mahabad. Heydari reported that family member graves were desecrated by special groups supported by the Iranian government. SILVERMAN