THE FINAL COMPLAINTS OF BASRA GOVERNOR WA'ELI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000011

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 3/4/2019
TAGS: PGOV KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: THE FINAL COMPLAINTS OF BASRA GOVERNOR WA'ELI

REF: A) BASRAH 0006; B) 2008 BAGHDAD 2268; C) BASRAH 0003

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CLASSIFIED BY: Mark O'Connor, Deputy Director, Regional Embassy
Office Basrah, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)



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Summary
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1. (C) In a February 24 meeting with the REO, outgoing
Governor Mohammed Wa'eli) characterized the State of Law
coalition's victory as a surprise to everyone, including Prime
Minister Maliki, and noted the fierce fighting within the
coalition over the choice for governor. Wa'eli, accompanied by
Provincial Council (PC) member and fellow Fadhilah member Aqeel
Taalib Khadim al-Faryji, complained about Iranian interference
in local politics and the security forces and recommended that
American forces remain in Iraq to train and advise the security
forces for five years. End summary.

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Elections
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2. (C) Commenting on the recent provincial elections, Wa'eli, a
member of the Fadhilah party, said that nearly everyone,
including Prime Minister Maliki, had been surprised by the State
of Law coalition's overwhelming victory. (See ref A.)
According to Wa'eli, Maliki had expressed much lower
expectations in a meeting prior to the election and appeared
content with Wa'eli's prediction of an eight to ten seat gain.
During the same meeting, Wa'eli said that the Prime Minister had
expressed interest in forming a coalition with Fadhilah, both at
the provincial and national levels. Wa'eli said he has
apparently abandoned this idea, however, as a result of State of
Law's decisive victory.

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Candidates for Governor and Chairman
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3. (C) Wa'eli described the current competition for governor
within the State of Law coalition as "fierce." He said possible
candidates included new PC member Jabaar al-Amin, Deputy
Minister of Health, Amer al-Kuza'I, and Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs and Acting Minister of Justice Safa
al-Safi. Wa'eli commented that al-Safi had had his sights set
on the position for some time. He made no attempt to hide his
contempt for al-Safi, with whom he has had much disagreement
over the past year. (See ref B). Regarding possible candidates
for PC Chairman, Wa'eli gave new PC member Dr. Chaltag Abu
Sharad the inside track. He also alluded to a second candidate
from Da'wa Iraq, but could not recall his name at the time.

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Iranian influence
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4. (C) Wa'eli vented frustration over foreign meddling in local
affairs. He accused the government of Iran of attempting to
recruit eight new PC members from the State of Law coalition, in
an attempt to compensate for the loss of their agents caused by
the "Al Shahid Al Mihrab List and Independent Power" coalition's
poor performance in the provincial elections. Wa'eli said that
recruiting allies among PC members would not be difficult for
Iran, as all members-including those in Da'wa, were subservient
to Iranian interests.

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Security
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5. (C) Concerning the future of Iraq, Wa'eli related a
pessimistic post-Coalition-Force view. Fearful of Iraq's
eastern neighbor, he vehemently warned that Iranian subversives
had infiltrated all government institutions in Basra and that
they were waiting for the Coalition Forces to withdraw. When
pressed for examples of infiltration, Wa'eli cited the Iraqi
Security Forces (ISF) -- primarily the police -- as being
inundated with Badr members. He accused Council of
Representatives (COR) member Hadi al-Ameri and the Deputy
Minister of Border Forces, Ahmed al-Kafaji of having been
recruited into Iranian service. He asserted that Ameri, as a
member of the COR Security Commission, controlled the Iraqi Army.


6. (C) Wa'eli suggested that five years more of American
military presence in Iraq would be sufficient, if that time were
used to advise the ISF on methods for purging militia members
from its ranks. He said that the U.S. should focus on
containing Iran, as that nation will attempt to dominate the

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region. Wa'eli recommended that any interaction with Iran
should be balanced with engagement from other neighboring
countries.

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Economy
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7. (C) Wa'eli commented that Iraq was feeling the pinch of the
worldwide economic crisis. He blamed the Minister of Oil,
Hussein al-Shahristani, for low production levels, which have
made the country dependent on foreign oil. He noted that the
falling price of oil, combined with an increase in civil
servants' wages, had depleted federal funds and backed the
government into a corner. To improve the situation, he said
that the country needed to increase oil production and encourage
investment. He acknowledged that investors would not comeunless
the ISF could ensure a sustained stable security environment.

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Comment
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8. (C) Wa'eli is now political poison. He has become extremely
unpopular during his tenure as governor, due to his inability to
deliver improvements in public services. This contributed to
his Fadhilah party's huge defeat at the polls and his inability
to force a referendum for the creation of a federal regional in
Basra, despite general public support for the concept. (See ref
C.) Although the selection of Safa al-Safi as a choice for
governor does not appear likely, the idea has been suggested by
several REO contacts and thus can not be dismissed. Neither REO
nor UK FCO believe al-Safi would have a positive influence on
the province, as he has misused GOI reconstruction funds and has
circumventedent established provincial and national political
structures . (See ref B.) Wa'eli's antipathy to Iran is
well-known and he appears to label anyone with a Shiite
political affiliation as "Iranian." He does not appear to have
proof that COR member Hadi al-Ameri and Deputy Minister of
Border Forces al-Kafaji are in the "service of Iran," apart from
their affiliation with Badr. End comment.
O'CONNOR