This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000153 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  12/21/2015 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH BASRAH GOVERNOR MOHAMMAD 
 
REF: BAGHDAD 5030 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah, 
Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  In a December 20 meeting with REO Basrah's new 
regional coordinator, Basrah Governor Mohammad Mossibh Al Wahili 
touted the possibility of a national unity government in 
Baghdad.  After being pressed on the question of the Fadhila 
party's loyalty to the United Iraqi Alliance (555), Governor 
Mohammad admitted that it could realign itself with Sunni 
parties if an adequate power sharing arrangement was not 
possible within 555.  The governor said that he and other 
governors will meet with the Prime Minister on December 21 to 
discuss the rise in fuel prices, and he said he would suggest 
that the Prime Minister address the nation to explain the 
increase.  On security issues, the governor warned that the 
Basrah Provincial Council wanted to replace the Basrah police 
chief with a SCIRI/Badr member, a dangerous move he said he 
would block.  Governor Mohammad affirmed the danger posed by 
militia groups in Basrah and especially singled out Thar' Allah 
as one of the most violent organizations.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) Regional Coordinator (RC) on December 20 paid an 
introductory call on Basrah Governor Mohammad at his office. 
While waiting for the governor to arrive, the RC had a brief 
meeting with Deputy Governor Loway A. Al Batat, an independent 
politician who is not close to the governor.  Batat, still 
sporting an ink-stained right index finger from voting five days 
ago, urged close cooperation between the USG and the Basrah 
Provincial Council and intercession with the British to curtail 
their "harassment" of council members by subjecting them to 
unwarranted searches and other security measures.  Before the 
conversation could develop further, the governor arrived and the 
RC and deputy governor were ushered into his presence.  After a 
few minutes of pleasantries, the governor politely told the 
deputy governor that he could go, and the conversation turned to 
more serious subjects. 
 
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ELECTION - NATIONAL UNITY GOVERNMENT POSSIBLE? 
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¶3.  (C) When asked about last week's national election, Governor 
Mohammad said that the election was a success as evidenced by 
the large voter turnout.  He opined that a national unity 
government, composed of 555, Ayad Allawi's National Iraqi List 
(731) and the Kurdish parties, was a distinct possibility as the 
various coalitions negotiate and jockey for position.  (See 
reftel for more on the possibility of an Allawi-led coalition.) 
The governor said that his own list, 555 (Mohammad's Fadhila 
party is a member of 555 and the Basrah party leader, Jaber 
Khalifa Jaber, heads the 555 list here) would play the principal 
role in such a grand coalition.  And the governor reported that 
the secretary general of Fadhila, Nadim Al Jabri, would be one 
of the three leading candidates for prime minister in such a 
government. 
 
¶4.  (C) Though the governor was sanguine about the possibility 
of a national unity government, he did admit that the Fadhila 
party could bolt from 555.  Governor Mohammad said that it was 
possible that Fadhila might drop out of 555 and align itself 
with another party or group of parties.  The final results of 
the election - and the allotment of positions of power to 
Fadhila members - will be the key factors of Fadhila's fidelity 
to 555, according to Governor Mohammad.  He added that in 
Baghdad some Sunni parties have contacted Fadhila to sound out 
whether it would be willing to join with them in a coalition. 
 
¶5.  (C) In response to a question about the upcoming provincial 
elections, Governor Mohammad said that he does not expect them 
to take place until June.  He believes that the new government 
will be formed by the end of January, but possible amendments to 
the constitution would delay provincial elections, and "besides, 
the IECI needs a vacation." 
 
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FUEL PRICE INCREASE - AND THE PUBLIC'S REACTION 
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¶6.  (C) Governor Mohammad said that the government's recent 
announcement of fuel price increases had shocked the people. 
Peaceful demonstrations took place December 19 in front of the 
Basrah governorate.  In his opinion, any increase should be 
gradual to avoid the possibility that "other forces" could take 
advantage of the protests and turn them in another direction. 
The governor specifically cited the Badr Organization as one 
group that was attempting to use the price increase to push 
people to violence.  He alleged that members of this group were 
burning tires in the streets on December 19 to incite the public 
to a more dangerous reaction.  Governor Mohammad plans to start 
a media campaign to inform the public and at the same time 
prepare appropriate security measures. 
 
¶7.  (C) The governor said that he would fly to Baghdad later on 
December 20 for a meeting of all the governors with the Prime 
Minister on December 21.  He said that the Prime Minister 
invited them to discuss a number of issues, but the fuel price 
increase is the most important subject they will discuss. 
Governor Mohammad said that he would urge the Prime Minister to 
address the Iraqi people on national television to explain the 
reasons for the price increase and to inform them that it would 
take effect on January 1. 
 
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BASRAH CHIEF OF POLICE - IN OR OUT? 
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¶8.  (C) The RC next asked the governor about rumors that 
reform-minded Basrah Chief of Police Hassan Sawadi would be 
replaced soon.  (NOTE:  the governor and the chief of police 
have been at odds for some time and are known to be bitter 
enemies.  END NOTE.)  The governor said that Chief  Sawadi is 
still in his position, though there is a plan in the Provincial 
Council to replace him.  Governor Mohammad said that the 
council's choice to replace Sawadi is General Ashraf Salah 
Zatiji, a SCIRI/Badr member who has close ties to and is 
presently in Iran. 
 
¶9.  (C) Governor Mohammad noted that Chief of Police Sawadi has 
his negatives, but averred that General Zatiji would bring more 
militia members into the police force and allow them to operate 
more openly.  With the Minister of Interior a SCIRI member, 
having a SCIRI adherent as Basrah police chief would be 
"dangerous," the governor warned, and he would block such a 
move. 
 
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MILITIA IN BASRAH 
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¶10. (C) The RC asked Governor Mohammad about the prevalence of 
militia in Basrah and in particular their presence in government 
entities.  The governor replied that the number of militia in 
Basrah has decreased somewhat, though they still are a major 
problem.  He said that the Badr Organization, with its close 
ties to Iran, has assassinated many people in Basrah and that he 
is on its target list.  Badr and other groups are present in the 
security forces and constantly subvert the law by allowing 
criminals sympathetic to their goals to go unpunished. 
 
¶11.  (C) Thar'Allah is a particularly dangerous militia, 
Governor Mohammad noted.  Iranians work closely with Thar' 
Allah, Governor Mohammad said, and it carries out many 
assassinations at the behest of Iran.  The governor laid blame 
for many of the recent political murders in Basrah with 
Thar'Allah and said that his forces are trying hard to capture 
Thar' Allah's leader, Sayed Yousif; he vowed that they would 
bring him into custody soon. 
 
¶12.  (C) COMMENT:  Governor Mohammad was willing to spend 
considerable time with the new RC answering his questions, but 
we have no illusions that he spoke the unvarnished truth or 
provided any startling revelations.  His answers were designed 
to provide information that he thought the U.S. Government would 
want to hear.  Nonetheless, Governor Mohammad is open and ready 
to have a dialogue with REO personnel, and we will continue to 
increase our contacts with him.  At the end of the 90 minute 
meeting, Governor Mohammad thanked the RC for coming to his 
office to meet with him, noting that our security requirements 
makes this difficult.  END COMMENT. 
GROSS