Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BAGHDAD598
2009-03-08 11:18:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
PRT SALAH AD DIN: BA'ATHISTS READY TO RECONCILE,
how-toVZCZCXRO3395 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #0598 0671118 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 081118Z MAR 09 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2045 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000598
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETTC IZ
SUBJECT: PRT SALAH AD DIN: BA'ATHISTS READY TO RECONCILE,
CLAIMS SHEIKH OF SADDAM'S TRIBE
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor John G. Fox for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000598
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETTC IZ
SUBJECT: PRT SALAH AD DIN: BA'ATHISTS READY TO RECONCILE,
CLAIMS SHEIKH OF SADDAM'S TRIBE
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor John G. Fox for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).
1. (U) This is a PRT Salah ad Din cable.
2. (C) SUMMARY: The top sheikh of Saddam Hussein's tribe,
along with other local figures from his home village in Salah
Ad Din (SAD) province, recently asked the PRT to convey to
the USG that Ba'athists in SAD seek direct dialogue and
reconciliation with the USG. They also seek help unfreezing
the assets of some 1,480 local Ba'athists in the province.
While reconciliation would properly be addressed by the
Government of Iraq (GOI),the timing of the request (coming
soon after the recent provincial elections) suggests that
leading Sunni Arabs believe that political engagement in a
democratic context will be to their advantage. END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) Sheikh Hassan Nida (leader of the Albu Nasser
tribe, to which Saddam belonged),accompanied by Sheikh Ahmed
Fahad al Haza', the chairman of the unofficial local council
of Owja (where Saddam is buried),met with the PRT's Tikrit
Satellite representative February 24 and asked that the PRT
convey several points to U.S. leaders.
--------------
SHEIKH HASSAN'S POINTS
--------------
4. (C) The SAD Ba'athists want reconciliation with the USG.
They believe this would ensure Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and
other violent extremists are run out of the country, would
help bring back up to 500,000 highly competent administrators
and former military officers now living in Syria due to fears
of persecution, and would allow several "true sheikhs" living
outside Iraq to return. Owja Council Member Hossam Mahmud,
who joined the conversation at the end, echoed this
sentiment, saying "write this down ... we Ba'athists want
direct communication with the U.S. government in order to
seek reconciliation." Sheikh Hassan promised to provide a
list of the "true sheikhs" mentioned above within two weeks.
5. (C) In addition, Sheikh Hassan wants the Government of
Iraq (GOI) to release the assets of 1,480 Ba'athists residing
in Owja, which had been frozen as part of the GOI's
DeBa'athification policy. Sheikh Hassan said he had
submitted this request to the GOI, but had received no
response. He blamed President Talabani for the freeze.
Finally, Sheikh Hassan and Mr. Hossam want Army and Police
colleges to be established in SaD. They believe that these
colleges, in conjunction with the return to duty of
former-regime officers, would benefit national security.
6. (C) EMBASSY BAGHDAD COMMENT: Sunni Deputy Prime Minister
(DPM) Rafi Al Issawi recently told poloff that he had
received a delegation of members from Saddam's tribe
requesting his assistance to dismiss a number of penalties
imposed on the tribe by the GOI's DeBa'athification process.
Specifically, the tribal representatives had requested the
lifting of prohibitions on the sale of tribal property, which
they alleged had been imposed by these statutes. Issawi
indicated he would seek to be helpful in at least excluding
from such provisions those members of the tribe not involved
in crimes during the Saddam era. END COMMENT.
--------------
OTHER CONCERNS
--------------
7. (C) Sheikh Ahmed added a concern that Iranian influence
on the government is a major cause of insecurity in the area
and that AQI, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG)
Peshmerga forces, and Badr militias were destabilizing
elements in SAD. Sheikh Hassan also declared that the GOI's
DeBa'athification policy was destabilizing Iraq.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
8. (C) The GOI is the right one to address Sheikh Hassan's
Q8. (C) The GOI is the right one to address Sheikh Hassan's
requests. The PRT finds it credible that he would speak on
behalf of many prominent Iraqi Ba'athists. The timing of SAD
Ba'athists' overture regarding reconciliation should be
viewed in the context of the successful provincial elections:
we believe that the elections have helped to show Sheikh
Hassan and others that the democratic process legitimately
offers Sunni Arabs a voice in government. We will continue
to monitor Ba'athist activity in SAD, and see whether it
might be appropriate for the USG to assist in Ba'athist
reconciliation with the GOI. END COMMENT.
BUTENIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/08/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV ETTC IZ
SUBJECT: PRT SALAH AD DIN: BA'ATHISTS READY TO RECONCILE,
CLAIMS SHEIKH OF SADDAM'S TRIBE
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor John G. Fox for reasons 1.4 (
b) and (d).
1. (U) This is a PRT Salah ad Din cable.
2. (C) SUMMARY: The top sheikh of Saddam Hussein's tribe,
along with other local figures from his home village in Salah
Ad Din (SAD) province, recently asked the PRT to convey to
the USG that Ba'athists in SAD seek direct dialogue and
reconciliation with the USG. They also seek help unfreezing
the assets of some 1,480 local Ba'athists in the province.
While reconciliation would properly be addressed by the
Government of Iraq (GOI),the timing of the request (coming
soon after the recent provincial elections) suggests that
leading Sunni Arabs believe that political engagement in a
democratic context will be to their advantage. END SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) Sheikh Hassan Nida (leader of the Albu Nasser
tribe, to which Saddam belonged),accompanied by Sheikh Ahmed
Fahad al Haza', the chairman of the unofficial local council
of Owja (where Saddam is buried),met with the PRT's Tikrit
Satellite representative February 24 and asked that the PRT
convey several points to U.S. leaders.
--------------
SHEIKH HASSAN'S POINTS
--------------
4. (C) The SAD Ba'athists want reconciliation with the USG.
They believe this would ensure Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and
other violent extremists are run out of the country, would
help bring back up to 500,000 highly competent administrators
and former military officers now living in Syria due to fears
of persecution, and would allow several "true sheikhs" living
outside Iraq to return. Owja Council Member Hossam Mahmud,
who joined the conversation at the end, echoed this
sentiment, saying "write this down ... we Ba'athists want
direct communication with the U.S. government in order to
seek reconciliation." Sheikh Hassan promised to provide a
list of the "true sheikhs" mentioned above within two weeks.
5. (C) In addition, Sheikh Hassan wants the Government of
Iraq (GOI) to release the assets of 1,480 Ba'athists residing
in Owja, which had been frozen as part of the GOI's
DeBa'athification policy. Sheikh Hassan said he had
submitted this request to the GOI, but had received no
response. He blamed President Talabani for the freeze.
Finally, Sheikh Hassan and Mr. Hossam want Army and Police
colleges to be established in SaD. They believe that these
colleges, in conjunction with the return to duty of
former-regime officers, would benefit national security.
6. (C) EMBASSY BAGHDAD COMMENT: Sunni Deputy Prime Minister
(DPM) Rafi Al Issawi recently told poloff that he had
received a delegation of members from Saddam's tribe
requesting his assistance to dismiss a number of penalties
imposed on the tribe by the GOI's DeBa'athification process.
Specifically, the tribal representatives had requested the
lifting of prohibitions on the sale of tribal property, which
they alleged had been imposed by these statutes. Issawi
indicated he would seek to be helpful in at least excluding
from such provisions those members of the tribe not involved
in crimes during the Saddam era. END COMMENT.
--------------
OTHER CONCERNS
--------------
7. (C) Sheikh Ahmed added a concern that Iranian influence
on the government is a major cause of insecurity in the area
and that AQI, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG)
Peshmerga forces, and Badr militias were destabilizing
elements in SAD. Sheikh Hassan also declared that the GOI's
DeBa'athification policy was destabilizing Iraq.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
8. (C) The GOI is the right one to address Sheikh Hassan's
Q8. (C) The GOI is the right one to address Sheikh Hassan's
requests. The PRT finds it credible that he would speak on
behalf of many prominent Iraqi Ba'athists. The timing of SAD
Ba'athists' overture regarding reconciliation should be
viewed in the context of the successful provincial elections:
we believe that the elections have helped to show Sheikh
Hassan and others that the democratic process legitimately
offers Sunni Arabs a voice in government. We will continue
to monitor Ba'athist activity in SAD, and see whether it
might be appropriate for the USG to assist in Ba'athist
reconciliation with the GOI. END COMMENT.
BUTENIS