US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3480

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003480 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2025 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, IZ 
SUBJECT: SADRIST-BADR CORPS CLASH UPDATE 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT FORD FOR REASONS 
1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (SBU) Post has heard no further reports of Sadrist-Badr 
Corps violence since the August 24 clashes between the two 
groups in South and South Central Iraq, as well as Sadr City. 
 The August 24 confrontation began after Sadrists blamed Badr 
Corps for an apparent arson-caused fire at the building that 
formerly housed Muqtada al Sadr's office in Najaf. 
 
2. (SBU) At approximately 1200 hrs on August 25, Muqtada al 
Sadr held a press conference in which he told his followers 
to lay down their weapons and eschew violence.  He then 
called on SCIRI leader Abdul Aziz al Hakim to make a similar 
public statement to his followers.  PolOff contacted the 
SCIRI chief of staff, Haitham al Husseini, and told him that 
a statement from Hakim urging calm would be in the interest 
of all factions.  Haitham agreed, and said he would encourage 
Hakim to act accordingly.  (NOTE: We have heard unconfirmed 
reports that both Hakim and Sadr have made subsequent 
conciliatory statements.  We further understand that the 
Sadrist Minister of Transportation who announced suspension 
of his participation in the government August 24 has 
indicated that he will now return to work.) 
 
3. (C) Sadrist representatives Bara al-Araji and Kusai Abdul 
Wahib suggested to PolOff that Badr Corps may have instigated 
the violence for one or more of the following reasons: (a) 
counter Muqtada's "increasing" popularity, (b) wreck the 
constitution process, and (c) provoke Sadrist violence to 
which Coalition forces would feel compelled to respond. 
PolOff replied by pressing the Sadrists to urge their 
followers to avoid confrontation, as violence would only 
undermine progress on the constitution. 
 
4. (C) Minister of Interior Bayan Jabr has sent BG Mohammed, 
the SCIRI-linked commander of the "Wolf Brigade," to Najaf to 
assess the situation.  MOI sources claim that the Minister 
has discussed the events with Grand Ayatollah Sistani, as 
well as with Prime Minister Ja'fari.  Given uncertainty over 
further developments, Jabr has reportedly canceled a 
scheduled visit to Amman to meet the Jordanian Prime Minister 
and Minister of the Interior. 
Khalilzad