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Viewing cable 08HILLAH48, BABIL SADRISTS HOLD "RECONCILIATION" CONFERENCE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08HILLAH48 2008-04-22 13:35 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED REO Hillah
VZCZCXRO4619
PP RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHKUK
DE RUEHIHL #0048 1131335
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221335Z APR 08
FM REO HILLAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1074
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHIHL/REO HILLAH 1140
UNCLAS HILLAH 000048 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV IZ IR PTER
SUBJECT: BABIL SADRISTS HOLD "RECONCILIATION" CONFERENCE 
 
1. (U) This is a PRT Babil cable. 
 
2. (SBU) Office of the Martyr Sadr (OMS) Babil leader Shaykh 
Sadiq al-Isawi and Council of Representatives (COR) Member Ahmad 
al-Massudi invited tribal shaykhs, governmental officials, and 
political party representatives to the Provincial Artist Union 
meeting hall on April 19 for what was coined a "reconciliation" 
conference.  The meeting was organized in response to the tribal 
gathering called by Governor Salim Salah al-Mahdi and Abu 
Muhammad al-Issawi during the clashes in Basra.  Although 
described as a reconciliation gathering, the meeting was more a 
recap of the violent events of early March/early-April and the 
perceived mistreatment of Sadr trend followers by the government 
of Iraq. 
 
3. (SBU) Despite the approximately 250 invitations disseminated 
to the provincial political community, the conference was 
primarily attended by Babil tribal leaders.  Shaykh Sadiq and 
COR member al-Massudi criticized the dominant political parties, 
specifically ISCI and Dawa, who refused to send representatives 
to the meeting.  Abu Mohammad al-Issawi was the governor's only 
unofficial representative and he left the meeting visibly 
frustrated after less than an hour.  Sadrist provincial council 
members Kadhum Majid Tuman and Hassan Mihrij attended, but did 
not speak.  Common themes included: criticism of al-Furat news 
for portraying all Sadrists as criminals; concerns that the 
current political players are instigating Shia on Shia violence 
to better position themselves in upcoming elections; and the 
possibility of OMS negotiations with the USG. 
 
4. (SBU) At the close of the three-hour meeting the delegation 
announced several demands.  First, they request that the 
government respect the human rights of all the provincial 
players.  Second, they seek the current leadership's adherence 
to the rule of law.  Third, they demand tribal support. 
Finally, Shaykh Sadiq announced the establishment of several 
committees; one to look into recent assassinations, one to visit 
detainees in local prisons, and one to assess the damage to 
buildings and infrastructure as a result of the March and 
early-April violence. 
 
5. (SBU) Following the meeting, provincial political players 
told the PRT that they were in fact invited, but refused to 
attend.  Dawa Babil party head Abu Ahmed al-Basri told the PRT 
that he had to decline the invitation in order to follow the 
Prime Minister's directive not to have any dialogue with OMS 
unless Jaysh al-Mahdi elements turned in their arms.  PC member 
Tuman praised the gathering and encouraged USG interference in 
"cleaning up" the Iraq Security Forces (ISF).  Tuman criticized 
the Provincial Director of Police General Fadhil Raddad for 
kowtowing to the political leaders in the province and expressed 
concern that IA Commander General Abdul Amir Kamal would follow 
a similar path thus leading to rampant corruption throughout the 
ISF. 
 
HILLAS