US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2444

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002444 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/08/2025 
TAGS: KDEM, PGOV, KISL, IZ, KINR 
SUBJECT: BADR ORGANIZATION CONFERENCE SHOWCASES STRENGTH 
 
Classified By: A/Polcouns Henry S. Ensher. 
Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  The Badr Organization Conference 
kicked off a two-day conference for its leadership 
with a June 8 opening ceremony that had the feel of a 
political party rally.  The ceremony celebrated the 
anniversary of the Badr Organization's transformation 
from militia to an ostensibly separate political 
party.  The Organization's success in getting high- 
level attendance, including both the president and 
Prime Minister was evidence of its continuing clout in 
Iraq.   End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) At the opening ceremony, Badr political 
adviser Abdul Kareem al-Naqib told A/Polcouns that the 
event had been a success, noting with pride the 
attendance of senior Iraqi politicians and other 
members of the diplomatic corps.  He said that the 
Badr Organization was fully a political party with its 
own agenda separate from that of SCIRI.  Naqib made 
this remark while standing under a three times life- 
size photo of SCIRI leader Hakim which faced across 
the podium a slightly smaller photo of Ayatollah 
Sistani.  He said Badr was focused on achieving its 
goals through political means and encouraging others 
to do so as well.  He referred to Badr's outreach 
efforts with Sunni groups.  Al-Naqib noted that none 
of the well-known Sunni groups could claim to 
represent a majority of the Sunni population - the 
Iraqi Islamic Party and the National Dialogue Council 
for example, represented 10-20 percent of the range of 
views among Sunnis. For that reason, Badr was dealing 
directly with key Sunni tribes in Ramadi, Mosul and 
Mahmudiyah, an insurgent center south of Baghdad.  Al- 
Naqib said current security operations in Baghdad had 
improved the situation in the capital, but said these 
efforts were undercut by too lenient sentences for 
criminals and terrorists meted out by judges. 
 
3.  (C) The conference itself appeared to be well 
organized and enjoyed coverage from the major media 
outlets, including hours of live coverage on Al 
Iraqiyah.  The opening ceremony kicked off two days of 
closed, internal meetings among the leadership of the 
Badr Organization and SCIRI.  It was held in an air- 
conditioned tent inside the SCIRI-Badr compound with 
security provided by a motley crew of Badr militia, 
IPS and the Iraqi Army.  The Conference format was a 
simple series of speeches from a range of politicians, 
including representatives of Sunni parties and 
arguably the most prominent Christian leader in Iraq, 
Yonadam Kanna. 
 
4.  (C) Kanna told PolOff after the ceremony that the 
event was just a way for SCIRI to showcase the new 
political strength of the Badr Organization.  He said 
the organizers were very clever in inviting a wide 
range of guests and notable speakers to include 
President Talabani, Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari, 
Vice President Ghazi al-Yawr, Dr. Nadeem Jabouri (Al 
Fadhilla), and Husayn al-Shahristani.  He said that he 
was obliged to come as the token Christian and that he 
understood his role was to show that SCIRI and the 
Badr Organization believes in diversity.  Kanna said 
that most of the speakers were generally positive, if 
not mundane with some notable exceptions.  Ex-Governor 
Fassal Gaood of Anbar urged the Badr Corps to join the 
fight against the terrorists and to look for Islamic 
solutions to the problems of the country. 
 
5.  (C) Kanna said that it was good that the U.S. was 
represented at the opening ceremony, since the U.S. 
relationship with Badr helped dampen extremist 
tendencies in the Badr Organization.   He said that 
U.S. officials photographed with Al-Hakim and Hadi al- 
Amiri will "ensure that there will be newspapers 
burning in Tehran." 
 
6.  (C) With regard to the Muslim Ulema Council-Badr 
Organization reconciliation effort, Kanna said that he 
was confident that no agreement or understanding will 
be reached.  He believes that MUC leader Hareth al- 
Dhari cannot be reasoned with and he must be taken to 
court when he makes unfounded accusations.  Badr 
leader Hadi al-Amiri has repeatedly made this 
assertion and has filed a lawsuit against Al-Dhari. 
End Comment). 
 
7.  (C) Comment:  The event appeared to have achieved 
its most important objectives by portraying the Badr 
Organization as a credible political entity.  However, 
the leading role of Abd Aziz al-Hakim, on the one hand 
and the presence of well-armed militia members on the 
other, make clear that Badr is still just as much 
Corps as Organization. 
 
8. (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO KIRKUK 
minimize considered. 
 
 
Jeffrey