BABIL: GOVERNOR SIDELINED; POSSIBLE CHANGES IN ISF

C O N F I D E N T I A L HILLAH 000019

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/24/2019
TAGS: PROB PINR IZ
SUBJECT: BABIL: GOVERNOR SIDELINED; POSSIBLE CHANGES IN ISF
LEADERSHIP

REF: HILLAH 0002

CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth M. hillas, PRT Leader, Babil PRT, Dept
of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Other than one or two public appearances, Governor Salim
Saleh Mahdi Al-Muslimawi has largely disappeared from the public
stage since the election. According to various political party
leaders, Gov Muslimawi has also not played a role in inter-party
discussions about filling provincial leadership positions.
Da'wa leader Abu Ahmed Al-Basri's ISCI counterpart in these
discussions has been Hafez Al-Yasiri, the personal
representative of ISCI national leader Abd Al-Aziz in the
province. At the same time, negotiations at the national level
among Sadrists, Da'wa, Jaffari's Reform Trend, ISCI and Allawi's
Iraqi National List, have also touched on provincial leadership
positions, according to several Babil party officials.
Notwithstanding reports about Allawi's Al-iraqiya party entering
into an alliance with ISCI in other provinces, a deal between
Al-Iraqiya and Da'wa in Babil remains on the table, according to
Sheik Adnan Janabi who has ties to Al-Iraqiya.

2. (C ) The consensus among Babil's elite is that the ISCI
national leadership may transfer outgoing Goveror Al-Muslimawi
to Baghdad. Al-Muslimawi publicly met with Abd Al-Aziz Al-Hakim
in Baghdad on February 22. He has been blamed by most observers
for ISCI's poor showing in the province, which contrasted
sharply with pre-election expectations within ISCI. In the
run-up to the election there was a strong sense of confidence --
perhaps even hubris -- among ISCI provincial officials that they
would succeed in winning the vote and continue to control the
province (reftel). Post-election negotiations, however, have
made clear that ISCI is marginalized and likely consigned to an
opposition role in the PC, unless a decision in Baghdad as part
of a broader deal resurrects a leadership position for ISCI in
Babil.

3. (C) Da'wa party leader Abu Ahmed Al-Basri confirmed to the
PRT leader that he views Badr as posing a serious security
threat to the new provincial government and Da'wa leaders. He
has signalled to us that there may be a few changes in ISF
leadership beyond the transfer of the 31st Army Brigade
Commander MG Abdul Ameer to Ramadi that took place this week.
SWAT Commander Col. Abbas Al-Jabbouri told us on February 23
that Provincial Director of Police MG Fadhil Raddad will soon be
replaced, although he did not know by whom.

4. (C) Al-Basri has made clear that the national Da'wa
leadership has played a leading role in the negotiating process,
especially with regard to the governorship. Al-Basri continues
to state that he does not want to be the next Governor, and has
hinted that the Majid Fulyfel Khulayf Hamzah, the head of
Rafidain Bank in Babil and the number two on Da'wa's candidate
list, is his preference. This would appear consistent with
Al-Basri's desire to have the next Governor be someone who is
educated, competent and experienced in public administration.
Da'wa provincial leaders are confident they can cobble together
a majority on the provincial council, but they may still have to
strike a deal with former Governor Iskander Witwit's Independent
bloc to achieve this.

HILLAS