VZCZCXRO5852
OO RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHBC #0013/01 0301122
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O P 301122Z JAN 06
FM REO BASRAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0237
INFO RUEHBC/REO BASRAH 0254
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BASRAH 000013 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  1/30/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER IZ
SUBJECT: BASRAH GOVERNOR ORGANIZES DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE BRITISH 
- HUNDREDS, NOT THOUSANDS SHOW UP AND IT IS PEACEFUL, NOT VIOLENT 
 
REF: (A) BASRAH 0010  (B) BASRAH 0012 
 
BASRAH 00000013  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Mark Marrano, Deputy Regional Coordinator, Basrah 
Regional Embassy Office, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
 
¶1.  (S/NF) Summary:  Basrah Governor Mohammed has increased his 
rhetoric against the British for their arrest operations, 
attempting to incite anti-British sentiment and exhorting the 
local population to stage a large demonstration at the British 
Consulate.  However, the Governor's anger at the British for 
arresting Iraqi police officers widely known in the community 
for their criminal behavior, and with links to him, continues to 
isolate the governor politically on the Provincial Council (See 
ref A.) A series of IED attacks in which Iraqi children were 
injured and killed has added to local frustration and anger with 
the escalating violence. In addition, these attacks were rumored 
to be the work of supporters of the men who were arrested. End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (S/NF) On January 25, an IED exploded as a British military 
convoy passed by a local school.  The force of the blast smashed 
through the outer wall of the school courtyard seriously 
injuring 22 young Iraqi students. In the late morning of January 
27, a bomb exploded in a market near the Al Qaballah district in 
Basra.  The blast killed one eight-year-old girl and wounded two 
small boys.  Witnesses have claimed seeing a man in an Iraqi 
police uniform place a bag on the ground in the market, and 
leave the scene in a police car.  The bag blew up minutes later. 
The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) cleared two other devices 
targeting Iraqi civilians the same day.  One was placed near a 
mosque and the other in a popular shopping district.  It was 
rumored the attacks were carried out by supporters of Major 
Jassim and the other detainees in British custody. (Note: 
Informed analysis supports this widely held belief.  End note.) 
This has further eroded the Governor's public support. 
 
¶3. (S/NF) The Governor's rhetoric has continued to be more and 
more inflammatory.  Yesterday Al Iraqiya television and Al 
Basrah radio reported on a conversation with the Governor, where 
he stated he would not be responsible for any violence 
perpetrated against the British after the demonstration of 
January 29.  He also called for the immediate withdrawal of the 
British and the Americans from Basrah.  However, private 
conversations that the British Consul General (CG) had with some 
Provincial Council (PC) members showed a continuing lack of 
support for the Governor's position. 
 
¶4. (S/NF) On the morning of January 29, about 250-300 people 
protested in front of the main gate of the British compound - 
far below the 2,000 the Governor claimed he would muster.  REO 
Basrah received one report that policemen on duty at the Shaibah 
police station were ordered to attend the protest or be 
considered absent from duty.  The demonstration was peaceful 
with many of the protesters carrying banners and signs calling 
for the release of the detainees.  A nine-person delegation of 
tribal leaders, PC members and the leader of the Office of 
Muqtada al Sadr (OMS) Basrah entered the compound to meet with 
the British Consul General.  (Note: Governor Mohammed refused to 
enter, remaining outside the gate with the demonstrators. End 
note.)  In a subsequent conversation with the REO Deputy 
Regional Coordinator (DRC), the British CG stated that after 
demanding that the detainees be released, he was given a letter 
from the group explaining their position.  (Note: The letter was 
not from the PC, but signed only by the delegates attending. End 
note.)  The leader of the OMS then stated that if the detainees 
were not released there would be violence. The CG sensed that 
this blunt outburst caused embarrassment among the other members 
of the delegation. 
 
¶5. (S/NF) The CG mentioned that there appears to be an attempt 
at an alliance between the Iraqi National Accord and the 
Fadheela Party.  He believes they may intend to remove the 
Governor before the provincial elections.  In fact, the CG was 
asked about the position of the British government if the 
Governor were removed from office.  The CG responded with the 
British position of non-interference in the internal affairs and 
legal processes of Iraq. 
 
¶6. (S/NF) Comment:  The next several days are crucial. Clearly 
Governor Mohammed is becoming more and more isolated, 
politically and in the public eye. His attempt to impose a 
long-term boycott of British forces failed.(See ref A.) His 
efforts to get local tribes involved were effectively countered 
by UK outreach to the tribal sheiks (See ref B.) Public anger 
and frustration over the recent IED attacks that injured and 
killed Iraqi civilians and the less-than expected turnout for 
 
BASRAH 00000013  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
the demonstration both point to a local population that may 
finally be fed up with their Governor. Sensing this, the PC may 
remove him from office in the near future. End Comment. 
MARRANO