VZCZCXRO3079
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #0008/01 0021056
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 021056Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5077
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/01/2018 
TAGS: PREL IZ
SUBJECT: PRT-WASIT: IRAN PAYS FOR WASIT SHEIKHS' TOUR 
 
REF: A. DIIR-TFM-81-819-08-116 
     ¶B. BAGHDAD 4146 
     ¶C. IIR-TFM-81-819-08-114 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (U) This is a PRT Wasit reporting cable. 
 
¶2. (S//REL TO ACGU) Summary: According to numerous tribal and 
government contacts, from 21 November to 6 December 
approximately 60 sheikhs and family members visited Iran for 
fifteen days to tour Tehran, Qom and Mashad.  An Iraqi tour 
company named "Sons of Ruhullah," reportedly sponsored by a 
partnership between the Da'wa party and Iran, organized the 
trip.  The tour included visits to Shi'a holy sites, shrines 
to Iranian political/religious leaders, government buildings 
and the closed US Embassy in Tehran, combined with lectures 
(ref A).  The invitations were made to the sheikhs by 
Mohammad Reza al Numani, a part-time religious lecturer in 
Iran, long time member of Da'wa and close associate of both 
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and former Prime Minister 
Ibrahim al-Jafari.  According to the Wasit IP Chief, Iran 
will likely sponsor additional trips in order to influence 
tribal opinion before the next Provincial elections.  He said 
that CF's most effective counter is successful PRT 
operations, noting that agricultural, business, and other 
reconstruction assistance will influence the tribal 
population more than trips to Iran. End summary. 
 
The Tours 
--------- 
¶3. (S//REL TO ACGU) On 18 and 26 December, CDR 214th FB, Team 
Leader 819th HUMINT Collection Team and PRT-Wasit met 
separately with two sheikhs who had made the trip to Iran. 
Both sheikhs have close ties to 214th FB and PRT and had no 
problem discussing the details of the trip.  In the first 
meeting, Sheikh Mohammad Jorani described a steady flow of 
lectures urging the sheikhs to join fellow Muslims to fight 
the Americans in Iraq, encouraging them to send their sons to 
Iran for education, and emphasizing the need to support Iraqi 
"federalism" (ref B). 
 
¶4. (S//REL TO ACGU) In the second meeting on 26 December, 
Sheikh Abd al-Hussein said the tour group of 60 ("20 or so" 
sheikhs plus their families) moved across the border at the 
Zurbatiyah Point of Entry, spent a few hours in Mehran, and 
continued to Tehran for five days, Qom for three days, and 
Mashad for two days (Note: He reported a three-day train trip 
from Qom to Mashad. End note).  He said a significant amount 
of the time was spent with Iraqi expatriates, including one, 
Sheikh Fadl al Maliki, who told them that "Iran is a danger 
that supports the militias." 
 
¶5. (S//REL TO ACGU) Although Sheikh Abd al-Hussein did not 
directly answer questions about the messages during the trip, 
he alluded to other reporting of anti-CF themes by noting 
that he "was not affected by the trip sponsors' messages, as 
we know the truth." He said he thought the purpose of the 
trip was to demonstrate to the Iraqis that "Iran is the 
center of Islam" and he claimed he was unimpressed (ref C). 
 
 
Iran and Da'wa 
-------------- 
¶6. (S//REL TO ACGU) The two sheikhs that made the trip and 
the eleven sheikhs who didn't attend said they received their 
invitations by telephone from Mohammed Reza al-Numani.  Al 
Numani was described as the "representative of the Prime 
Minister in Wasit" by Wasit Police Chief MG Haninn. 
Al-Numani was a student of Mohammed Baqr al-Sadr when Da'wa 
was founded in 1957.  He spent most of the Saddam era in 
Iran, has an Iranian wife and is reportedly well-known for a 
biography he wrote of Mohammed Baqr al-Sadr.  He reportedly 
led a delegation of Wasit sheikhs to visit the Prime Minister 
in June 2007, and is perceived by the tribal community as 
Maliki's spokesman. (Note:  Numani has met with PRT 
representatives before but PRT-Wasit was unable to reach him; 
according to IP Police Chief MG Haninn, he is in Iran. End 
note.) 
 
Provincial Police Chief 
----------------------- 
¶7. (S//REL TO ACGU) On 29 December, MG Haninn confirmed to 
CDR 214th FB and PRT that Mohammad Reza al-Numani was the 
primary organizer of the trip.  When asked if the visit was 
intended to benefit the Da'wa party or Iran, Haninn said Iran 
is increasing its efforts with the tribes due to CF's tribal 
efforts and the presence of the PRT.  When asked what he 
thought the most effective CF response to the Iranian tribal 
campaign would be, he recommended continuing the PRT's work, 
noting that the sheikhs are farmers and are especially 
interested in agricultural and business development 
assistance. 
 
BAGHDAD 00000008  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (S//REL TO ACGU) The reaction from our fifteen contacts 
was generally defensive if they went on the trip and 
accusatory if they did not. The sheikhs who declined the 
invitation didn,t hesitate to take shots at their "disloyal" 
colleagues for accepting favors from the "Persians." Since 
beginning our tribal engagements, every sheikh we've had 
contact with has prided himself on his pure Arab bloodline 
and his Iraqi nationalism, as demonstrated by a healthy dose 
of vitriol for Iran.  We take at face value the explanation 
that most went only to see the holy shrines and visit the 
country, and we think it unlikely Iran successfully 
influenced a large number of Wasit sheikhs, a notoriously 
fickle and self-interested community.  Our contacts noted 
that there have been similar trips in the past and there 
would undoubtedly be future trips.  Regardless of how the 
sheikhs respond, these efforts illustrate the extent to which 
Iran deems Wasit Province to be under its sphere of 
influence. 
 
¶9.  (S//REL TO ACGU) While there is no evidence that PM 
Maliki had any personal involvement in this trip, the 
unanimous perception among the sample of tribal and 
government leaders we talked with is that the trip had his 
blessing. 
CROCKER