PRT NAJAF: NEW GOVERNOR,S THOUGHTS ON RECENT ATTACK

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001335

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/21/2029
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV PINR MOPS ASEC IR IZ
SUBJECT: PRT NAJAF: NEW GOVERNOR,S THOUGHTS ON RECENT ATTACK

Classified By: Provincial Reconstruction Team Leader Fred Fonteneau for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

This is a Provincial Reconstruction Team Najaf cable.


1. (S) SUMMARY. The day following an Explosively Formed
Penetrator (EFP) attack which targeted a U.S. convoy in
Najaf, Governor Adnan al Zurfi visited the FOB to discuss the
incident. He expressed concern and pointed fingers at the
Iraqi Police (IP) and the Iranians. He stated unequivocally
that the IP were involved and promised to open an
investigation as well as make changes in the local police
hierarchy in Najaf. He also blamed the Iranians, saying that
the attack was not motivated by Najafi entities or political
parties, but was purely masterminded by the Iranians. His
charges against Iran in general need to be analyzed in light
of al Zurfi,s longstanding feud with ISCI/Badr and Tehran.
END SUMMARY.


2. (S) On May 16, a U.S. military movement team from 1-2
Infantry Battalion of 172nd Brigade Combat Team was returning
from training at the Najaf Police Academy when one humvee was
hit by an EFP. There was one military KIA and one wounded.
The attack occurred approximately three quarters of a mile
from FOB Endeavor and just 50 yards from an IP checkpoint.
The police had apparently cleared the area of pedestrians and
hid behind barriers just before the attack. They did not
assist and refused to search the area of the residences in
close proximity, citing lack of search warrants. The
military movement team reported that it was obvious, that
the police were involved.


3. (S) On the following day, Governor Adnan al Zurfi visited
the FOB to discuss the incident. (Note: The PRT had called
the Chairman of the Provincial Council to request a meeting
with him, but he arranged for al Zurfi to meet with us
instead. End note.) Al Zurfi said that there is no doubt
that the IP knew of the attack and were complicit. (Note: He
was elected governor on May 1 and had not been sworn in as of
the May 17 meeting. A Presidential Decree confirming al
Zurfi as Governor was released on May 19. A rumor that al
Zurfi would immediately change the Chief of Police has been
circulating for months. End note.) He assured the PRT and
FOB leadership that he would do more than merely change the
Chief: he promised sweeping changes across the Najafi police
force.


4. (S) He went on to rail against the Iranians, saying that
Iranians were no doubt behind the attack and that the Iranian
agenda to attack coalition forces has strengthened in Najaf
in recent days. He did not link the police to the Iranians
specifically, but that implication was clear. He claims that
Iran is gathering both Sunni and Shia radical groups,
bringing them to Iran, and training and funding them. He
says that once he has more information about this attack, he
will have a future picture of Iranian operations. He stated
that often non-Iranian groups take the blame to confuse the
issue. He plans to create an intelligence fusion cell to
gather information on Iranian activities in Najaf. Members
from different agencies will first concentrate on Najaf
International Airport and then expand operations.


5. (S) Al Zurfi assured the PRT that the problem is not with
the Sadrists. He stated that the Sadrists have no problem
with coalition forces; they want peace and are 100 percent
against Iran; Iran ruined their life. Al Zurfi said that
one goal of his is to repair the relationship with the
Sadrists, who blame him for killing thousands of Sadrists in

2004. He says that he is making headway and will continue to
Q2004. He says that he is making headway and will continue to
work with Sadrists, especially since they now make up part of
the governing coalition on the Provincial Council.


6. (S) He again insisted that the Iranians were behind the
attack and foresaw future attacks. He said that Iranians
consider Najaf and Karbala to be &their8 cities and will
continue to exert their influence. They have many projects
in Najaf that, had al Zurfi been Governor, he would not have
approved because &the Iranians don,t give free money.8 He
reiterated that he would like to lessen the Iranian influence
in Najaf. The Iranians know that he is working against them
and will become more frustrated and angry.


7. (S) COMMENT: Al Zurfi,s theories need to be considered in
light of the current political situation, however, as well as
his long-standing feud with ISCI/Badr. Governor Asaad Abu
Gelal (ISCI) has filed a legal complaint against the election
of al Zurfi and has thus far refused to transfer power. Abu
Gelal,s reluctance to step down quietly mirrors the
situation in the 2005 provincial elections, when al Zurfi -
the CPA-appointed Governor - lost out to Abu Gelal but
refused to step down, citing voting irregularities. With a
vacuum in the provincial leadership, the recent uptick in

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violence can be attributed to local politics rather than a
foreign influence. Especially with rumors of al Zurfi,s
plans to shake up the IP leadership, the indications of IP
involvement do not necessarily point to an Iranian hidden
hand.
HILL