US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD3601

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003601 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, NEA/PPD, NEA/PPA, NEA/AGS, INR/IZ, INR/P 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.0. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, KPAO, IZ, Media, Parliament, Sunni Arab 
SUBJECT: Special Media Reaction Report  The Sunni Split on the 
Constitution 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY.  Within the Sunni community two positions have emerge 
on the constitution, an approach of continued engagement and a 
rejectionist approach.  This debate is being carried out in the media 
with both camps reaching out to major Iraqi and pan-Arab outlets to 
espouse their positions.  Included are several excerpts from TV and 
print sources highlighting the differing points of view.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (U) With Shi'a and Kurdish general acceptance of the draft 
constitution, there is a new focus in the Iraqi media on the differin 
opinions about the constitution held by the various Sunni factions. 
Two distinct poles are evident: those who favor continued engagement 
and seek to affect changes in the current draft, with the potential o 
supporting the constitution in the referendum if their demands are me 
and those who reject the constitution as a whole, see no potential fo 
compromise and are already focusing their efforts on defeating the 
constitution in the referendum.  In Iraqi and pan-Arab media, two 
individuals have emerged as vocal spokesman representing these two 
positions, Tariq Al-Hashimi, spokesman for the Iraqi Islamic Party an 
Saleh Al-Mutlaq, member of the Iraqi National Dialogue Council.  Both 
have appeared on several Iraqi and pan-Arab talk shows and are being 
widely quoted in the print media. 
 
3. (U) Supporting continued dialogue and engagement, Tariq Al-Hashimi 
has made the following statements reported in the media; 
 
-- 29 Aug 05  Al Jazeera News Channel 
"It is an incomplete draft and the party continues to have reservatio 
over many of the issues enshrined in itThis is the opinion of the 
Iraqi Islamic Party.  The party, through all possible political 
efforts, will not hesitate to amend these paragraphs until they becom 
compatible with the country's higher interests and the concerns of 
Iraqis in the present and the future." 
 
Replying to a question on whether the party is calling on Iraqis to 
reject the draft constitution if "gaps" are not dealt with, Al-Hashim 
says: 
 
"Not the entire draft is bad.  It includes good and bad elements. We 
shall confront the elements which we continue to believe that it woul 
be in the interest of the country and Iraqis to change now or in the 
futureThe Islamic Party contests this draft constitution, but does n 
reject it in part and parcel." 
 
-- 29 Aug 05  Reuters 
""We have not signed the constitution and we still have the time 
ime 
starting from now until the referendum comes. We might say yes to the 
constitution if the disputed points are resolved." 
 
4. (U) Further outlining the Iraqi Islamic Party's position, Az-Zaman 
Newspaper published the following article by Ali Al-Mosawi on August 
30, 2005 entitled, "Islamic Party Demands Modifications before 
Accepting the Draft Constitution." 
 
--"Also, the Iraqi Islamic Party said its support for the draft 
constitution depends on the acceptance of modifications it demanded. 
Tariq Al-Hashimiadded that they might support the constitution if th 
disputed issues are settled. The party's political office confirmed i 
a statement, which Az-Zaman received on Monday, that 'the draft, 
regarding the disputed issuesrelated to 'federalism, regional 
authorities, identity, and the distribution of wealth." 
 
5. (U) Highlighting moderate Sunni's interest in continued engagement 
in the political process, Ad-Destour Newspaper published the followin 
n 
story on August 30, 2005, entitled, "Allawi Will Return to Office in 
Exchange for Brokering a Timetable for the Withdrawal of Foreign 
Forces."  The article contains a key Sunni constitutional demand to 
revoke the debathification laws. 
 
--"Former PM Ayad Allawi and the Shiite leadership supporting him hav 
reached an agreement with Sunni groups, including the Islamic Scholar 
Association and the Iraqi Islamic Party, to support Allawi's return t 
office in return for his guarantee of: obtaining a timetable for the 
withdrawal of U.S. forces, revoking de-Ba'athification laws, and 
protecting those in the so-called resistance leadership. The agreemen 
was reached during a meeting held in an Amman hotel and attended by 
Allawi on behalf of the Shiites; Sunnis were represented by Muthana 
Harith Al-Dhari, a member of the Islamic Scholars' Association, Abdul 
Salam Al-Kubaisi, a member of the Islamic Scholars' Association's 
Representatives Abroad Council, and Mohammed Abbas Al-Kubaisi, in 
addition to other Sunni politicians close to Allawi including Ayhem A 
Samaraiee and representatives of the Iraqi Islamic Party." 
 
6. (U) Demonstrating the rejectionist Sunni view of the constitution, 
Saleh Al-Mutlaq has made the following statements reported in the 
media; 
 
--28 Aug 05 - Al-Sharqiya TV 
"The constitution must either be accepted or rejected as a whole. If 
single point in the constitution is unacceptable, voters will reject 
the constitution altogether. Here lies our disagreement with the 
brothers. We told them not to mention certain points in the 
constitution that might lead to its rejection We believe that the 
Iraqi citizen will reject this draft because of the presence of these 
controversial points I think that if this constitution passes as it 
is, it will worsen everything in the country and it will increase the 
violence in the country. But at the same time we are asking through 
these channels all the Iraqis to express their views in a very peacef 
f 
way and be away from the violence. 
 
Practically speaking, if the constitution has one paragraph over whic 
there is no agreement or which will not be approved by the Iraqi 
people, the Iraqi citizen will be forced to reject the constitution 
because of this paragraph When the citizen finds that this 
constitution lays the foundation for partitioning Iraq, he will not 
accept it. When he finds that this constitution separates him from th 
Arab world and obliterates his Arab identity although the Arabs 
constitute 82 percent of the population, he will not accept the 
constitution." 
 
--28 Aug 05  Al Jazeera TV 
"The scheme is clear. It seeks to divide Iraq into Sunnis, Shiites, a 
Kurds. If we continue to concentrate on this issue, it will be 
entrenched in the mind of the citizen and increase sectarian division 
in the country. Therefore, we receive scores of notables and chiefs o 
southern tribes daily. They express support for our position and they 
y 
are worried like us about the fate of the country as a result of this 
constitution. Therefore, the issue is not confined to the Sunni Arabs 
it also applies to the Shiite Arabs. 
 
What increased our fears is that in addition to the adoption of the 
principle of federalism, a paragraph in the constitution stating that 
Iraq -- land and people -- is an indivisible integral unit was omitte 
There is a feeling that there are intentions to partition Iraq. There 
is an omission of an important paragraph from the constitution statin 
that this country cannot be partitioned. In accordance with this 
constitution, we are moving toward division. I believe that the Iraqi 
will reject any constitution that leads to the partitioning of Iraq." 
 
7. (U) Although the Sunni representatives on the drafting council 
rejected the constitution that was submitted to the National Assembly 
it is clear that this position is not homogeneous throughout the Sunn 
community.  Editorials in Iraq and throughout the region have been 
critical of the Sunni leadership's refusal to compromise and reach an 
agreement, specifically criticizing Saleh Al-Mutlaq.  This position i 
best captured in an Aug 30 editorial by Ahmed Al-Rubei in the pan-Ara 
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, widely read in Iraq, entitled "The Liberation of 
Sunni Arabs in Iraq:" 
 
--"We regret that a small group in Iraq succeeded in kidnapping the 
Arab Sunnis groups in Iraq and to speak in their namesWe feel sorry, 
that they now have a spokesperson [Saleh Al-Mutlaq] that speaks only 
for himself, but claims to represent all of the Sunnis including the 
educated, the activists, politicians, academics and tribal members. 
are sorry that there are extremists who occupy most of the Sunni's 
mosques and turn Friday's speeches into a provocative call to violenc 
Our leaders claim that they are representing the Sunni.  They are 
deceiving us by talking against the occupation force, but in reality 
they are encouraging violence against IraqisThey talk in name of 
f 
democracy and freedom but they want to take us back to the dictatoria 
past and they are now the echo of terrorism." 
 
Khalilzad