SHEIKH WELCOMES U.S. PARTNERSHIP, STRESSES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002997

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: SHEIKH WELCOMES U.S. PARTNERSHIP, STRESSES
TOLERANCE

Classified By: Political Minister Counselor Gary A. Grappo for reasons
1.4(b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Mohsin Nayef Faisal al-Jarba, a politically
well-connected sheikh in the influential Shammar tribal
confederation, told poloff and military chaplains on November
10 that he welcomed continued partnership with the United
States. The sheikh stressed support for non-sectarianism,
interfaith dialogue, and a more representative government and
diplomatic corps. He also warned of Al-Qaida's growing
influence in the Mosul region. End Summary.

Sheikh Mohsin: Politically Connected, PM Advisor
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2. (C) Sheikh Mohsin met November 10 with poloff and U.S.
military chaplains to exchange views. Mohsin is from a
politically well-connected family and is the uncle of both
Sheikh Abdullah al-Yawer (a leading member of the "Iraq
National Movement" coalition) and Ghazi al-Yawer, Iraq's
former interim president. Prior to Saddam's fall, he was
active in anti-government opposition efforts. The sheikh
traces his lineage from Imam Hussein, son of Ali (revered by
Shia),the fourth Khalif and Mohammed's cousin and
son-in-law. According to Mohsin, the Ottoman Turks executed
members of his family for pan-Arab activism.


3. (C) Sheikh Mohsin's business card reads "Prime Minister
Advisor." He is not on Maliki's payroll, but reportedly
provides the PM with advice on social and agricultural
matters. He has also worked on Sons of Iraq/Sahwa issues and
supports national reconciliation and interfaith dialogue. As
a leader of the Shammar tribal confederation, among Iraq's
most prominent and which includes both Sunni and Shia
members, Mohsin helps lends credibility to Maliki's
"nationalist" credentials.

Desires Good Relations with U.S., Stresses Tolerance
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4. (C) Sheikh Mohsin said he hopes for a strong U.S.-Iraq
partnership "for the next fifty years" that will nurture a
nascent Iraqi democracy and stem meddling by Iraq's
neighbors. He prefers a close U.S. partnership over playing
Iraq's neighbors against each other, i.e. close relations
with Turkey to balance Iran. "It's like the shepherd who
brought a dog to guard his flock against the wolf who was
preying on them, only to discover that twice as many sheep
were missing." The sheikh also proposed formation of an
"Iraqi lobby" in Washington, modeled after Israel's, to
solicit continuing U.S. government support and to maintain a
strong U.S.-Iraq relationship.


5. (C) Sheikh Mohsin pointed to his own Shammar
confederation, which he said was sixty-five percent Shia, to
illustrate that Iraq's confessional sects have long existed
side by side, and that sectarianism is a relatively new
development in Iraq. He praised the efforts of Grand
Ayatollah Hussein Ismail as-Sadr (Shia head of Baghdad's
Kadhimain shrine) at interfaith dialogue, and lauded Lebanese
cleric Mohammed Hassein Fadlallah, who he said was wary of
"Iranian danger." (Note: We heard similar praise for Hussein
al-Sadr in a recent meeting with the Inspector General for
the Sunni religious endowment. Hussein is generally held to
be much wiser and more moderate than his nephew Muqtada
as-Sadr. End note.)

Al Qaida Recruiting in Mosul
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6. (C) Sheikh Mohsin said he was preparing a report for
Maliki on the deteriorating situation in the Mosul area.
According to the sheikh, residents of the area suffer from
water shortages, are impoverished and are unable to sustain
their traditional livelihoods in agriculture and animal
Qtheir traditional livelihoods in agriculture and animal
husbandry. The sheikh worried that Al Qaida was finding
increasingly fertile ground for recruitment of new members as
they exploited residents' suffering.

Looking Ahead
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7. (C) Sheikh Mohsin highlighted U.S. "mistakes" in the past,
which he said included installing Iraqi exiles in the
transitional government in 2003. He decried the continuing
lack of a truly representative government in Baghdad, and
alleged that "many" of Iraq's newly appointed ambassadors are
not Iraqi citizens. In addition, he asserted there were
parts of Iraq's constitution that needed rewriting (NFI).
Nevertheless, the sheikh described himself as patiently
"optimistic" for the development of accountable government.
"It took you twelve years to develop a constitution in the

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U.S.," he remarked.
HILL