US embassy cable - 04MANAMA1707

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001707 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/10/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, BA, IZ 
SUBJECT: SHOUTING MATCH ERUPTS IN PARLIAMENT OVER FALLUJAH 
STATEMENT 
 
Classified by DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (U) Shia and Sunni deputies in the Council of 
Representatives (COR) engaged in a heated shouting match 
November 9 during debate over a statement condemning the U.S. 
attack in Fallujah.  Twenty-four of the 40 COR members 
forwarded a written request to issue a statement to chairman 
Khalifa Al Dhahrani, who called for discussion of the issue. 
The Ambassador, who had just met with the leadership of the 
Shura Council, the appointed upper house of parliament, 
witnessed the fracas from the visitors balcony. 
 
2.  (U) The head of the Islamic bloc (Shia), Ali Samaheji, 
took the floor and called the insurgents in Fallujah 
"merciless killers and terrorists."  He continued, "We should 
focus on backing others who are in real distress and not a 
bunch of criminals who are causing chaos and destruction in 
Iraq."  He asked why the COR should issue a statement 
condemning the attack when the Interim Iraqi Government 
supported it.  By the passing the resolution, they are 
interfering in the internal affairs of another Arab country. 
Dhahrani tried to bring the matter to a vote, but Independent 
bloc president Abdul Aziz Al Moussa demanded that Samaheji 
first withdraw his "insulting" remarks.  Others jumped into 
the fray, shouting and calling each other "childish" and 
"irrational."  The COR eventually issued the statement. 
 
3.  (C) Comment:  The controversy broke down along sectarian 
lines.  The Sunnis members, concerned about their 
co-religionists in Fallujah, pushed for and succeeded in 
getting the statement condemning the attack.  Only the 
Islamic bloc, the sole Shia grouping in the COR, opposed.  In 
August, while the conflict in (Shia) Najaf was underway, 
Bahrainis of both sects supported a COR statement against the 
American role there and several Sunni leaders joined in Shia 
marches against the U.S. action.  Shia deputies do not feel 
the same need to close ranks on the Fallujah situation 
because they consider the insurgents there to be foreign 
terrorists, not Iraqis. 
 
MONROE