US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2953

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002953 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KDEM, IZ, Sunni Arab 
SUBJECT: TWO SUNNI ARABS WITHDRAW FROM CONSTITUTION 
COMMITTEE 
 
Classified By: Charge D' Affaires David M. Satterfield for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Poloff confirmed July 14 that two of the fifteen Sunni 
Arabs recently added to the constitution drafting committee 
have withdrawn themselves from the process.  One of the men, 
Dr. Muhammad Mahrus al-Mudaris al-Athami, who is affiliated 
with the Sunni Conference, had previously complained of 
health problems and requested that his name be withdrawn from 
consideration.  The other, Dr. Wisam Sabri al-Ani, affiliated 
with the National Dialogue Council, had threatened earlier to 
withdraw because he believed adding specifically "Sunni 
Arabs" to the committee would only further inflame sectarian 
tensions. 
 
2. (C) One newspaper report claimed that both men withdrew 
because they had received threatening letters, but some of 
their colleagues on the committee told Poloff July 14 that 
there was more to the story.   Iraqi Islamic Party leader 
Ayad al-Samarai, also an added member, had reminded Poloff on 
July 12 of both men's previous complaints and said he 
believed neither man in the end wanted to put in the work. 
Shaykh Muhammad Tahir al-Abid Rabbo al-Jaburi, another recent 
Sunni Arab addition to the committee, downplayed to PolOff 
the damage caused by the withdrawal and said both men would 
be quickly replaced. 
 
3. (C) Shaykh al-Jaburi told Poloff that he expected that he 
and his colleagues would draw from the already-nominated 13 
Sunni Arab "expert advisors" in order to find replacement 
candidates.  He mentioned Dr. Dhamin Hasan Aleiwi, affiliated 
with the National Dialogue Council, as one previously 
nominated expert who could simply be promoted to become a 
member.  Al-Jaburi also said that some of his colleagues were 
considering nominating Abd al-Nasser Al-Janabi to fill one of 
the spots.  Janabi is a controversial tribal shaykh 
affiliated with the National Dialogue Council who claims 
close ties to the insurgency. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT:  We will watch closely to ensure that the 
process of replacing these two members does not re-open any 
of the negotiations we just finally completed.  One of the 
new members will likely come from the ranks of the "Sunni 
Conference," a front uniting the Islamic Party and Sunni 
Waqf, while the other will come from the National Dialogue 
Council.  Poloff urged al-Jaburi and Samarai to draw from 
names already on their expert roster rather than seek out new 
personalities like Shaykh Abd al-Nasser al-Janabi.  The last 
thing this process needs is for the committee to begin 
debating personalities again just when it has finally gotten 
down to its most serious work.  Jaburi said he agreed that 
quick progress was needed, and we expect to hear of the new 
nominees in the coming few days.  These two vacancies will be 
filled, but the threat of future withdrawals over substantive 
disputes remains and will bear close watching. 
 
5. (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO KIRKUK, 
minimize considered. 
Satterfield