US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4033

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 004033 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, IZ, Parliament 
SUBJECT: RALLYING SUPPORT FOR CONSTITUTION IN KARBALA AND 
NAJAF 
 
1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Shia Coalition members Ali al-Dabagh and 
Mona Zalzala traveled with PolOff to Karbala and Najaf on 
9/22 to rally support for the draft constitution.  Their 
comments were sometimes critical of elements of the text, 
but they nevertheless supported ratification.  We sense the 
Shia heartland will vote for the constitution despite what 
even its supporters acknowledge are shortcomings.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (SBU) Ali al-Dabagh argued that the constitution would 
protect all Iraqi citizens and would ensure that Iraq no 
longer has any more dictators.  He said it would give power 
to the people.  Dabagh said that the constitution would 
also help ensure the equal distribution of resources and 
would stress Iraq's Arab identity, two issues opposed by 
the Kurds.  He added that, while Iraq was probably not 
ready for federalism, the Iraqi people must nevertheless 
determine if they could make such a system work. 
 
3. (SBU) Mona Zalzala also supported the constitution, 
saying that it would help guarantee the equal distribution 
of resources.  She called for the involvement of Grand 
Ayatollah Sistani to help determine how to distribute 
Iraq's resources equally.  Zalzala then went on to argue in 
favor of more rights for women.  She said the constitution 
did not give women all the rights they asked for.  She also 
stated that women should make up 50 percent of the new 
Iraqi Parliament.  Quoting Iman Ali, she said, "One good 
woman is better than 1,000 bad men." 
 
4.  (C)  Comment:  Our sense from political figures who 
travel to the Shia heartland and from polls taken in that 
area is that the draft referendum will pass easily.  It is 
interesting that in these presentations, these Shia 
parliamentarians pointed to faults in the draft 
constitution but said it was the best that could be 
achieved under Iraq's circumstances.  This is a position 
that few Sunni Arabs publicly are willing to take. 
Khalilzad