VZCZCXRO4352
PP RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHBC #0047/01 0961220
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 061220Z APR 06
FM REO BASRAH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0291
INFO RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
RUEHBC/REO BASRAH 0309

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BASRAH 000047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  4/6/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR IZ ECON
SUBJECT: SNAPSHOT OF MAYSAN - THE INDEPENDENT PROVINCE 
 
BASRAH 00000047  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Ken Gross, Regional Coordinator, REO Basrah, 
Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Maysan province, which shares the longest 
border with Iran, is regarded as the independent province, and 
the population has a reputation as a self-reliant people who 
look to their tribal leaders for leadership and guidance. 
Politically and socially the province is conservative Shia.  The 
local government has been quick to work towards improving life 
for its citizens.  The province is relatively stable in terms of 
security with almost all of the violence directed at MND-SE 
forces.  There is infighting between the two dominant Islamic 
parties, OMS, which controls the local government, and Badr 
Organization, which controls the security forces.  The two 
parties vie for power and influence in what could best be 
described as a cold war.  The province is known as a smuggler's 
paradise, and although unemployment is high, citizens rely on 
government employment and farming for income.  End summary. 
 
STATISTICAL OVERVIEW 
 
¶2.  (U)  Maysan province is located in southeastern Iraq, shares 
a 275 km border with Iran and has a population of 785,000.  The 
capital is Al Amarah (estimated population 420,000), which lies 
on the banks of the Tigris River.  The remainder of the 
population resides mainly in the towns of Qumayt and Kabir. 
Shias are approximately 95 percent of the population, with 
Sunnis composing the remaining 5 percent.  The province has 
417,273 registered voters and had a 70-80 percent turnout in the 
January 2005 provincial elections.  The illiteracy rate is 35 
percent, the third highest rate in Iraq. 
 
¶3.  (U) The annual median household income is 2,759,451 Iraqi 
diners (approximately US $1840) and the median household size is 
7 people.  The unemployment rate is 23 percent, with the 
majority of the employed working in the service sector.  The 
average median hourly wage is 1000 Iraqi dinars, and most 
households report two sources of income.  (Note:  All statistics 
except for voter turnout are from the UNDP and Ministry of 
Planning Iraq Living Conditions Survey 2004.  End note) 
 
POLITICS 
 
¶4.  (U) Local politics in Maysan is dominated by the Al Husayni 
Thought Forum, essentially a front for the Office of the Martyr 
Sadr (OMS).  The party holds 15 of the 41 seats in the Maysan 
Provincial Council (MPC), and the remaining 26 seats are divided 
among 10 other Shia political parties.  The United Islamic Front 
has the second largest representation on the MPC with only six 
seats.  OMS has control of the political situation in the 
province and is supported in its endeavors by the Jaysh Al Mahdi 
(JAM) militia.  The other Islamic parties with strong influence 
are the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), 
whose members ran on the United Islamic Front list, and Badr 
Organization.  Both the Governor, Adil Mahoder Radhi Al Maliki, 
and the Chairman of the Provincial Council, Abdul Jabbar Waheed, 
belong to the Al Husayni Thought Forum.  The Deputy Governor, 
Mohan Abdul Allah Al Jabri, who does not wield any power or 
influence, represents Iraqi Hizbollah, and the Chief of Police, 
Ismail Arrar Al Majidi (known as Abu Maythem), is from Badr 
Organization. 
 
¶5.  (U) Of the four southern provinces, Maysan is seen by 
Coalition Forces as being the best in terms of governance.  The 
Provincial Reconstruction and Development Committee is 
completely Iraqi led with only background support from the 
Coalition partners.  However, the local population does not 
believe that the MPC is doing enough to improve and provide 
basic services, and the Governor frequently blames the Coalition 
for the province's woes.  He often claims that the MPC is unable 
to solve infrastructure problems because the Coalition has not 
delivered on promised funds.  Maysan has long felt ignored and 
badly treated by the central government, especially during the 
previous regime.  Most recently, the MPC has had to cope with 
flooding, a possible Avian Influenza outbreak and the popular 
outcry following the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra. 
The bombing of the mosque coupled with the recent release of a 
video of British soldiers beating young men on the streets of Al 
Amarah resulted in significant tension in the local government's 
relationship with MND-SE.  Recent arrests by Coalition Forces 
have resulted in a spike of attacks against MND-SE targets. 
 
¶6.  (U) Tribes wield considerable power in Maysan, and the 
traditional Marsh Arab culture is very influential.  During the 
Iran-Iraq war and the subsequent draining of the marshes by 
Saddam, the citizens of Maysan turned to their tribal leaders 
for guidance and protection.  This position of authority by the 
tribes continues today.  Abdul Kareem Mahod (known as Abu 
 
BASRAH 00000047  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Hatim), leader of Iraqi Hizbollah and brother of the former 
governor, has formed a tribal council to serve as an advisory 
body for all matters in Maysan.  The council held its inaugural 
conference on March 30 and had 1,000 attendees made up of tribal 
leaders, clerics, civil society and politicians.  Comment:  It 
is unclear what the cooperation mechanisms will be between the 
MPC and the Tribal Council.  Many citizens hope that a power 
struggle between the two will not ensue and that the council 
will work strictly as an advisory council to the MPC.  End 
comment. 
 
SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT 
 
¶7.  (SBU) With OMS in control of local government and Badr in 
charge of the security forces, skirmishes between JAM and Badr 
Corps are frequent as they vie for power and influence.  Despite 
the violence that occasionally erupts between JAM and Badr 
forces, locals consider the province to be relatively safe 
because civilians are not the target of insurgent activity.  The 
current weapons of choice against Coalition forces are 
Improvised Explosive Devices believed to come from Iran.  Many 
of the province's criminal elements reside along the border with 
Iran and in the areas near the marshlands.  They engage in 
smuggling and, when necessary, violence to protect their 
livelihood. 
 
¶8.  (C) Chief of Police Abu Maythem controls a police force of 
over 4,200 men, more than double the Ministry of Interior's 
standards for the province.  The police force is hindered by 
lack of equipment and vehicles.  Overstaffing has caused severe 
payroll issues, which the Chief of Police addresses by paying 
salaries out of his own pocket with contributions from some 
local tribal sheikhs.  Comment:  There is strong speculation 
that Iran also contributes to the payroll of the Maysan Police 
Force.  End comment. 
 
ECONOMY 
 
¶9.  (U) The primary industries in Maysan are agriculture, 
fishing and animal husbandry.  Agriculture in Maysan centers on 
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates and fodder crops for 
livestock.  There are four major factories in the province: 
vegetable oil, sugar cane, plastic and paper.  Three of the 
factories are no longer active due to deterioration of equipment 
and lack of resources.  The vegetable oil industry continues to 
produce limited by-products including soap, washing powder and 
cooking oil.  Most of the factories were state-owned and 
cintinue to pay wages to their employees even though the 
factories are idle.  With unemployment at 23 percent, much of 
the population receives income from government employment or 
farming.  Maysan is a smuggler's paradise, and many people 
engage in it. 
 
COMMENT 
 
¶10.  (C) Comment:  The potential for Maysan to grow economically 
and become one of the more politically savvy provinces in Iraq 
is quite high.  Often described as the wild west, Maysan is used 
to handling its own affairs without interference from or 
dependence on the outside.  The population believes that the 
previous regime was an occupation that has now simply been 
replaced by MND-SE.  The citizens of Maysan were responsible for 
the ouster of Sadaam's forces prior to the invasion in 2003 and 
feel entitled to reclaiming their province.  Its close proximity 
to Iran makes Maysan important to watch in terms of infiltration 
by Iran and the spread of Iranian influence.  End comment. 
 
BIO NOTES ON KEY/INFLUENTIAL INDIVIDUALS 
 
¶11.  (C) Governor Adil Mahoder Radhi Al Maliki - The Governor 
was elected to office in January 2005 on the Al Husayni Thought 
Forum list.  Before entering politics he was an engineer.  It is 
rumored that prior to election to office Radhi was an active 
participant in JAM and, as Governor, continues to support JAM 
activities.  Upon taking office he appointed various members of 
OMS to key positions in the local government and is regarded as 
a key OMS figure in the province.  Relations between him and his 
deputy as well as the Chief of Police are tense.  Recently, he 
has made frequent trips to Najaf in order to seek the support 
and guidance of Muqtada Al Sadr. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Deputy Governor Mohan Abdul Allah Al Jabri - He won 
his position in the January 2005 elections on the United Islamic 
Front list.  He wields no power or influence and is relegated to 
the background.  The Deputy Governor has cancer (what type is 
unknown) and frequently travels to Iran for treatment. 
 
¶13.  (C) Chairman of the Provincial Council Abdul Jabbar Waheid 
Al Ogaili - He was elected from the Al Husayni Thought Forum 
list in January 2005.  He is a member of OMS and uses his 
membership to wield power and influence.  Abdul Jabbar worked in 
 
BASRAH 00000047  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
the previous regime with youth in Maysan.  His relationship with 
the Governor is currently strained and it is believed that he is 
angling for power and would like to replace the Governor. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Chief of Police Ismail Arrar Al Majidi (known as Abu 
Maythem) - He was exiled to Iran during the previous regime and 
developed strong ties with Badr Organisation while there.  Abu 
Maythem returned to Maysan immediately prior to the invasion 
with a fighting unit he had established while in Iran.  He and 
his forces reportedly were responsible for retaking Maysan 
province from Saddam five days before Coalition Forces arrived, 
bringing him high regard with the people of Maysan.  Due to Abu 
Maythem's popularity, strong personality and tribal support, 
recent efforts by the MPC and Governor to replace him have been 
unsuccessful. 
 
¶15.   (SBU) Abdul Kareem Mahod (known as Abu Hatim) - He is the 
brother of the former Governor, Riyad Mahod, and is the head of 
Iraqi Hizbollah.  Abu Hatim has recently formed a tribal council 
consisting of Maysan tribal leaders, played a key role in the 
Marsh Arab revolt in 1991 and was an unsuccessful candidate in 
2005 on the 169 List for the National Assembly. 
 
¶16.  (SBU) Hussein Jaloob Al Saady (known as Abu Muslim) - He 
returned to Maysan from Iran as the head of the Islamic Da'wa 
Movement following the fall of Saddam.  He studied in Qom for 
many years and has good contacts in Najaf.  Abu Muslim was a 
member of the Interim Iraqi National Council from September 2004 
to March 2005 .  He did not win a seat in the January 2005 
elections and instead turned his attention to his NGO, Al Huda 
Foundation for Strategic Studies, in Maysan.  The foundation 
educates people on democracy via workshops, providing Internet 
access and books and by research papers on various topics. 
 
¶17.  (C) Sayeed Mohanned - A recent rumored shift in the OMS 
leadership in Maysan has Sayeed Mohanned, a moderate, taking the 
political reins of the party.  Muqtada Al Sadr reportedly made 
the decision to change the leadership with the concurrence of 
the Governor. 
 
¶18.  (C) Sa'ad Amar Al Battat - He reportedly recently lost the 
leadership of JAM in the province.  All that is known of his 
replacement is that he goes by the name "Al'lah".  Al Battat is 
part of a hard line element within JAM that wields influence and 
leadership in certain circles and will continue to do so even if 
he has been replaced.  Al Battat was held by U.S. forces in 2004 
following the Al Sadr uprising in Najaf.  Many moderates in 
OMS/JAM have often lamented his release from custody by U.S. 
forces. 
GROSS