US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4178

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 004178 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, IZ, KMDR, Media, Shia Islamists, Security 
SUBJECT: AL-BAYYNA JOURNALISTS ARGUE IN SUPPORT OF 
CONSTITUTION AND MILITIAS 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT FORD FOR REASONS 
1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY:  Journalists from Al-Bayyna, a major Shia 
newspaper published by the Hezbollah Movement in Iraq, told 
PolOff that they supported the draft constitution.  The 
best option for Shia, the journalists argued, would be to 
join together in several Shia regions and work to build a 
stable Iraq.   The journalists said they also supported 
Shia militias that "keep the peace" as long as Coalition 
Forces prove incapable of protecting Iraqis.  PolOff 
countered that the best way to secure Iraq would be to 
disband all militias and give full support to Iraqi Police 
(IP) and Security Forces (ISF).  END SUMMARY. 
 
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Supporters of the Constitution... 
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2. (C) On October 6, Jafar al Awachy, Deputy Editor-in- 
Chief of Al-Bayyna, and reporter Nadeem Hussein al Ameer 
told PolOff that their newspaper (Al-Bayyna) was in favor 
of the draft constitution.  The Shia journalists said that 
while the draft was not a perfect document, it would 
guarantee the rights of all Iraqis.  The journalists 
accepted that the draft constitution would be a living 
document and could be amended later if necessary, just like 
the U.S. Constitution. 
 
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...But Also of Militias 
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3. (C) Jafar and Nadeem argued that weakness of the 
Ministries of Interior and Defense have made the Shia 
militias necessary.  They further argued that these militia 
groups were inherently peaceful as the Shia are fully 
engaged in the political process.  In contrast, they said 
Sunni Arab militias targeted innocent civilians and MNF-I 
forces, and therefore should be disbanded and their members 
arrested.  The journalists favored the integration of Shia 
militias into Iraqi Police (IP) and Security Forces (ISF) 
in the interest of Iraqi security.  PolOff countered that 
the best way to secure Iraq would be to disband all 
militias and give full support to IP and ISF. 
 
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Favoring Several Regions 
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4. (C) Jafar and Nadeem said that if all the Shia-majority 
provinces were to form a single region, various groups 
would inevitably try to dominate the new entity.  The 
journalists said this would cause much internecine strife 
within the Shia community.  At the same time, they argued 
that Iraqi Shia are loyal Arabs who follow different 
ideologies than Iranian Shia, who are servants of Iran. 
Iraqi Shia, they insisted, are patriotic citizens of Iraq. 
 
6. (C) COMMENT:  Al-Bayyna newspaper has an Iraqi 
nationalist tone to many of its editorials.  It is a 
popular and influential newspaper not only in Baghdad, but 
in southern Iraq as well.  The statements of the 
newspaper's staff provide insight into the basis of the 
editorial views many Shia read.  END COMMENT. 
Khalilzad