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