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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
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FM REO KIRKUK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0674
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0636
INFO RUEHWW/BAGHDAD GULF WAR COLLECTIVE
RUEHKUK/REO KIRKUK 0702

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KIRKUK 000122 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  6/29/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PTER IZ
SUBJECT: KIRKUK SUNNI ARABS ON KIDNAPPINGS AND ARTICLE 140 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Jim Bigus, PRT Team Leader, Kirkuk, DOS. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY. On June 22, Iraqi Republican Gathering's 
Kirkuk office 
head detailed a series of kidnappings between Kurds and Sunni 
Arabs in 
Kirkuk.  He used the incidents as an example of how organized 
the Sunni 
Arab population would be against the annexation of Kirkuk.  He 
warned 
that Islamic groups have approached Sunni Arabs on the issue of 
Kirkuk. 
He also stated that Sunni Arabs and Turcomen are discussing 
plans to 
boycott the referendum. END SUMMARY. 
 
RETALIATORY KIDNAPPINGS IN KIRKUK 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  On June 22, IPAO met with Iraqi Republican Gathering's 
(IRG) 
Kirkuk office head Ahmed Hammed al-Ubaydi who requested a 
meeting to 
discuss a series of kidnappings in Kirkuk.  He stated that PUK 
security 
forces had kidnapped Khawla Daham who, according to Ubaydi, is 
the wife 
of "Iraqi resistance leader" Abdulrahman al-Naqshbendi, a Sunni 
Arab 
member of the Al-Bu al-Ujayl tribe from Tikrit.  In response, the 
woman's tribe kidnapped five Kurds in Tikrit and the wife of a 
Kurdish 
military colonel in Kirkuk.  At this point, according to Ubaydi, 
Kirkuk 
PUK head Jalal Jawher became involved and threatened reprisals 
on all 
Al-Bu al-Ujayl tribal members living in Kirkuk. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Following a series of intense negotiations, Daham was 
turned 
over to General Anwar, Kurdish head of IA forces in Kirkuk, and 
the 
colonel's wife was turned over to two Arab members of the Kirkuk 
provincial council and an exchange was made, according to 
Ubaydi.  Once 
the exchange was made everyone else was released.  Ubaydi 
emphasized a 
clear distinction between the Iraqi Army and police forces (the 
IRG 
wished to "thank the police and army for their help") and the PUK 
security forces that he blamed for causing all the problems. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  In reference to the events Ubaydi said the Arabs were 
all 
united in opposition to this kidnapping and that if they had 
enough 
weapons "they would be strong enough to invade Iran".  When 
pressed for 
clarification he said it was a reference to how strong and 
united the 
Sunni Arab population can be when they are "pushed into a 
corner". 
 
ISLAMIC GROUPS APPROACH SUNNI ARABS 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  Ubaydi warned that "America should be careful," because 
Islamic 
groups have been approaching Sunnis in Kirkuk and any 
partnership that 
developed from these discussions would be very dangerous for 
coalition 
forces.  Ubaydi made specific reference to the fact that former 
Prime 
Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'afari had sent an invitation to several 
leaders 
in the Hewija community (including the head of the Hewija 
council and 
Kirkuk Arab council members) to discuss the future of Kirkuk. 
When 
asked his opinion of the meeting, Ubaydi said that "all Islamic 
groups 
are killers and they have one goal in mind and that is to kill." 
 He 
painted all groups with the same brush stating that Badr, the 
Mahdi 
Army, Ansar al-Islam, Ansar al-Sunna, and any other "Islamic 
group" are 
killers. 
 
KIRKUK REFERENDUM 
 
KIRKUK 00000122  002 OF 002 
 
 
------------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Ubaydi used the kidnapping incident as an example of 
how 
dangerous the annexation of Kirkuk would be to a united Sunni 
Arab 
population.  He predicted that half a million citizens will be 
killed if 
Kirkuk is annexed to the Kurdistan Regional Government.  Ubaydi 
believes 
that Kirkuk should be administered as an independent province 
and remain 
under United Nations control for a period of ten years, using the 
situation in Bosnia as an example. 
 
¶7.  (C)  In reference to the PM's statements and proposed 
deadlines on 
the implementation of  Article 140, Ubaydi believes that all 
provinces 
must be redrawn, not only Kirkuk province.  When asked about 
support for 
the Kirkuk Arabs in Baghdad, Ubaydi admitted that even the Sunni 
Arab 
bloc in Baghdad has stated that they will support the Kurds on 
the issue 
of Kirkuk.  He noted that the Kirkuk Arabs were alone in their 
fight and 
politically cornered on the issue of Kirkuk.  When asked about 
the 
Turcomen in Kirkuk, Ubaydi said the Arabs and Turcomen were 
working on 
an agreement and strategy for the upcoming referendum.  When 
pressed to 
divulge details of the planning his answers became vague, though 
he 
alluded to the fact that the two communities (Turcoman and Arab) 
were 
developing a plan to boycott the referendum. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8.  (C)  Arrests made by KDP and PUK "security forces" continues 
to be a 
major problem in Kirkuk.  Citizens do not recognize the 
legitimacy of 
the detentions and consider the action kidnapping and therefore 
attempt 
to retaliate in a like manner. 
BIGUS