WASIT PROVINCIAL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN DISCUSSES

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003098

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV IR IZ
SUBJECT: WASIT PROVINCIAL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN DISCUSSES
IRANIAN INFLUENCE, PC PARTY AFFILIATIONS

Classified By: Henry Wooster, A/OPA Director, for reasons 1 (b) and (d)


1. (U) This is a PRT Wasit reporting cable.


2. (S) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: Speaking to PRTOffs, the
Provincial Council (PC) Chairman alleged that JAM "special
group" terrorist cells are re-infiltrating Wasit from Iran.
The PC's Security Committee Chairman agreed and added his
view that the JAM infiltration and attacks on US forces were
aimed at general destabilization in anticipation of the
elections. Both men criticized recent detainee releases much
more forcefully than they have in the past - especially
striking for the ISCI PC Chair who was exiled in Iran for
many years and maintains close contacts there. Finally, the
PC Chair suggested party affiliation among Wasit PC members
was further weakening and that his own relations with local
ISCI leaders were strained. His remarks about political
parties illustrate the continued erosion of party affiliation
in Wasit's PC. Provincial authorities clearly doubt that
they can rely on what they perceive to be a corrupt and
distant central government to improve the lives of Wasit's
citizens. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT.

HEALTHCARE A PRESSING ISSUE
--------------


3. (SBU) On November 19, PRTOffs met with Wasit Provincial
Council (PC) Chairman Mahmud Abd Al Rida Talal (ISCI) in
al-Kut. Mahmud led off the meeting by speaking at length
about his recent visit to India to organize a group of 12
Indian physicians to work in Wasit. The PC Chair said that
healthcare would be an area of increasing PC focus, and that
he hoped the Indian physicians would not only improve
provincial healthcare, but help attract other foreign
providers (including Americans) to Wasit. He criticized the
Ministry of Health and Iraqi Ambassador in India for their
lack of support, asserting that senior Iraqi diplomats were
"self-interested" and did not care about the concerns and
needs of regular Iraqis. Mahmud also requested US/PRT
assistance in flying the Indians from Baghdad International
Airport to al-Kut, stating that such assistance would enhance
America's image in Wasit given public concern over poor
healthcare services and infrastructure.

SECURITY ISSUES
--------------


4. (S) Turning to security issues, Mahmud told PRTOffs that
the "secret" he had previously indicated he wished to discuss
was the return of Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) insurgents to Wasit.
The PC Chair alleged that a "second wave" of JAM extremists
had recently completed training in the Iranian city of Qom
and were now coming back into Iraq. Recent security
incidents throughout the province indicated that the "special
groups" cells had activated. Mahmud again decried U.S.
detainee releases (a common theme among provincial officials
at all levels),suggesting that certain prisoners scheduled
to be released soon were JAM leaders who would quickly
integrate with the new cells and threaten violence. He urged
the United States to take this threat seriously and cooperate
closely with the ISF. (NOTE: U.S. officials meet bi-weekly
with GOI officials at the Joint Subcommittee on Detainee
Affairs to discuss the release schedules of U.S.-held
detainees, persons of interest in U.S. custody, and the slow
warrant return process by the GOI. END NOTE.)


5. (S) Shamil Mansur Iyal of the Constitutional Party, the
Chair of the PC's Security Committee, seconded Mahmud's
assertions and went further in his denunciation of malign
Iranian influence. According to Shamil, the chief motivation
behind the JAM infiltration is general destabilization of
Qbehind the JAM infiltration is general destabilization of
Iraq prior to the elections. The Security Chair said that
attacks on US and Iraqi security forces were opportunistic,
and that the actual targets were almost immaterial, the main
purpose was instability and unrest, and any attacks which
furthered these aims would be considered. On Iran, Shamil
said that the Tehran regime feared a democratic Iraq as a
model for regional change as well as symbol of American
success.

"MOVING BEYOND" PARTY AFFILIATION
--------------


6. (S) Finally, Mahmud said that Wasit's PC was "moving
beyond" party affiliation to rebuild the province. The PC
Chair harshly criticized the national government and party
politics, stating that, at least in Wasit, provincial
authorities had to take matters into their own hands to
affect any positive changes for constituents. When asked by
Poloff to facilitate a meeting with local ISCI leaders,
Mahmud agreed, but said half-jokingly that given his poor

BAGHDAD 00003098 002 OF 002


standing with the party's leadership, it might do more harm
than good for him to intercede.

COMMENT
--------------


7. (S) Both Mahmud and Shamil have urged an end to detainee
releases before, but this was the farthest either has gone
with outright and passionate criticism of Iran -- especially
striking for the ISCI PC Chair who was exiled in Iran for
many years and maintains close contacts there. While he
demurred on the source of his allegations regarding
extremists trained in Qom, PC Chair Mahmud's remarks suggest
it comes from knowledgeable sources within Iran itself. Only
four days after this meeting and Mahmud's warning, a PRT
mission was attacked by a sniper in an-Numaniyah, resulting
in the death of an American soldier providing security for
the PRT. The incident, coupled with other recent attacks and
discoveries in Numaniyah, suggest the PC members' allegations
may be correct. The Wasit officials' argument also reflects
a schism between the two dominant parties of the Shi'a Iraqi
National Alliance (INA),with the Sadrist Trend pushing for
faster detainee releases as its core campaign issue, and ISCI
apparently fighting to slow them down.


8. (S) Mahmud's remarks about political parties illustrate
the continued erosion of party affiliation in Wasit's PC.
Religious and secular party members appear to work closely
together (hence the ISCI-Mahmud and Constitutional
Party-Shamil are close partners),and Mahmud and the Dawa
Party's Governor Turfah have a good working relationship.
Mahmud's joking reaction to Poloff's request and similar
incidents could indicate that the technocratic PC Chair,
widely believed to harbor aspirations for eventual
national-level office, may well be on the outs with local
ISCI leaders, and could even be positioning himself to
eventually turn independent. At the same time, his near
contempt for the GOI in Baghdad and increased provincial
efforts to attract foreign investment and even conduct de
facto trade missions without GOI assistance reflect deep
disappointment with the current government. Provincial
authorities clearly doubt that they can rely on what they
perceive to be a corrupt and distant central government to
improve the lives of Wasit's citizens.
HILL