VZCZCXRO1791
PP RUEHBC RUEHKUK RUEHMOS
DE RUEHDE #1904/01 0941433
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P R 041433Z APR 06
FM AMCONSUL DUBAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9579
INFO RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 2511
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 DUBAI 001904 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  4/4/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR PHUM PINR SOCI
SUBJECT: SITUATION IN IRAN'S KHUZESTAN AND REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT 
 
DUBAI 00001904  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jason L Davis, Consul General, Dubai, UAE. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
 
1.(U) This is an action request -- see para 15-16. 
 
2.(S) Summary:  In the past two weeks ConGenoffs have had two 
sets of meetings with people claiming to be persecuted human 
rights activists from Iran's Arab Khuzestan region.  The first 
meeting was with two activists in UAE to seek political asylum. 
The second two say they are not seeking asylum but are 
requesting USG help publicizing the plight of their families 
held in prison in Iran and unspecified logistical support from 
the U.S. for their separatist movement.  A London-based 
Khuzestan activist complained that Iran was settling Persians in 
Khuzestan, causing Ahwazi Arabs to emigrate. Meanwhile, another 
Khuzestan group, calling itself the Democratic Arabic Nation 
Organization, is requesting, via email, contact with the USG. 
Please see action request in para 16-18. End summary 
 
British Ahwazi Friendship Society 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.(C) XXXXXXXXXXXX, treasurer of XXXXXXXXXXXX met PolEconChief while in Dubai February 27 
to discuss the current situation in Khuzestan.  He said 
Khuzestan's Arabs have no lobbying power to rally international 
support for their cause, despite the fact that in his view, 
their situation is worse than that of the Palestinians, and 
despite the fact that the area produces 10 percent of OPEC 
output of oil (other sources claim 20%).  He claimed that 
through land confiscation, Iran is setting up Persian 
settlements on their land and many Ahwazi Arabs are choosing to 
emigrate.  XXXXXXXXXXXX said President Ahmadinejad's program or 
provincial outreach had no benefit for Khuzestan Arabs and that 
the IRGC had "no sympathy" for Arab Sunnis. 
 
4.(C) Asked about the letter that sparked violence last year -- 
reputed to have been written in 1999 by an advisor to then 
President Khatami about policies to reduce the percentage of 
ethnic Arabs in Khuzestan -- XXXXXXXXXXXX said he does not believe 
government claims that the letter was fraudulent.  This is 
because he sees the projects referenced in the letter being 
carried out.  Asked his view of government claims of foreign 
assistance for attacks in Khuzestan, he said the government was 
trying to deny the truth that it is a local grass roots 
movement.  That said, the British retain their influence in the 
region, based on their historical support for semi-independence 
for the region.  XXXXXXXXXXXX claimed to have met with British FS 
Straw, which he said fanned the conspiracy rumors.  He also said 
the group had met with Canadian officials. 
 
5.(C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said the British Ahwazi Friendship Society is 
against the use of violence and is secular.  The group suspects 
the Iranian government is behind the bombings over the past year 
in Khuzestan.  It cooperates with the U.S.-based Ahwazi Human 
Rights Organization.  He also mentioned ties to the Democratic 
Solidarity Party of Ahwaz (DPSA), which represents Ahwaz at the 
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).  He said 
the DPSA advocates a separation of mosque and state and a 
federalist system, and that it rejects pan-Arabism.  The group 
is also part of the Congress of Nationalities for a Federal 
Iran, an umbrella organization based in London with Kurdish 
(Kurdistan Democratic Party and Komala), Azeri (Cultural Center 
for Azerbaijan), Balochi (People's Party of Baluchistan and 
another group), and Turkmen parties, as well as Ahwazi. 
According to XXXXXXXXXXXX, none of these groups advocates separatism. 
He mentioned that there are other small separatist groups in 
Khuzestan. 
 
6.(C) XXXXXXXXXXXX said his group broadcasts into Iran one hour a week 
from California but that following the Persian New Year, it 
planned to expand broadcasting using satellite time leased by 
Kurdish groups. 
 
7.(C) His argument for U.S. support for Ahwazi Arabs included 
the following points: 
 
- Khuzestan is against Islamists and is the only place where 
Islamists would not win free elections 
 
- Pan-Arabists have ignored us, so we don't like them 
 
- Unlike most Arabs who do not like the U.S. because of its 
support for Israel, Ahwazi Arabs do not question Israel's right 
to exist 
 
- If the U.S. helps them, its standing will rise in the region 
because the Arab world will see that it has helped Arabs 

- Khuzestan is the only place in Iran where demonstrations occur 
monthly 
 
- Ahwazi Arabs have good relations with anti-Iranian Iraqi Shia, 
as well as with Kurds. 
 
Political Asylum Pleas 
---------------------- 
 
8.(S) Two men, XXXXXXXXXXXXand XXXXXXXXXXXX, came to ConGen 
Dubai March 28, having been referred to us by the Ahwazi Human 
Rights Organization, looking for political asylum.  Details of 
their reports of human rights abuses in Khuzestan are reported 
septel.  Conoff instructed them that we could not take action on 
their cases without a UNHCR review.  One had already applied to 
UNHCR, but the other was reluctant to do, claiming fear of 
Iranian security presence in the UAE; however, he has since 
started the process.  PolEconChief will follow up with UNHCR to 
track their cases. 
 
Help for Imprisoned Families and More 
------------------------------------- 
 
9.(S) Two additional men showed up April 3, claiming to be 
Ahwazi political activists XXXXXXXXXXXXand XXXXXXXXXXXXand 
saying they were referred by the Ahwazi Human Rights 
Organization.  They were accompanied by another man, who only 
identified himself as "Fareed" and said he lived in the UAE.  A 
U.S. based Ahwaz human rights group had alerted post to the 
presence of these two activists in UAE, but they came without an 
appointment.  They gave PolEconChief Internet reports from the 
British Ahwazi Friendship Society and Amnesty International 
regarding persecution of family members of activists in 
Khuzestan.  We cannot confirm the identities of the two men we 
saw, but the one claiming to be XXXXXXXXXXXX said his wife and 
four-year-old son are currently in prison.  AI reports XXXXXXXXXXXX 
has received threats his family will be tortured or killed if he 
does not return. The man claiming to be XXXXXXXXXXXX said his wife 
was pregnant when she was detained and had apparently has since 
lost the child after being mistreated.  AI reports that other 
women and children of activists are being held in similar 
situations.  "Fareed" also spoke of a husband and wife, XXXXXXXXXXXXand XXXXXXXXXXXX, whom he said were being held 
together in prison, each forced to watch the other being abused. 
 According to the British Ahwazi Friendship Society, none of the 
women has been charged with any crimes. 
 
10.(S) "XXXXXXXXXXXX" said he was a teacher and had run for 
parliament, and was being persecuted for speaking out about Arab 
rights and democracy.  "XXXXXXXXXXXX" only said he was a businessman 
and activist and gave no details of his activities.  Both men 
denied any  connection to recent bombings in Khuzestan. 
 
11.(S) "Fareed" then asked for a follow-on meeting with an 
Arabic speaker, saying he and the other two men were not 
comfortable speaking Farsi.  He also proposed they meet with 
"CIA" claiming they had information to give and also wanted 
support for their activities, which he said were in support of a 
separate state.  He said they had heard the Iranian government 
make accusations that British and Americans were supporting 
them, and added that he "only wished it were so." 
 
A Request for Contact 
--------------------- 
 
12.(S) A third group calling itself the Democratic Arabic Nation 
Organization (www.al-ahwaz.org) has been requesting, via email, 
a meeting with Embassy Abu Dhabi.  (They say they do not want to 
come to Dubai because they fear the Iranian security presence 
here.)  They too claim to have information to offer. 
 
13.(S) According to a letter in Arabic sent by email, they claim 
to be a political party that calls for protection of human 
rights according to international standards, democracy, "and 
achieving all of our political, economic, and social goals using 
every available source."  They claim responsibility for the 
April 15, 2005 "revolution" in Khuzestan that was "hailed" by 
the State Department, as well as responsible for the Ahwazi 
rebellion in 2002. 
 
They say they seek support from the U.S. because: 
 
- the U.S. has important interests in the area 
 
- the U.S. has always driven democracy in the Middle East 

- the best way to weaken the Iranian system is from within 
 
14.(S) The group is offering documentation of human rights 
abuses to help the U.S. gain international support for its 
campaign against Iran.  They write, "It is also certain that we 
shall require much support from your side for our case."  They 
do not specify whether or not they are a separatist group, 
stating only that they want democracy "within our state."  The 
letter says the group is requesting a meeting with a high level 
official with "decision-making ability," and warns that 
communication should be handled as classified, as "we continue 
to live in Ahwaz."  The letter is signed XXXXXXXXXXXX. 
 
Action Requests 
--------------- 
 
15.(SBU) Post recommends the Department issue, in the 
appropriate venue, a statement on the overall situation in 
Khuzestan, criticizing in particular the reported mass 
displacement of Arabs, as well as the arrests of families, 
including young children, of political activists.  (See Amnesty 
International Index: MDE 13/028/2006 for details) 
 
16.(S) Additionally, Post requests general guidance on meetings 
with Ahwazi groups.  The British Ahwazi Friendship Society in 
particular appears to be a well-established, legitimate group. 
Once the Iran watcher is in place in London, s/he could perhaps 
continue the contact.  XXXXXXXXXXXX, XXXXXXXXXXXX, and Fareed called itself 
separatists but did not give any particular name to their group. 
 Should advocacy of separatism be a red-line for continuing 
contact with such groups/individuals?  Should our response to 
requests for support be to suggest they partner with an 
international NGO?  The possibility exists, of course, that the 
two "activists" may in fact be Iranian intelligence agents 
looking to identify their American counterparts and determine 
how the U.S. would react to such approaches.  An Internet search 
revealed no photos of the two supposedly prominent political 
activists, only of their wives and children.  Post also requests 
guidance for any follow-on action related to the Democratic 
Arabic Nation Organization, which could also be a front for 
Iranian intelligence.  We have so far not responded to their 
letter.  Checks done locally at post have revealed no 
information about the group. 
DAVIS