US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2367

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002367 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PINR, IZ, Human Rights, Detainees 
SUBJECT: JOINT US, UK, DANISH DEMARCHE TO MOI ON PRISONER 
ABUSE 
 
REF: A) BAGHDAD 1681 B) REMLER-PILZ EMAIL 6/1/05 
 
Classified By: Classified by David M. Satterfield, Charge d'Affaires, f 
 
or reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (S) SUMMARY.  Charge joined British Charge and Danish 
Ambassador in a June 1 joint demarche to Minister of Interior 
Baqr Jabr on allegations of prisoner abuse in Basrah.  UK 
Charge provided an intelligence report implicating the Basrah 
Police's Internal Affairs Division and Investigations Support 
Unit of crimes, including the death of a detainee whom 
British and Danish forces had handed over to the police. 
Charge, British Charge, and Danish Ambassador expressed grave 
concern over the numerous allegations of abuse by Ministry 
employees and told Jabr that those found guilty of crimes as 
result of transparent investigations and fair trials must be 
brought to justice.  Jabr reiterated that respect for human 
rights is his first priority, said he would not tolerate such 
abuses, and promised to launch a public investigation into 
the Basrah allegations.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (S) Charge joined British Charge Tim Torlot and Danish 
Ambassador Torben Getterman on June 1 to demarche Minister of 
Interior Baqr Jabr on prisoner abuse charges against the 
Basrah police.  UK Charge outlined the case of Abbas Allawi, 
a suspected terrorist whom British and Danish forces had 
handed over to the Iraqi Police (IP) in Basrah.  While in the 
custody of the IP, Allawi, who was reportedly held in an 
illegal Ministry of Interior (MOI) facility during his 10 - 
13 April detention, was allegedly tortured and beaten to 
death. 
 
3. (S) An autopsy performed by the Iraqis as part of an 
investigation initiated by the Basrah Governor and Chief of 
Police substantiated charges that Allawi was beaten to death. 
 UK Charge provided Jabr with an HQ 12th Mechanized Brigade 
intelligence report that implicates three members of Basrah's 
Department of Internal Affairs and Investigations Support 
Unit (ISU) of assassinations, kidnappings, intimidation, 
bribery, threats against the judiciary, and illegal attacks 
against the citizens of Basrah.  The report specifically 
implicates the ISU's Lieutenant Abbas Munis for the torture 
and murder of Allawi.  Those three individuals have been 
suspended, said UK Charge, and he emphasized that the 
investigation into these allegations must continue unimpeded. 
 The problem, he said, is far more widespread than indicated 
in a single report. 
 
4. (S) Grave concerns regarding the Basrah situation, said UK 
Charge, extend to MOI as a whole and were the reason for the 
joint demarche.  He emphasized the importance of 
investigating such allegations of abuse, ensuring 
perpetrators are tried by a fair and transparent judiciary, 
and bringing those found guilty to justice.  UK Charge 
pointed out that the crimes of corrupt IP are well known on 
the streets of Basrah and said the Minister needs to show the 
Iraqi people that MOI will treat everyone fairly. 
 
5. (S) The Charge added that such actions do not only affect 
the police and prisoners, but the general public as well.  He 
emphasized that MOI must ensure the fair treatment of all 
individuals from arrest to the disposition of a case.  Charge 
also told Jabr that all MOI prisoner holding facilities need 
to be under the proper jurisdiction. (NOTE: Per reftel, MOI 
still maintains facilities that belong under Ministry of 
Justice jurisdiction per CPA Order 10.  END NOTE.)  Charge 
expressed the highest regard for Jabr's consistent focus on 
supporting human rights and said how the Iraqi people and the 
world see such cases handled is key to their confidence in 
the system. 
 
6. (S) Jabr reiterated what has, thus far, been a consistent 
message, identifying respect for human rights as his first 
priority.  He insisted that such disregard for the rights of 
the people would not be tolerated and said he would open an 
investigation within the week on the allegations reported by 
HQ 12th Mechanized Brigade.  Those involved, he said, would 
be brought to Baghdad to be publicly investigated and 
punished accordingly.  However, he cautioned, it would take 
time to correct the problems facing MOI regarding human 
rights abuses. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7. (S) Jabr appeared to be sincere in his insistence that he 
would not tolerate human rights abuses by MOI employees, 
offering as evidence of his commitment the recent removals of 
several high-level MOI officials, to include the Deputy 
Minister for Police General Hekmat, who was suspected of 
human rights abuses such as the establishment of death 
squads.  However, increasingly, MOI and its various 
components are implicated in human rights abuses, based on 
reports of human rights activists, Sunni contacts and media 
reports.  Clearly, it will be a challenge for Jabr to 
implement a change of culture in a system that has previously 
not considered the rights of the individual.  In the 
short-term, however, the question is whether MOI will 
actually follow up by investigating the Basrah allegations 
and bringing to justice those found guilty of criminal 
behavior. END COMMENT. 
 
8. (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO KIRKUK, 
Minimize considered. 
Jeffrey