VZCZCXRO5551
OO RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHBC #0026 0531857
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 221857Z FEB 06
FM REO BASRAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0256
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHBC/REO BASRAH 0274

UNCLAS BASRAH 000026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SBU 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PTER IZ
SUBJECT: BASRAH ERUPTS AFTER DESTRUCTION OF SAMARRA MOSQUE 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  Protests erupted in Basrah after the media 
carried stories of the destruction of the Golden Mosque in 
Samarra.  The Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP) building was attacked 
and damaged and several IIP party members were injured.  No 
deaths have been confirmed at this time.  More demonstrations 
are expected in the days ahead.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The explosion of the Golden Mosque in Samarra on 
February 22 triggered Shia demonstrations throughout southern 
Iraq.  Demonstrations and gatherings turned violent in Basrah, 
and the following briefly describes the events on this date as 
reported to the Regional Embassy Office (REO) by its employees 
and contacts.  Septel reports the meeting of the REO's Emergency 
Action Committee. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Shortly after noon, 100-150 agitated demonstrators 
gathered outside the Basrah Office of the Martyr Sadr (OMS) 
headquarters.  A REO local employee described the demonstrators 
as Jayish Al Mahdi fighters armed with AK-47s, who said they 
were waiting for orders from Muqtada al Sadr.  Muqtada al Sadr 
later issued a statement calling for peaceful demonstrations 
only, and that no mosques should be touched.  A local journalist 
contacted the REO and reported that markets were closing to 
allow people to attend the OMS demonstration.  Local clerics in 
Basrah reportedly called on their congregations to join the OMS 
demonstration.  Seyid Ali Al Musawi led a demonstration in front 
of the Grand Mosque in Basrah condemning Sunnis. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  A National Democratic Institute representative 
present at the REO received a call from the IIP campaign 
manager, who stated that he and two other party members were 
trapped in the IIP headquarter building and that an angry mob 
was attacking the building.  He called again later to report 
that they had escaped the building and no one had been killed, 
but that the three of them had received gunshot wounds.  He 
reported that the IIP building was completely destroyed. 
Another IIP party member reported that the attack on the 
headquarters resulted in several deaths and injuries, but REO 
staff was unable to verify this information.  British military 
reportedly arrived at the IIP building several hours after the 
attack began; REO Basrah has not yet been able to compare our 
reports with that of the British military.  (Comment:  REO 
Basrah received other reports that the IIP was damaged but not 
destroyed.  We presently are unable to verify the extent of 
damage, but earlier reports of extensive fire damage have not 
been confirmed.  If REO personnel are able to visit the area 
near the IIP building on February 23, we will provide an update. 
 End comment.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Al Arabiya television reported that the Sunni Al Ashra 
Mubashrah mosque, located in the Al Ma'qil area of Basrah, had 
been destroyed.  Agence France Presse reported that a mosque in 
the Al Zubair area of Basrah had been attacked.  Somerai 
television reported that the Iraqi Army had been deployed in 
Basrah and was guarding the Talha grave, a Sunni holy site, 
located on the main road to Zubair. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Basrah Provincial Council (BPC) convened an 
emergency session to decide on a course of action.  Sadr and 
Fadillah party members reportedly gathered on outside of the 
council building, calling for an investigation into the attack 
on the Golden Mosque in Samarra. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment:  The situation in Basrah remains very tense, 
and more demonstrations are expected in the days ahead.  There 
is increased reporting of the possibility of indirect fire at 
the Basrah Palace compound on February 22, and the REO expects 
that local demonstrations will disrupt its normal interactions 
with contacts for the next few days.  With REO local staff 
released from work until February 26, our best sources for 
information have been diminished, but we will continue to report 
developments as we obtain information.  End Comment. 
 
GROSS