US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2447

S E C R E T AMMAN 002447 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: TFIZ01:  HEAD OF BENI HASSAN TRIBE IN JORDAN SAYS 
BENI HASSAN IN IRAQ WISH TO COOPERATE WITH THE COALITION 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Doug Silliman for reasons 1.5 (B) and (D) 
 
1.  (S)  Sheikh Nawwaf al-Eitan, head of the Beni Hassan 
tribe in Jordan, contacted PolCouns April 17 to say that the 
head of the Beni Hassan tribe in Iraq would like to cooperate 
with Coalition forces.  Sheikh Nawwaf said that Sheikh Hatem 
al-Hassan, leader of the Beni Hassan in Iraq, called this 
week on his Thuraya phone and said that he wanted to get in 
touch with Coalition representatives, but did not know how. 
He said the Beni Hassan want to cooperate in rebuilding Iraq 
in any way possible.  Sheikh Nawwaf said that the Beni Hassan 
had many members who had served and could again serve in the 
Iraqi military, police forces, and fire/civil defense 
brigades.  In addition, the Beni Hassan would like to 
participate in the new political process in Iraq. 
 
2.  (S)  Sheikh Nawwaf provided the following names and 
contact numbers for Beni Hassan leaders in Iraq. 
 
Sheikh Hatem al-Hassan, leader of the Beni Hassan in Iraq, 
Thuraya phone number 00-88-21-65-21-31-023.  Sheikh Hatem 
lives in an-Najaf province near Kufa in an area called Abu 
Hallan. 
 
Dr. Rahim Hatem al-Hassan, son of Sheikh Hatem and the Deputy 
President of the Bar Association 
 
Dr. Ali Hatem al-Hassan, son of Sheikh Hatem and professor at 
a university in Baghdad 
 
3.  (SBU)  According to Sheikh Nawwaf, the Beni Hassan of 
Iraq number 1.5 million and live mostly in the area of 
south-central Iraq near an-Najaf and Karbala.  Although the 
Beni Hassan of Jordan are Sunni, he said that nearly all Beni 
Hassan in Iraq are Shia. 
 
GNEHM